List of 18 Plants That Like Shade – Perennials, Annuals, Shrubs

Do you have a shady garden and don’t know which plants will grow in it? Try adding one of these plants that like shade.

This list has 18 types of shade garden plants, including annuals, perennials, and shrubs. All of the plants will thrive outdoors with full shade and partial shade.

Each shade garden plant listed has the name of the plant, a picture for identification, and some basic care notes to help you decide if it would be right for your garden.

I’ve also included a free shade plant identification printable to take with you when you go plant shopping.

Keep reading to learn what you can grow in a garden that doesn’t get much light.

Outdoor shade-loving plants list – names and photos

The care notes below are general guidelines. Each plant’s care may vary depending on the shade garden plant types you buy and the weather conditions where you live.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you if you purchase through an affiliate link.

Perennial plants for shade

Perennial shade plants that flower all summer long and come back year after year are a true gardener’s delight. If you don’t have a lot of direct sun in your garden, try one of these perennial shade plants.

Coral bells (Heuchera)

Heuchera plants have many leaf colors, shapes, and textures. The variety pictured above is called Forever Midnight Heuchera.

Buy Forever Midnight Heuchera here.

Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta)

One interesting fact about elephant ear plants is that their roots, called corms, are edible.

Get a bulb for elephant ears here.

Lenten rose (Helleborus foetidus)

This early-blooming plant gets its common name, Lenten rose, from its rose-like flowers that bloom around the Christian season of Lent. The flowers come in a variety of colors including white, pink, green, yellow, dark purple, and burgundy.

Purchase Lenten rose for your shade garden here.

Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

This perennial plant has interesting foliage, flowers that change colors, and a history of use in traditional medicine.

Buy a lungwort plant here.

Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum)

Known for its striking foliage, this easy-care fern was named Perennial Plant of the Year in 2004 by the Perennial Plant Association.

You can purchase Japanese painted fern here.

Lucky clover (Oxalis tetraphylla)

All oxalis plants are nycintastic. This means that their leaves close up at night in response to darkness.

Buy lucky clover Oxalis bulbs here.

Monkey grass (Liriope spicata)

This drought-tolerant ground cover spreads easily. Monkey grass is considered invasive in some areas.

Buy 23 bare-rooted Liriope plants here.

Old-fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis)

Bleeding heart has heart-shaped flowers that are deer-resistant, so you won’t have to worry about the blooms getting eaten!

Buy old-fashioned bleeding heart plant here.

Plantain lily (Hosta)

Hostas are known as the friendship plant because they are easy to divide and share with friends. The leaves come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. The variety pictured above is called Hosta ‘Frances Williams’.

Purchase Hosta ‘Frances Williams’ here.

Variegated lily turf (Liriope muscari variegata)

Liriope muscari variegata tolerates heat, humidity, and drought well. It is considered invasive in North America.

Buy variegated lily turf here.

List of shade annuals

There are a nice variety of annual plants for shade that will give you beautiful blooms and interesting foliage even if your garden doesn’t get full sun.

Caladium (Caladium)

Popular as ornamental plants, caladiums are known for their colorful leaves with unique patterns. 

Get a mix of caladium bulbs here.

Dragon wing begonia (Begonia ‘Dragon Wing Red’)

As the name suggests, this begonia plant is known for its large, striking, glossy green leaves shaped like dragon wings. The blooms are very long-lasting.

Purchase dragon wing begonias here.

New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri)

These pretty impatiens are easy to propagate from stem cuttings. They are sometimes called “Touch Me Knots” because their seed pods burst open easily when you touch them.

Purchase a New Guinea impatiens plant here (multiple colors available).

Wizard Jade Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides)

Easily grown from seed, this bi-color coleus plant has green leaves with striking yellow veins.

Buy seeds to grow Wizard Jade Coleus in your shade garden.

Shade-loving shrubs

These shrubs for shade add height and interest to any part of your garden that gets low light.

Big leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

One of the most interesting things about hydrangeas is that you can change the color of their flowers by adjusting the soil pH.

Get a big leaf hydrangea starter plant here.

Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirum)

It’s easy to prune this shade garden plant into many shapes. I form mine in the shape of Christmas trees and hang lights on them for the holidays.

Buy your own boxwood plant here.

Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica)

Camellias can live a very long time – some up to 200 years! They are also very early bloomers and are relatively deer-resistant.

Purchase a camellia japonica here.

Rhododendron (Rhododendron)

Rhododendron is part of the azalea family and is known for its large, showy flowers, which bloom in spring. The blooms will be larger if you add high-quality, organic matter to the soil.

Purchase a live rhododendron plant for your shade garden here.

Share this list of shade plants on Twitter

If you enjoyed learning about which plants will grow in shade, why not share this post with a friend? Here is a tweet to get you started:

Pin this list of plants that like shade

Would you like a reminder of this outdoor shade-loving plants list? Just pin this image to one of your gardening boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

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Yield: 1 list of the best plants for shade

18 Plants for a Shade Garden - Annuals, Perennials and Shrubs

Print

Do you have a garden that doesn't get much sunlight? This plants for shaded areas printable will help.

Get a list of shade plant photos and names below to test and expand your knowledge!

Next time you go plant shopping, or out on a nature walk you can bring this list of plants that like shade 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 shade-loving plant names and photos 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 list of outdoor shade plants (with photos and names) as a high-resolution image, using the print feature in your browser window.
5. After you get this shady garden plants identification guide, you can bring it with you when you go plant shopping or on a nature walk.
6. Please note: Free printables with plant names and photos take a long time to make. This list of plants for shade is for personal use only. If you are sharing this list of best plants for shade (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 list of plants that love shade with pictures may not be used for any retail purpose or for mass distribution.

Notes

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Sow Right Seeds - Part Shade Flower Seed Collection for Planting - 5 Packets - Non-GMO Heirloom to Grow in Low Sun Areas
• 
  Garden State Bulb Hosta Variegated Mix, Bare Roots, Spring Planting (Bag of 6)
• 
  Shade Wildflower Mix (Seed Packet) - Shade, Perennial, Deer-Resistant, Create a Colorful Shade Garden

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