While most plants grow best when they enjoy sunlight for most of the day, there are some that are perfectly happy with partial or even full shade. As with most aspects of gardening it’s a question of horses for courses or rather growing plants in a suitable location. This list of ten shade loving plants is divided into four categories, perennials, annuals, shrubs and grasses. They are described in an article by Mary Dyer which I found on the Gardening Know How website.

Shade gardening can pose a challenge to those just starting out. But just because your landscape has a bit of shade doesn?t mean you can?t fill the space with beautiful plants. Here are our top 10 plants for shade gardens:

Perennials

1. Astilbe (Astilbe spp.) ? Also known as false spirea, astilbe produces lacy, fern-like foliage and showy, plume-like, midsummer blooms. Flowers, which vary in size from 6 inches to 24 inches, are available in rich shades of red, pink, purple and white.

2. Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.) ? This old-fashioned woodland plant may look delicate, but it?s actually a sturdy, trouble-free bloomer that produces dangling, white or pink, heart-shaped blooms in late spring and earlier. The foliage of bleeding heart plant adds beauty in spring, but often goes dormant when temperatures rise in summer.

Go to the next page to see annuals which are suitable for growing in shade.
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