Beyond Hostas: 10 Great Plants for Shady Gardens

Easy‑Care Perennials That Thrive in Shade

Heucheras make fine plants for shady sites. This variety is called Chocolate Ruffles.

At our Vermont garden center’s perennial sale, the most common question is: “My yard gets lots of shade. What can I plant besides hostas?” Hostas are rugged and carefree, but these 10 shade‑tolerant perennials give them a run for the money. Every one is a “good do‑er.”

1. Heuchera (Coral Bells)

Breeders have created endless leaf colors: silvery, burgundy, purple‑black, chartreuse, salmon, rusty orange. Foliage provides the excitement; some have showy flowers on tall, slender stems.

Lamium maculatum (Dead nettle). Low, spreading, silvery foliage with purple, pink, red, or white blooms in early summer. Spreads happily—not invasively—in shade. Easy to pull and share.

2. Lamium maculatum (Dead Nettle)

Low, spreading, silvery foliage with purple, pink, red, or white blooms in early summer. Spreads happily—not invasively—in shade. Easy to pull and share.

3. Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower)

Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower). Similar to heuchera but with matte leaves for a more natural look. Bottle‑brush flowers are white or pale pink, showier than most heucheras. New varieties have burgundy‑red leaf veins.

4. Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

Pulmonaria (Lungwort). Beautiful silvery foliage—long, narrow leaves, entirely silver, spotted, or splashed. Spring flowers range from white through pink and blue, often different colors on the same plant.

5. Astilbe

Astilbe. Known for colorful flower plumes; newer varieties have showy foliage in bronze, pale green, blue‑green, dark green, or wine red. Mix varieties for season‑long color and texture.

6. Digitalis (Foxglove)

Digitalis (Foxglove). Most are biennials: first year foliage, second year flowers, then die. But they reseed reliably. Digitalis grandiflora is the easiest and most reliable.

7. Hakonechloa (Japanese Forest Grass)

Hakonechloa (Japanese forest grass). Unlike most grasses, this thrives in partial shade. Short (12–15"), clump‑forming, cascading leaves. Foliage: golden green, lime green, or variegated; some turn red, orange, purple in fall.

8. Primula (Primrose)

Primula (Primrose). Super easy with shade and moist soil. 425 species, every color, 3‑inch dwarfs to 4‑foot giants. Shown: Primula denticulata (drumstick primula), colors white through lilac, pink, deep red.

9. Euphorbia (Spurge)

Euphorbia (Spurge). Burgundy‑leaved Euphorbia dulcis self‑sows but seedlings are easy to remove. Euphorbia polychroma is a dome of chrome yellow in late spring. Zones 5+: ‘Bonfire’ has three seasons of color. New ‘Jessie’ grows to 4 feet.

10. Alchemilla (Lady’s Mantle)

Alchemilla (Lady’s mantle). Pleated leaves bead water into dazzling jewels. Yellow‑green flowers in early June—fabulous bouquet filler. Long‑lived, trouble‑free. Standard: Alchemilla mollis. For small spaces: Alchemilla erythropa (6 inches).

Give a couple of these a try—you’ll find shade gardening far more exciting than just hostas.