Eckert’s Gardening Tips:
Perennials for Shade
Shade can be a very vague term in gardening! A shady site is considered one that receives less than 4 hours of direct sunlight per day.
However, plants are not only affected by the length of sunlight, they also respond to the intensity of light. Most shade tolerant plants perform best if they receive early or late day sun because it is less intense. Some shade loving perennials will show signs of leaf burn in locations where they receive sunlight in the heat of the day (between Noon and 4pm).
The term shade is best understood by subdividing it into more specific classifications. The lists below will help identify categories of shade.
Light shade occurs where plants receive 2-4 hours of direct sunlight. These hours may be consecutive or spread throughout the day. The following plants grow successfully in light shade.
- Columbine
- Lady’s mantle
- Astilbe
- Hosta
- Japanese painted fern
- Tiarella/foamflowers
- Globeflower
- Japanese Iris
- Hellebore
- Medowrue
- Siberian bugloss
- Windflower (Anemone)
- Virginia bluebells
- Crane’s bill Geranium
- Cardinal flower
- Creeping Phlox
- Bleeding hearts
- Sweet woodruff
- Foxglove
- Pulmonaria/ lung wort
- Bergenia
- Coral bells – green & purple leaf
- Daylily
- Lamium
- Peony
- Yellow Archangel/Lamiastrum
- Chameleon Plant
- Japanese Anemone
Deep shade occurs in areas that do not receive direct sunlight. Under the canopies of larger trees or along entryways are often areas of deep shade. The list is short, but there are a few plants that will endure these conditions. Hosta, solomon's seal, lungwort, epimedium, lamium, cinnamon fern and bergenia are good candidates. Ground covers such as periwinkle, lily of the valley and ivy also thrive here. Be sure to water these plants if they are located under roof overhangs or where they will not receive rainwater.
Dry shade is found most commonly beneath large trees. This is a difficult location for plants to grow because they have to compete with larger plants for moisture and nutrients. Sometimes perennials located in dry shade do not reach their full size and or struggle to grow. The following plants tolerate of these challenging growing conditions.
- Liriope
- Periwinkle
- English ivy
- Bishopsweed
- Yellow archangel
- Lily of the valley
- Pachysandra
- Chameleon plant
- Knotweed
- Daylilies
- Goldenstar/Chyrsogonum