30 Best Shade Plants to Beautify Your Garden

Oct 17, 2024

Proof that you don't need full sun for a lush landscape.

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Sun-loving plants may get all the attention, but full-shade plants work hard in the background to keep your yard looking good. They're stunning too: Many beautiful annuals, perennials, shrubs, and ornamental grasses love the shade. Whether you're looking for something to plant under a fast-growing shade tree, in flower beds, hanging baskets, or containers on a backyard patio, there's a wide variety of plants that grow in the shade and can add color and interest to your outdoor spaces.

Just know that there are different levels of shade-loving growth. A full-shade plant needs fewer than three hours of direct sunlight during the day—in other words, it wants up to 21 hours of shade. Partial shade means a plant needs only three to six hours of shade a day. The amount of sun and the timing of it can be important for shade plants to thrive too. Some shade lovers, such as flowering shrubs, bloom best with some sun—preferably in the morning because the hot afternoon sun is too intense, especially during the summer months. If you're looking to plant shrubs or perennials, which come back year after year, make sure they're suited to your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. After all, there's no sense in spending money on plants that won't survive the winter.

Ahead, find the 30 best shade plants to brighten up any dark spot in your garden.

These rich, purple blooms provide a burst of color to your garden from late spring into the fall months. Shade-tolerant and hardy, this shade-loving plant is great for gardening beginners. They thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8.

Ideally used for ground cover in sparse areas of your garden, this variety of bugleweed boasts spiky, violet flowers with a dark green and brown foliage base. Because this shade-loving plant is so dense, it helps to control stubborn weeds that love to pop through. Plant in USDA Zones 4 through 9.

This deer-resistant plant grows primarily vertically, making it a great space-saving variety for smaller gardens. The bright, cream blooms are soft and fluffy, adding a dimensional texture to your landscaping. Plant in USDA Zones 3 through 7.

This shade-loving plant is the epitome of the fall color palette in a single plant. The vibrant orange and red foliage keeps its color throughout the long growing season, even in full shade. This perennial will also survive through mild to moderate winters.

Grown best in USDA Zones 3 through 8, this shade-loving plant blooms silver-blue, heart-shaped flowers whether in full sun or full shade. Ideal for those looking for deer-resistant plant varieties, the Siberian Bugloss is known for its hardy nature.

For those who live in a cold climate or experience harsh winters, blue oat grass is a great bet for year-round color and interest. It never loses its silver-blue hue, no matter the temperature, and you don't have to worry about it getting too much shade. This is a great option for those looking to add more ornamental grasses to their landscaping.

This biennial is often grown as an ornamental plant because of its vivid flowers. This shade-loving plant's bright colors attract both people and animals (including pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds), but it's important to remember that all parts of a foxglove plant are extremely toxic and poisonous.

Hardy and colorful, primrose flowers are popular among gardeners all across the country since they can thrive in hot and cold climates. Primroses appreciate the morning sun but do their best in partial to full shade.

Gaining in popularity as an alternative to impatiens, this beautiful annual comes in shades of periwinkle blue, white, and violet on mounding foliage. It's an attractive choice for shady baskets, window boxes, and containers, reaching about a foot wide and tall.

Hostas range from a petite four inches to as big as six feet across! These shade-loving plants are great for adding beautiful texture and greenery. Just be aware that these perennials are a favorite of deer and rabbits. If those creatures visit your garden frequently, consider planting something less tasty.

If you're looking for a vining annual that works equally well in sun and shade, a sweet potato vine is the answer. This pretty plant comes in shades of purple, burgundy, and chartreuse and looks fabulous spilling over the sides of containers and window boxes.

Begonias do well in a variety of conditions, including full shade. Depending on the variety, they can range from six inches to three feet tall and six to 18 inches wide. Some types are grown primarily for their striking variegated foliage. Most are considered annuals.

Ligularia, which is sometimes called the leopard plant, has large, showy leaves and bright flowers in shades of yellow. This shade-loving perennial is especially happy in boggy or wet conditions. It can grow anywhere from three to eight feet tall and two to four feet wide.

These happy-faced flowers tolerate full sun in spring and fall, but come summer, they'll need part shade. They often die back in hot weather and revive when things cool down. They're annuals but some types self-seed and may appear again next spring.

Also known as bishop's hat because of its flowers' unique shape, epimedium thrives in part to full shade and blooms from mid to late spring. This perennial can grow between eight and 12 inches tall and 12 to 36 inches wide. It's a great ground cover for shady spots.

Often used as a ground cover, this perennial is known for its tiny flowers that bloom in the spring. It also has charming heart-shaped foliage with white variegation, making it a delightful shade-loving plant whether it's in bloom or not.

Known as bleeding hearts (and you can see why!), these charming perennials are a must-have in any shade garden. Depending on the variety, they can grow between six inches and three feet tall and one and three feet wide.

This pretty shade-loving plant with a fun name blooms in midsummer and prefers moist yet well-drained soil. Expect it to grow to between six inches and three feet tall, depending on the variety.

This gorgeous perennial looks delicate but is actually tough as nails. It's also called the Lenten rose because it blooms in late winter to early spring, around the time of Lent. It's available in a profusion of colors ranging from pure white to the deepest pinks and almost black. Depending on the variety, you can expect a hellebore plant to grow between one and three feet tall and wide.

Heuchera, also known as coral bells, is one of the most versatile perennials for any garden. Most types grow in light ranging from full sun to full shade, so read the tag to be sure which kind you're buying. It has small flower spikes in midsummer but is grown mainly for its striking foliage that spans every color of the rainbow from chartreuse to purple-black. The plant's size ranges from one to two feet tall and six to 30 inches wide.

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