How to Choose Plants that Thrive in Shaded Gardens

If you have an area in your garden that is shady you will need to select carefully the plants you put there. Shade plants may not be as bright and exotic as those that require full sun, but there is still a wide variety of plants available that thrive in shady conditions. The only types of plants that really won’t do well in shady conditions are herb, fruit and vegetable species. These need good sunlight to produce healthy crops. But trees, shrubs, vines and flowering varieties can all be grown in the shade.

When selecting plants for shade you need to determine what type of shade it is.
Light shade areas get some sun during the day and are shaded at other times. The sunlight may be filtered through a tree canopy, or the garden area may be shaded due to a wall blocking the sunlight for several hours. Some plants that do well in light shade are: Flowering Dogwood and Hemlock, (trees); Viburnums and Hydrangea, (shrubs); Periwinkle Vinca and Carpetweed, (ground cover); Boston Ivy and Common Periwinkle, (vines); Geraniums and Lily of the Valley,(flowers); Maiden Grass and Silver Grass.

Medium shade indicates an area where the sunlight is blocked for most of the day. These areas are generally under large, mature trees, but may get some sun early in the morning. Some plants for medium shaded areas are: many Dogwood varieties (trees); Viburnums and Camellias, (shrubs); English Ivy and Plumbago, (vines); Foxglove and Lobelia, (flowers); Sedge and Bottlebrush Grass.

Full or heavy shaded areas receive basically no sunlight during the day. Plants under thick canopies or under decks will find themselves in this type of shade. Flowering plants don’t do well in this amount of shade, (there are exceptions, such as Impatiens), nor do grasses. Other species that do well in heavy shade are: American Hornwood and Blue Beech, (trees); Japanese Kerria and Sweet Pepperbush, (shrubs); Winter Creeper and Dead Nettle, (groundcovers).

Shade plants are competing for moisture and nutrients so will need a moist, rich soil. Mulching should be a priority for your shade plants. Weed regularly in this area as the weeds will be competing for food as well. Compost shaded areas in spring. Don’t remove the leaf litter as this will upset the natural environment of shaded areas. The fallen leaves will break down, adding more nutrients to the soil. Disease in plants is difficult to deal within shade areas. Try planting only species that are disease-resistant. If your shade plants are not thriving, look at ways you can improve their environment. Are overhanging branches stopping the rain from getting through? If so, you will need to supply more water. Branches can also prevent good air circulation. Try thinning some over-hanging limbs and remove dead or diseased branches.

Developing a garden in shaded areas takes thought and planning. Choose carefully to create a restful area in your garden.

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