Suggested Perennials for Shade
All of the following hardy perennials grow well in light or partial shade (1/2 day of direct sun, or light filtered through a high tree canopy). Plants marked with an asterisk (*) also grow well in moderate shade (less than 1/2 day of sun). Plants that tolerate light to dense shade are indicated with two asterisks (**). The varieties below are listed alphabetically by botanical name.
| NEW/BLOOM TIME | HEIGHT | FLOWER/LEAF COLOR |
|---|---|---|
| Bear's Breech (Acanthus mollis) summer |
2-3' | pink flowers/large, glossy, handsome leaves |
| Ladybells (Adenophora lilifolia) late summer |
12-18" | blue bell-like flowers on spikes |
| Bugleweed** (Ajuga varieties) May/June |
6" | blue/foliage varies |
| Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris (A. Mollis)) late spring/summer |
12-18" | yellow |
| Windflower or Anemone - all species and hybrids (Anemone) September to frost |
30-36" | white, pink |
| Columbine - all species and hybrids * (Aquilegia) May/June |
12-30" | mixed colors |
| Goatsbeard* (Aruncus dioicus; A. aesthusifolius) June/July |
4-6" | cream |
| Canadian (wild) Ginger ** (Asarum canadense) | 9-12" | beautiful foliage |
| European Ginger ** (Asarum europaeum) foliage plant or groundcover |
4-6" | glossy-green, heart-shaped leaves |
| Astilbe * (Spirea or Goatsbeard) (Astilbe - all species and hybrids) summer |
18-36" | white, pink, red, lavender |
| Hardy Begonia * (Begonia grandis) summer |
15-24" | H. pink |
| Bergenia or Saxifrage * (Bergenia cordifolia cultivars)>br>summer | 10-16" | pink, white, red |
| Siberian Bugloss * (Perennial Forget-Me-Not) (Brunnera macrophylla) May/June |
18" | blue/large, rounded leaves |
| Bellflower (Campanula species and hybrids) | variable w/ species | blue and white |
| Hardy Plumbago * (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) fall |
6-10" | blue flowers/red fall foliage |
| Turtlehead (Chelone obliqua) summer/fall |
2-3" | purple, white |
| Snakeroot (or Bugbane) * (Cimicifuga racemosa; C. simplex) summer/fall |
3-6' | white |
| Lily-of-the-Valley ** (Convallaria majalis) May/June |
6-8" | white bells |
| Dwarf Bleeding Hearts ** (Dicentra exima 'Snowdrift') (Dicentra formosa 'Luxuriant') (dwarf varieties) all summer | 12-15" | white, pink |
| Bleeding Heart** (Dicentra spectabilis) May/June | 2-3' | deep, pink/white |
| Foxglove (Species and hybrids)* (Digitalis - all varieties) June/July | 24-42" | mixed colors |
| Leopard's Bane (Doronicum cordatum) June | 15" | yellow |
| Barrenwort* (Epimedium varieties) May | 6-9" | red, yellow, pink, lavender or white |
| Hardy Ferns - all varieties** | 6-48" | feathery green fronds |
| Meadowsweet* (Filipendula varieties) Summer | 18-60" | white or pink |
| Funkia (see Hosta)* | ||
| Sweet Woodruff* (Galium odoratum) June | 8" | white |
| Hardy Geranium (Geranium species and hybrids) Early Summer | 6-24" | white, pink blue, magenta |
| Hellebores (Lenten Rose, etc)* (all Helleborus species and hybrids) Summer | 15-24" | white, pink, purple, green |
| NEW/BLOOM TIME | HEIGHT | FLOWER/LEAF COLOR |
|---|---|---|
| Daylily (Hemerocallis hybrids) Summer | 15-24" | mixed |
| Coral Bells (Heuchera species and hybrids) June | 8-15" | pink, red, white |
| Hosta (species and hybrids)* Summer | 12-30" | white, lavender flowers/green, glaucous blue, or variegated leaves |
| Houttuynia* (Houttuynia cordata 'Varietata') | 6-12" | leaves mixed green, pink, cream |
| Kirengeshoma* (Kirengeshoma koreana) Late Summer | to 40" | yellow flowers; maple-like leaves |
| Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Hermans Pride') Summer | 8" | yellow, silver var. leaves |
| Spotted Dead Nettle* (Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver' and 'White Nancy') | 10-15" | pink, white, silvery-green leaves |
| Lilyturf* (Liriope muscari cultivars) August | 12" | lavender/some with variegated foliage |
| Cardinal Flower* (Lobelia cardinalis) July/September | to 3'red | |
| Loosestrife (Lythrum virgatum and cultivars) | 18-24" | pink-red |
| Virginia Bluebells* (Mertensia verginica) Late Spring/Early Summer | 1-2' | blue |
| Bee Balm (Monarda cultivars) Summer | 3' | pink, red, white, purple |
| Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis species) May/June | 8-15" | light blue |
| Mondo Grass* (Ophiopogon japinacus) August | 4-6" | lavender/very narrow leaves |
| Allegehany Spurge** (Pachysandra procumbens) | 9-12" | green leaves with silver marks |
| Dwarf Fleece Flower* (Persicaria afinis 'Border Jewel') Late Spring | 4" | pink |
| False Dragonhead* (Physostegia virginiana) August/September | 2-3' | pink, white |
| May Apple* (Podophyllum peltatum) Spring | 15-24" | white |
| Jacob's Ladder* (Polemonium caeruleum) May/June | 15-18" | blue |
| Variegated Solomon's Seal** (Polygonatum x hybridum 'Variegatum') July/August | 18.24" | white, bell flowers; white-edged leaves |
| Primrose (Primula species and hybrids) April/June | 6-15" | mixed colors |
| Lungwort** (Pulmonaria saccharata; P. longifolia) Spring | 6-10" | blue/pink flowers marbled leaves |
| Bronzeleaf Rodger's Flower* (Rodgersia pinnata) Summer | 3-4' | rose-red |
| Bloodroot** (Sanguinaria canadense) Early Spring | 8-12" | white |
| Foamflower* (Tiarella cordifolia) April/June | 12" | white/maple-like foliage |
| Meadow Rue* (Thalictrum varieties) July/August | 3-5' | yellow/soft blue-green leaves |
| Spiderwort** (Tradescantia hybrids) All Summer | 18-30" | blue, white, red, purple |
| Japanese Toad Lily* (Tricyrtis hirta) Early Fall | 18" | white and purple |
| NEW/BLOOM TIME | HEIGHT | FLOWER/LEAF COLOR |
|---|---|---|
| Trillium ** (Trillium species) Late Spring | to 15" | white - Snow rillium, red - Wake Robin |
| Globeflower* (Trollius europaeus) May/August | 2' | yellow, orange |
| Speedwell or Veronica (Veronica varieties) | 15-18" | blue, white, pink |
| Violets* (Viola species and hybrids) | 6-10" | purple, white, blue yellow |
| Barren Strawberry* (Waldsteinia ternata) | 6-8" | yellow, strawberry-like flowers |
Conservatory Plants
| NEW/BLOOM TIME | HEIGHT | FLOWER/LEAF COLOR |
|---|---|---|
| Flowering Maples (Abutilon hybrids) | 3-4' | white or pink |
| Bear's Breech (Acanthus mollis) | 18-24" | large, glossy, very handsome foliage; mauve flower spikes |
| Agapanthus species (Agapanthus) Summer | to 3' | long, strap-like foliage cluster of clear blue or white flowers |
| Clivia miniata Summer or February | 24" | excellent, dar green, stump-like foliage; clear orange flowers with yellow center |
| Fuschias (all varieties) | 12-30" | white, pink, red, or purple |
© Rosedale Nurseries, Inc. 1994, 2015
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