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List of 40 Herbs & Vegetables that Grow in Shade & Partial Shade

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Do you have a shady backyard but still want to grow a vegetable garden? You’re in luck – Below is an assortment of 40 herbs and vegetables that grow in shade and partial shade.

All vegetables need some sunlight to grow and produce fruit, but not all vegetables need 6-8 hours of sunlight each day. If your garden doesn’t get much direct light, there are plenty of shade-tolerant herbs and vegetables for you to grow and enjoy.

Many leafy greens, root vegetables, and several herbs will survive in lower light conditions. As a bonus, several of these low-sun vegetables produce crops in either early spring or late summer, which will extend your growing season.

Keep reading to learn what vegetables grow in shade and partial shade.

A collage with images of Swiss chard, spinach, radishes and beets. Burgundy text box reads 40 herbs & vegetables to grow in shade and partial shade.

Vegetables that grow in shade and partial shade

While there are no vegetables that love full shade, many can tolerate partial sun or partial shade conditions. 

If your vegetable garden gets zero direct sunlight, consider growing vegetables in containers, which you can place in an area (such as a backyard deck) that does get some sunlight.

Depending on how hot the climate is where you live, your plants may be able to withstand more shade. For example, vegetables grown in North Carolina will tolerate more shade than those grown in Maine.

The lists below include vegetables and herbs that are shade-tolerant. I’ve divided the plants into three lists and printables:

  • Vegetables that grow in partial shade (3-6 hours of sunlight daily)
  • Vegetables that grow in shade (less than 3 hours of sunlight a day)
  • Shade-tolerant herbs (3-6 hours of sunlight daily)

These printables can be printed out from the links below the images. There is also a list in the project card at the bottom of the post, which includes both herbs and vegetables to grow in the shade.

Vegetables that grow in partial shade (3-6 hours of sunlight daily)

For most of these vegetables, the closer you get to 6 hours of sunlight a day, the better the vegetables will grow. 

Pictures of vegetables in rows with names of each one. A green text box reads Vegetables that grow in partial shade - 3-6 hours of sunlight a day.

Download the partial shade-tolerant vegetables chart here as a high-resolution image.

Shade vegetables list (less than 3 hours of sunlight daily)

Most vegetables that will grow with less than 3 hours of sunlight a day are grown for their leafy greens. Note that even though these vegetables tolerate less shade, they will grow larger if they receive more sunlight.

Pictures of vegetables in rows with names underneath them. Brown text box reads Vegetables that grow in shade - less than 3 hours of sunlight a day.

You can print out the shade vegetables list here as a high-resolution image.

Herbs that grow in partial shade (3-6 hours of sunlight daily)

Herbs that will grow in partial shade are those with flavorful leaves or woody stems. Growing herbs in partial shade gives them protection from the midday sun, which can cause scorching. It also helps to delay the herbs from flowering.

Herbs will grow more quickly and be denser if they receive more sun, but will still perform well with 3-6 hours of sunlight per day.

Pictures of herbs in rows with names under neath each image. A purple text box reads Herbs that grow in partial shade - 3-6 hours of sunlight a day.

Print out the list of herbs that grow in partial shade here, as a high-resolution image.

A raised garden bed with spinach, beets and lettuce in it. Green text box reads what vegetables grow in shade?

Share this post about vegetables to grow in shade on Twitter

If you enjoyed learning about partial shade vegetables, why not share this post with a gardening friend? Here is a tweet to get you started:

Got a shady garden? 🌿 No problem! Discover the best herbs and veggies that will grow in shade and partial shade. 🥬🥕🌱 #GardeningTips #ShadeGarden #GrowYourOwn #VegetableGarden #HerbGarden #PartialShade Share on X

Pin this list of shade-loving vegetables

Would you like a reminder of this post about partial sun vegetables and herbs? Just pin this image to one of your gardening boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

You can also watch this YouTube slideshow video about herbs and vegetables that grow in shade and partial shade!

A raised garden bed with chives, lettuce, carrots and spinach growing. A brown teext boxes reads Shade-tolerant vegetables and herbs.

Yield: 1 list of herbs and vegetables for partial shade

Herbs and Vegetables That Grow in Shade - Gardening Printables

Four garden printables laying over each other. Brown text box reads Vegetable and herb shade garden vegetables.

Do you have a vegetable garden that doesn't get much sunlight? These lists of herbs and vegetables that grow in partial shade will help.

These shade veggies printables will give you lots of ideas about what to grow in your shady garden.

The next time you are out plant shopping, you can bring these lists of shade garden vegetables with you.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Difficulty easy
Estimated Cost $1

Materials

  • Printer paper

Tools

  • Computer
  • Printer

Instructions

  1. Load your computer paper into your printer.
  2. Using the print function on this card will print a list of partial shade herbs and vegetables that fills about 3/4 of an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of paper.
  3. Choose portrait layout and, if possible, "fit to page" in your settings. Doing this will fill the entire page.
  4. Alternatively, you can use this link to print the low-sunlight vegetables and herbs (with photos and names) as a high-resolution image, using the print feature in your browser window.
  5. After you get this shade-tolerant veggies identification guide, you can bring it with you when you go plant shopping.
  6. There are three more shade garden printables in the notes area that you can also download and print.
  7. Please note: Free gardening printables with plant names and photos take a long time to make. This list of low-light vegetables is for personal use only. If you are sharing this list (and thank you for that!), please link directly to this post and not to the actual image. We appreciate your help in supporting the site. This gardening printable may not be used for any retail purpose or for mass distribution. Pictures of herbs and vegetables with names under them. A pink text box reads Shade garden vegetables and herbs.

Notes

In addition to this free printable, you can also get 3 more lists of edible plants to grow in the shade.

Click on each of the links to download the lists as high-resolution images.

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© Carol Speake
Project Type: Printable / Category: Outdoor Plants

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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