Planting a shade garden may seem a bit frustrating for new gardeners, as the selection of available shrubs, trees and perennials diminishes greatly with a lack of sun. That being said, there is still a simplistic beauty to be found in a well-designed landscape where early morning or diffused sunlight are the norms, and one relies more on texture or variegation to bring life to the garden. With that in mind, here are pairs of plants that have served me well over the years in those spaces with limited direct sun.
VINES
For morning sun or even intermittent light, I highly recommend Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp.petiolaris) with its white lacecap blooms and attractive cinnamon brown bark but expect the initial grown rate to be a little slow. The Variegated Kiwi Vine (Actinidia kolomikta) prefers the same exposure with large green leaves that eventually develop bold white and pink highlights, with the male plants having more prominent variegation.
FLOWERING PERENNIALS
Of course I am going to choose Hellebores as one of my favourite shade perennials, but to be honest they do a little better with some morning or late afternoon sun. The new ‘Vibey Velvet’, a variety from the Rodney Davey marbled group is a real standout with its luscious reddish-purple blooms and two-tone evergreen foliage. Dicentra spectabilis ‘Valentine’ is probably the best of the old-fashioned Bleeding Hearts, as the flowers are an intense red with white highlights that really show in the shade.
TREES
You are going to have to think green when choosing trees for a shady understory planting, as those with red foliage will quickly revert to a bronze-green in the subdued light. Which is why the flowing structure of Acer japonicum ‘Abby’s Weeping’ makes a great architectural statement in the shade garden. Another good option is our native Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) which also takes on a slightly arching growth habit when grown in dense shade. In either case, you should expect little to no intense autumn colours, maybe yellow at best.
EVERGREEN SHRUBS
The dwarf Christmas Box (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis) may seem a little boring with its deep green foliage, but nestled just below are tiny white flowers which emit a strong Jasmine scent when they appear in late winter. The male Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ or ‘Rubinetta’ are a little showier with deep red flower buds that open to fragrant white flowers in March, and they also have a nice, rounded growth habit.
HEDGING
For a traditional green hedge your best bet Taxus x media or Yew, as these can be trimmed very tightly, have a modest growth rate and grow anywhere from full sun to the deepest shade. A less common option is the often-variegated Aucuba japonica like 'Picturata' which cannot be pruned to a flat plane but is reliably evergreen and reaches heights of 5-6' tall.
GROUNDCOVERS
Periwinkle (Vinca minor) has long been used as a standard groundcover, but it should be kept in urban spaces and not introduced into the wild. ‘Illumination’ is a brightly variegated variety with blue flowers and a less aggressive growth rate which I highly recommend. Epimedium x rubrum is a slightly taller evergreen perennial with heart-shaped leaves that emerge with an attractive bronze tint, followed by rosy-pink flowers perched just above the canopy.
FERNS
Who says ferns have to be a boring green colour, as the herbaceous Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’) brings unusual hues of silver and purple to the darkest of spaces. An evergreen option would be Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) whose new growth is an intense reddish orange that we rarely find in our shaded gardens.
DECIDUOUS SHRUBS
Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ is primarily a foliage shrub which grows 3’ tall and wide with gold compound leaves which brighten with a little morning sun. Japanese Rose (Kerria japonica) is a much larger shrub with arching green stems that hold sprays of bright yellow pom-pom flowers which are a double form on the variety ‘Pleniflora’.
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES
Most of our larger ornamental grasses are not suitable for shade gardens but there are some shorter options. The evergreen Carex ‘Evergold’ forms a tidy tuft of variegated foliage that brightens any shaded space or container. Similarly, the herbaceous Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ produces a symmetrical clump of intense golden-yellow foliage and given its spread, it can also be used as an informal groundcover.
Copyright 2025 MK Lascelle
