Shade Plants: Top 16 Plants For Shade

Dark corners and shady beds? We show you which annual and perennial plants thrive in your garden without much light.

Many gardeners associate flowers and beautiful plants with sunshine. There are a lot of plants that voluntarily lead a shadowy existence - and not because they are shy or unsightly. In fact, it is a whole range of shade-loving plants that not only green dark corners in the garden, but also look wonderful. Here we share with you 16 amazing plants that are ideal for shady spots. We divided the shade lovers into annual and perennial plants.

Shade Plants: The 8 Best Annuals For Your Garden

Colorful flowers and colored leaves in a shady spot? These eight shade-loving, annual plants are ideal for turning beds without much light into real eye-catchers.

1. coleus

Colorful, more colorful, nettle - the colorful nettle (Solenostemon scutellarioides) lives up to its name: its colorful leaves shine in many different colors from light yellow to red to dark violet. Wild color combinations can also be found in the colored nettle and make it a real eye-catcher. At the same time, it is absolutely easy to care for and does not require much attention, but still enriches the home beds with its colorful leaves. In sunny places, however, the soft, beautiful leaves burn easily, which is why the colored nettle should at least grow in partial shade. The colored nettles also thrive in shady places, but there is a small downside: the darker their location, the less bright their leaf color is.

2. pansies

It's not stuffy at all, it's beautiful pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) especially in spring. Especially their large flowers, which range in color from snow white to yellow to bright Presenting purple, the plant is still one of the most popular flowering plants in Germany. But it is also their easy-care nature that makes the pansy so popular - so the plant forgives it easy if you take care of them rather "neglect" and they don't pay too much attention gets. What at the Care of Pansies is nevertheless important, you can find out here. Only the right location is of crucial importance for the small flower: the pansy feels most comfortable in the light shade. On the other hand, if you expose it to the blazing sun, it quickly loses its strength and fades.

3. lobelia

The lobelia (Lobelia erinus), also called men's loyalty, has blossomed into a popular balcony flower in recent years. The reason: The lobelia also grows excellently in shady locations, even if it forms more flowers in sunny locations. The lobelia cut a fine figure both hanging for the hanging basket, but also as an underplanting of standard stems or even as an upright variety. Especially the large number of small, blue-violet, rarely white flowers that bloom from May to September make the lobelia a real feast for the eyes.

tip: Especially in the shade, it is important that you provide your plants with nutrients so that they develop flowers. Therefore, ensure optimal conditions when planting by using a high-quality organic soil such as our peat-free organic potting soil use.

4. Jasmine-flowered nightshade

Although its name is more reminiscent of the delicate jasmine, jasmine nightshade (Solanum laxum), also called summer jasmine, is actually a close relative of the potato and is also called the potato bush because of the similarity of its large, white flowers. The plant is also similar to other nightshade plants when it comes to choosing its location: that's how jasmine flowers like it Nightshade likes to be warm and sheltered, but not necessarily sunny - the plant is also wonderful in light shade rightly so. The plant does not tolerate frost at all. It should therefore overwinter indoors or be planted as an annual. Otherwise, however, the jasmine-flowered nightshade is very robust and easy to care for, it only needs a climbing aid and regular pruning be granted to the plant - otherwise the climbing plant, which can develop tendrils up to ten meters long, quickly overgrows the gardener Head.

5. Browallia americana

Hardly known in Germany is the Browallia americana, which is why the flower has no German name. The plant has a lot to offer and great potential to become a popular summer bloomer: its light purple flowers appear in July and bloom tirelessly until the first frost. Thanks to its beautiful colour, it is very similar to the forget-me-not, which is why also referred to as "Jamaican forget-me-not" in English will. But their ability to thrive in shady spots also helps Browallia americana a great plant that transforms dark corners into real eye-catchers.

6. point sheet

No more boring, monochromatic plants: the dot leaf (Hypoestes phyllostachya) not only shows its colors, but is also characterized by pretty dots on its leaves. With its pretty white or red variegated coloring and its interesting pattern, the spotted leaf has managed to become an extremely popular houseplant. But it is also a welcome guest in the garden. It is particularly easy to care for and robust, but does not tolerate colder temperatures and is therefore particularly suitable as a potted plant that can be brought into the house as needed. The point leaf likes semi-shady or bright shady locations best - if it gets too much light, it can get burns. If, on the other hand, it receives too little light, its foliage color becomes less intense.

7. Busy Lizzie

If you expect a long, beautiful flower from your plant, you will hit the hard-working Lieschen (Impatiens walleriana) the right decision: The perennial plant flowers from May to October and even increases in abundance over the summer. But not only their enormous willingness to bloom, but also the beauty of their flowers, which have an enormous luminosity, make the hard-working Lieschen a real eye-catcher. In the light shade, the intensive coloring of the flowers even increases and provides a colorful catch of light in dark corners. However, the plant does not tolerate the blazing sun - direct sunlight can burn the sensitive leaves.

8. fuchsia

She is the queen of shade-loving plants: The fuchsia (fuchsia) is not only beautiful but also one of the most popular balcony plants ever. But it is also a real eye-catcher in the garden and is ideal as an eye-catcher for shady places, as it thrives particularly well even without much light. Contrary to popular belief, the fuchsia is not just a pure shade plant. Also sun can be certain fuchsia varieties well tolerated as long as their environment and care are appropriate. Its appearance is also shaped by the diversity of this variety - the fuchsia varies from the small one Fuchsia procumbens, which feels most comfortable in rock gardens, to the Fuchsia excorticata, which grows into a magnificent tree nearly ten meters tall. However, all varieties have in common the graceful bell-shaped flowers that give the flower its special charm. The often two-tone flowers shine in a wide variety of colors and often sit in hundreds on the branches of the decorative plant.

Shade Plants: The 8 Best Perennial Species For Your Garden

Do you want to permanently beautify your shady garden with colorful plants? We show you eight perennial, shade-loving plants not to be missed.

1.Purplebells

Tiny bellflowers in white, pink or red - the beauty of the purple bell (Heuchera) can hardly be disputed. But the lobed foliage of the plant alone ensures its high ornamental value, after all it shines in bright colors from green to red to violet and often wears an elegant one as well Drawing. The location of the plant is directly related to the color of its leaves: while yellow- and green-leaved varieties have the shade or If you prefer partial shade, red-leaved varieties should always move to a sunny location so that their leaves have the most intense coloration possible obtain. But yellow and green-leaved varieties should not be left completely in the dark either, as they often stop producing flowers if there is too little light. The purple bells usually tolerate a bright, but at the same time shady place very well.

2. Funkie

the Funkie (hosta) not only impresses with its hanging bell flowers, but is also a real eye-catcher because of its unusual leaves: The herzbis Column-shaped leaves not only show their colors in creamy white, steel blue or various shades of green, but are mostly also decorative patterned. These properties made the hosta a popular houseplant for a long time. But it can also be cultivated wonderfully in the garden and is almost indispensable for shady forest or Japanese gardens. The hosta is also ideal as a hardy container plant, because it is extremely hardy and robust as long as it is not exposed to the blazing sun.

3. lungwort

A beautiful carpet of plants that not only impresses with pretty flowers, but also with decorative leaves? It can only do that lungwort (pulmonaria) be. This rather small plant with a maximum height of 30 centimeters is the perfect groundcover for greening shady beds. Especially under deciduous trees or shrubs, the lungwort feels completely at home, because here it has in early spring enough light for profuse flowering, but will protect from strong sunlight in summer protected. But even in the permanent shade, the lungwort usually gets along well. From March to April the red, violet, blue and (rarely) white flowers appear, which are among the first heralds of spring. Some varieties even change their flower color within the flower, which makes them a very special eye-catcher. But even after flowering, lungwort is not to be scoffed at: Many varieties have white-spotted or silver-grey leaves, which are also extremely decorative.

4. hellebore

Hellebore, Christmas, Lenten or Snow Rose: The genus Hellebore (Helleborus) has many names and is widespread from Europe to Asia with 15 to 25 species and countless varieties and breeds. This genus is still very popular, especially among gardeners. Last but not least, their early flowering is what makes them Helleborus-Types of popular garden flowers. The Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), which blooms reliably around the Christmas season. Between February and April the spring roses bloom (Helleborus Orientalis-hybrids) as well as the stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), which gives off a slightly unpleasant odour. Almost all types of hellebore are characterized by dark green foliage and beautiful flowers, which make them a real eye-catcher, especially in the snow. Since they also prefer shady places, they are perfect for spring in the shade garden.

5. astilbe

Luminous, feather-like panicles of flowers from June to September: Hardly any other perennial flowers as impressively as the Astilbe (astilbe), which is also called a splendor pier. Depending on the variety, the upright plants reach a height of 10 to 100 centimeters and bloom in a color spectrum from white to crimson and violet. But not only the inflorescences beautify the shade garden immensely: If you leave the flowers on the plant, beautiful infructescences develop, which also decorate the garden in winter.

6. foam flower

They live up to their name: the beds with foam flowers look almost like the whitecaps of the sea (Tiarella) off when they are in full bloom. The countless small flowers in white or pale pink sit in loose clusters on the plant from May to August and create this extraordinary picture. The foam flower spreads particularly quickly, but only reaches a maximum height of up to 30 centimeters. At the same time, the foam flower thrives wonderfully in the shade and is extremely easy to care for. For these reasons, it is particularly popular as a decorative ground cover under shrubs and trees. But even in contrast to other flowering shrubs, the foam flower makes a very good impression and can be used wonderfully to beautify shady beds.

7. forest lily

Beautiful white flowers and bracts up to ten centimeters in size - the large-flowered forest lily (Trillium grandiflorum) is an absolute eye-catcher. But also other forest lilies (trillion), colloquially also called trefoil, are in no way inferior to their big sister: Both the impressive flowers and the three Bracts that rise almost horizontally from the stem of the plant are found on all species, making them a welcome decoration for the garden. Especially in shady places, preferably as underplanting for deciduous trees, the forest lily feels very comfortable and delights us with its majestic sight. But despite its radiant beauty, the forest lily is anything but demanding. On the contrary: once established, it needs very little care and is very hardy. The plant only needs some water regularly in dry summers, as it does not like drought.

8. crying heart

Easy-care, romantic, extravagant - the bleeding (or flaming) heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) is a real beauty in the plant kingdom with its unusual flower shape. As the name suggests, the flower is reminiscent of a heart with its shape and its pink and white colour, which gives it a very romantic touch. This dreamy charm is further reinforced by the arching, overhanging shoots, each of which has a dozen flowers hanging from it. That makes it particularly attractive bleeding heart However, the beautiful plant is hardy and beginner-friendly at the same time: in a shady, sheltered spot the perennial only needs to be fertilized about every two years and only watered on very hot days - more care is not required necessary.

Doesn't a little sun reach your garden from time to time? In our special article we inform about Perennials for the penumbra.