Best Blooming Plants for Shade Gardens

Overview

Shade gardens often rely on hostas and ferns for foliage, but these blooming perennials add the missing color punch under trees and beside buildings.

Purple Toadshade (Trillium underwoodii)

Perennial with 2–4 inch green leaves. Flowers greenish, maroon, brown, or yellow—never fully open. Early spring, spicy scent. Neutral soil, shade. Propagate by seed or rhizome division.

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Short-lived perennial (source of digitalis). 5–10 inch woolly or dark green leaves. Tubular flowers on 3–5 foot stalks in yellow, cream, white, lavender, pink, purple, or spotted. Spring/summer bloom. Moist acidic soil, partial shade. Propagate by summer/fall seed.

Large Periwinkle (Vinca major)

Fast-growing evergreen perennial, stems to 12 inches. Blue 2-inch flowers, 2–3 inch dark green leaves. Spring through summer. Any soil, full sun to part shade; best as ground cover in shade. Propagate by cuttings or rooted shoots.

Parrotlily (Alstroemeria psittacina)

Drought-tolerant hummingbird perennial. Stalks 8–12 inches rising to 18–30 inches with drooping pale green leaves. Red tubular 1–2 inch flowers in summer. Rich acidic, well-aerated soil. High/partial shade in heat; full sun in cool climates. Propagate by seed (20% success).

Pinecone Ginger (Zingiber zerumbet)

Fast, easy perennial with narrow variegated leaves. 7 feet tall. Mid-late summer pinecone-like bracts turn green→red, then yellow flowers. Moist fertile soil, full sun to part shade. Propagate by clump or rhizome division.