Shade Plants
Shade Plants
* TOLERATES DRY SHADE
+ TOLERATES ONLY DAPPLED SHADE. Will not thrive or bloom in medium to heavy shade.
PERENNIALS
+Acanthus
Aconitum – Monkshood
+Alchemilla sp. – Lady’s Mantle
+Amsonia
+Anemone sp. – fall and spring
*Aquilegia – Columbine
Aruncus – Goatsbeard
Asarum – Wild Ginger
Asters, woodland types
+ Astilbe (must have moisture)
+Astrantia
*Begonia grandis (zone 6)
Bergenia
Brunnera macrophylla – Heartleaf perennial forget-me-not
Caltha palustris – Marsh Marigold (must have moisture)
+Campanula species – Bellflowers
+ Cerastostigma plumbaginoides – Plumbago
Chelone – Turtlehead
Chrysogonum
Cimicifuga – Snakeroot
*Convallaria majalis – Lily of the Valley
*Corydalis lutea – Yellow bleeding heart
Cyclamen – hardy varieties (zone 6)
*Cypripedium – Lady’s Slipper
*Dicentra species – Bleeding heart, Dwarf bleeding heart, Dutchman’s Britches
*Digitalis sp. – Foxgloves
*Dodecathon meadia – Shooting Star
*Doronicum pardalianches- Greater Leopardsbane Daisy
+Echinacea purpurea – Coneflower
*Epimedium sp.
*+FERNS (many- amount of shade and drought tolerance depends on species)
+Filipendula sp.
*Galax
Gentiana
Geranium sp. – Cranesbill *G. macrorrhizum takes deepest shade and root competition
*Helleborus sp. – Christmas, Lenten Rose
+Hemerocallis sp. – Daylilies
*Hepatica
*Heuchera – Coral Bells (decorative leaf types such as H. villosa)
*Hostas
+Hypericum sp. – St. Johnswort
+Iris ensata- Japanese iris (must have moisture)
*I. cristata
*Kirengoshoma
*Lamiastrum
*Lamium
Ligularia sp. (must have moisture)
*Liriope muscari – Lilyturf
Lobelia cardinalis, siphilitica – Cardinal Flower (must have moisture)
*Lunaria annua- Money plant (biennial)
*Mertensia – Virginia Bluebells
+Monarda – Bee Balm (must have moisture)
+Myosotis – Forget Me Nots (biennial)
Omphalodes verna
*Phlox stolonifera, divaricata
+Physostegia – Obedient Plant
*Podophyllum – Mayapple
Polemonium sp – Jacob’s Ladder
*Polygonatum– Solomon’s Seal
Primula sp. – Primroses (must have moisture)
*Pulmonaria – Lungwort (must have moisture)
Rodgersia (must have moisture)
*Sanguinaria – Bloodroot
*Smilacina racemosa
*Stylophorum – Celandine Poppy
+Thalictrum sp. – Meadow Rue (must have moisture)
Tiarella – Foamflower (not drought tolerant)
Tradescantia – Spiderwort
*Tricyrtis – Toadlily
*Trillium
+Trollius – Globeflower (must have moisture)
Viola – Violets
HARDY BULBS
Camassia (tolerates wet feet)
Colchicum – Autumn Crocus
*Eranthus – Winter Aconite
*Erythronium – Trout Lily
+Fritillaria sp.
*Galanthus – Snowdrops
Leucojum – Summer Snowflake
+Muscari – Grape Hyacinths
*Narcissus – Daffodils
Scilla sp. – Squill
GROUND COVERS
Ajuga reptans
Asarum – Wild Ginger
*Convallaria – Lily of the Valley
*Epimedium
*Galium odoratum – Sweet Woodruff
*Gaultheria procumbens – Wintergreen
*Geranium macrorrhizum
+Hypericum calycinum – Creeping St. Johnswort
*Lamium
*Michella repens – Partridge Berry
Mosses
*Pachysandra procumbens (native)
*Phlox stolonifera
GRASSES
Carex (degree of shade tolerance and need for moisture varies by species)
+ Deschampsia cespitosa – Tufted Hair
+ Imperata cylindrica – Japanese Blood Grass
*Liriope
Luzula nivea
VINES
+Clematis paniculata – Sweet Autumn Clematis
Hydrangea petiolaris – Climbing Hydrangea
Parthenocissus quinquefolia – Boston Ivy
SHRUBS
+Abelia
Aucuba japonica (zone 6)
Amelanchier – Shadbush
Azalea sp.
*Buxus – Boxwood
Calycanthus floridus – Carolina Allspice
+Chamaecyparis obtusa – Hinoki Cypress
Cornus sp.
Corylopsis – Winter Hazel
Corylus sp. - Hazels
+ Cotoneaster salicifolia
+ Daphne
Enkianthus
Euonymus sp.
Fothergilla sp.
+Hamamelis – Witch Hazel
Hydrangea sp.
*(H. arborescens, H. quercifolia)
+Hypericum – St. Johnswort
Ilex sp. – Hollies
Kalmia – Mt. Laurel
+Kerria japonica
Leucothoe sp. (must have moisture)
Mahonia (Zone 6)
+Myrica pennsylvanica – Bayberry
Pieris – Andromeda
Rhododendron
Skimmia japonica (Zone 7)
*Taxus – Yew
Tsuga canadensis – Hemlocks
+Vaccinium – Blueberries (if growing for fruit, must be in full sun)
ANNUALS
+Bacopa
Balsam
Begonias
Browalia americana
Caladium
+Coleus
+Fuchsia (must have moisture)
Impatiens
+Nicotiana
+Torenia
Violas & Pansies
HERBS
Angelica
Chervil
*Comfrey
Lemon balm
Mints
+ Rue
+Salad Burnet
Sweet Cicily
*Wild Ginger
*Wintergreen
In an effort to provide horticultural information, these educational documents are written by Nancy DuBrule-Clemente and are the property of Natureworks Horticultural Services, LLC. You are granted permission to print/photocopy this educational information free of charge as long as you clearly show that these are Natureworks documents.