The best shade-loving plants | BBC Gardeners World Magazine

❚ All products were chosen independently by our editorial team. This review contains affiliate links and we may receive a commission for purchases made. Please read our affiliates FAQ page to find out more.TBX update

The Best Shade-Loving Plants

More advice on gardening in shade:

When choosing plants for shade, remember that too many dark greens can make a shady area look gloomy. Instead, use them for background structure and texture, then bring the area alive by making use of pale, pastel colours. White, cream, pale yellow, lilac, light mauve and pale pink show up best. Add variegated plants for splashes of cream, yellow and white.

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine offer: Save £24 on shade-loving perennials at Hayloft

This collection will bring months on end of colour and interest to difficult shady spaces. You'll receive one each of tiarella 'Sugar and Spice', a purple-flowering vinca, and Athyrium 'Silver Falls'.

Buy now for shade

We recommend 20 of the best plants for shade, below.

Stinking iris, Iris foetidissima

Iris foetidissima — Plants for shade - wood spurge, Iris foetidissima

Stinking iris thrives in full shade, particularly beneath trees. It has architectural evergreen foliage and dull purple-green flowers, but it comes into its own in autumn when its large seedpods split open to reveal rows of orange-red seeds that remain well into winter. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

Height x Spread: 75cm x 45cm

(Please note, some plants may not always be in stock at smaller nurseries, and at certain times of the year.)

Wood spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae

Plants for shade - wood spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides — Plants for shade - wood spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides

There are many varieties of spurge, but Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae is one of the lovliest. From late spring it bears lime-green flowers above dark green leaves. Perfect for dry shade, it works well beneath trees and woodland borders. Left unchecked it can become invasive. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

H x S: 70cm x 1m

Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis

Plants for shade - snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis — Plants for shade - snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis

The snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, flowers at the end of winter, often pushing up through frozen ground and blooming for weeks until the daffodils appear. It thrives in full shade, particularly in heavy, moist soils. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

H x S: 15cm x 8cm

Winter aconites, Eranthis hyemalis

Plants for shade - winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis — Plants for shade - winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis

Aconites grow into clumps, eventually bearing masses of bright yellow flowers in late January and February. They thrive in damp shade so are perfect for growing in a damp, shay border or woodland garden. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

H x S: 10cm x 5cm

Bellflower, Campanula

Plants for shade - bellflower, Campanula lactiflora — Plants for shade - bellflower, Campanula lactiflora

There are many varieties of bellflower, most of which thrive in shade. Campanula lactiflora (pictured) bears pretty clusters of purple-blue bell-shaped flowers, above heart-shaped green leaves, from summer to autumn. It’s perfect for growing toward the back of a border and works well in traditional or cottage garden planting schemes. Like all bellflowers, its blooms are a magnet for bees and other pollinators.

H x S: 80cm x 60cm

Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Plants for shade - foxglove, Digitalis purpurea — Plants for shade - foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Our native foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, is a woodland plant that thrives in dappled or partial shade. There are many cultivars and varieties that flower in different colours and have different shaped blooms. Most thrive in partial shade but some require more sun.

H x S: 1.5m x 45cm

Granny's bonnet, Aquilegia

Plants for shade - granny's bonnet, Aquilegia flabellata — Plants for shade - granny's bonnet, Aquilegia flabellata

Aquilegias are a charming, old-fashioned cottage garden plant with bonnet-shaped flowers, perfect for growing in partial shade. Aquilegia flabellata (pictured) is a dwarf columbine, bearing blue nodding flowers over a compact mound of waxy grey-green foliage. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

H x S: 30cm x 15cm

Bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Plants for shade - bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis — Plants for shade - bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis, bears pink-red, heart-shaped flowers with white tips, which hang from arching flower stems in late spring to early summer. It grows well in light, damp shade and looks good growing in clumps amongst shrubs. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

H x S: 60cm x 45cm

Lungwort, Pulmonaria

Plants for shade - lungwort, Pulmonaria angustifolia — Plants for shade - lungwort, Pulmonaria angustifolia

Lungwort, Pulmonaria, is named after its mottled leaves, which are supposed to resemble lungs. Different varieties produce different leaf markings, which look their best in mid spring when putting on fresh growth after flowering. They make excellent groundcover plants, especially for shady borders. Funnel-shaped flowers are borne in shades of blue, violet, pink, purple, red and white.

H x S: 50cm x 50cm

Siberian bugloss, Brunnera macrophylla

Plants for shade - Brunnera macrophylla — Plants for shade - Brunnera macrophylla

Brunnera macrophylla is the perfect plant for shady gardens. With mid-green, heart-shaped foliage and forget-me-not like blooms forming on tall stems, it’s great for edging paths and mixing with other shade-tolerant plants, particularly in woodland borders.

H x S: 45cm x 45cm

Lords and ladies, Arum maculatum

Plants for shade - lords and ladies, Arum maculatum — Plants for shade - Lords-and-Ladies, Arum maculatum

A native woodland perennial, Lords-and-Ladies, Arum maculatum, is perfect for growing beneath trees and shrubs, which suck moisture from the soil. It bears unusual spring flowers, followed by dense clusters of dark red berries.

H x S: 45cm x 45cm

Cranesbill geraniums

Plants for shade – cranesbill geranium, geranium phaeum — Plants for shade – cranesbill geranium, Geranium phaeum

There are many types of cranesbill geranium, many of which thrive in shade. Dusky cranesbill, Geranium phaem (pictured) is particularly shade tolerant, and quickly grows to a dense weed-suppressing matt of green, deeply lobed leaves with distinctive purple blotches around the centre, from which small, nodding, purple flowers with yellow centres appear on tall stems, from late spring to early summer.

H x S: 90cm x 50cm

Hellebores

Plants for shade – Hellebore, Helleborus 'Garden Red' — Plants for shade – Hellebore, Helleborus 'Garden Red'

A winter-flowering staple in the cottage garden, hellebores thrive in dry shade, bearing large clusters of saucer-shaped flowers with white, pink, green, mauve or smoky purple flowers. Helleborus ‘Garden Red’ (pictured) bears single red flowers.

H x S: 30cm x 30cm

Masterwort, Astrantia

Plants for shade – Astrantia major 'Gill Richardson' — Plants for shade – Astrantia major 'Gill Richardson'

Astrantias are superb perennials for growing in shade beneath under trees or in a moist border. They prefer moist soils but will tolerate drier conditions as long as the plants are mulched. Astrantia major ‘Gill Richardson’ (pictured) is a gorgeous variety with large, cherry red flowers.

H x S: 90cm x 25cm

Ivy, Hedera helix

Plants for shade – Ivy, Hedera helix — Plants for shade – Ivy, Hedera helix

English ivy, Hedera helix, is the ultimates shade-loving climber. It can be used to cover shady walls and trained to climb up or spread out along a low wall. Being evergreen, ivy is perfect for covering pergola poles, or creating a leafy backdrop beneath clematis and climbing roses.

H x S: 10m x 10m

Sow bread, Cyclamen coum

Plants for shade – Cyclamen coum — Plants for shade – Cyclamen coum growing with snowdrops

Hardy cyclamen, Cyclamen coum, is a pretty hardy perennial, bearing delicate silver-lined dark green leaves and dainty blooms in shades of white, pink and red, from late winter to early spring. It’s perfect for growing in partial shade, at the base of small shrubs and trees, and naturalising in grass. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

H x S: 8cm x 10cm

False goatsbeard, Astilbe

Plants for shade – Astilbe 'Ellie' — Plants for shade – Astilbe 'Ellie'

False goatsbeard, Astilbe, bears showy plumes of dramatic flowers, over fern-like foliage. It’s perfect for a shady corner, where its dramatic blooms add height and colour.

H x S: 60cm x 45cm

Solomon's seal, Polygonatum x hybridum

Plants for shade – Solomon's seal, Polygonatum x hybridum — Plants for shade – Solomon's seal, Polygonatum x hybridum

Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum x hybridum, is an old cottage garden plant, bearing graceful, arching stems with paired, oval leaves and dangling, green-tipped, white bell-shaped flowers from late spring to early summer. It’s perfect for growing in a partially shaded border or woodland planting scheme, and looks lovely paired with corydalis and bleeding heart.

H x S: 1.25m x 30cm

Himalayan blue poppy, Meconopsis baileyi

Plants for shade – Meconopsis 'Slieve Donard' — Plants for shade – Meconopsis 'Slieve Donard'

Himalayan poppy, Meconopsis baileyi, bears spectacular, bowl-shaped blue flowers with bright yellow centres, in late spring to early summer. It makes a dramatic statement when grown en masse, and does best when grown in moist, neutral to acid soil in a partially shaded spot. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

H x S: 1.2m x 45cm

Coral bells, Heuchera

Plants for shade – Coral bells, Heuchera — Plants for shade – Coral bells, Heuchera

Heucheras are attractive, mound-forming plants, perfect for growing in light shade. There are many heuchera cultivars to choose from, coming in a range of unusual colours and forms. Some are tolerant of dry soils while others prefer damper habitats.

H x S: 50cm x 40cm

In this short video, Monty Don selects two beautiful flowering perennials to add instant colour to borders in light or dappled shade. Watch and you'll see why he's chosen them: Thalictrum delavayi, with its airy froth of small mauve flowers, and the elegant white-flowered Japanese anemon e Anemone x hybrida 'Whirlwind'. Plant them in summer and they'll flower into autumn, establishing quickly in the warm soil.

Transcript

These borders were made this spring. They're brand new and I've got some plants that will thrive perfectly well in this light, essentially woodland shade. Now in here, I'm going to put this lovely thalictrum. This is Thalictrum delavayi. It's very much a plant of this time of year, quite easy to grow and this will grow up to three, four foot, elegant with these lovely delicate flowers and then very ferney foliage. And what I love about this particular thalictrum is the colour of the stems is more or less the same colour as the flowers. As long as it's got some moisture in its soil, it's happy.

Now, it is important if you're planting in shade to make sure that you enrich the soil as much as possible. If you don't have your own compost, you can buy soil enricher. And the reason for that, as much as anything else, is to add organic content to the soil so it will hold moisture. Dry shade is what's really tricky. If you've got moisture in the ground, you'll be amazed at how many plants will grow in those conditions.

The other plant, which I want to add to these borders today, is an anemone. This is Anemone hybrida 'Whirlwind'. It's white, it's strong growing and of course, because of the shade, the white shines out. These Japanese anemones can flower from August right through to October, adding colour and charm to any shady border.

While I've got it here, I did bring some compost if I needed it, if the soil was looking very dry or very poor. I will just add a little bit in there. Even on a rainy day like today, it is important to water in plants, particularly at this time of year, because actually the rain only gets in the top inch or so. We want water to go down to the bottom of the planting hole. And it's a good time to plant now because the soil is warm. As long as you keep them well watered, plants will grow quickly, get established late summer and in autumn, and then next year they will really romp away.