- Shade Plants: The 8 Best Annuals for Your Garden
- Shade Plants: The 8 Best Perennial Species for Your Garden
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Dark corners and shady beds? We'll show you which annuals and perennials will thrive in your garden without much light.
Many gardeners associate flowers and beautiful plants with sunshine. There are a lot of plants that voluntarily lead a shadowy existence - and not because they are shy or unsightly. In fact, it is a whole range of shade-loving plants that not only green dark corners in the garden, but also look wonderful. Here we share with you 16 amazing plants that are ideal for shady spots. We divided the shade lovers into annuals and perennials.
Shade Plants: The 8 Best Annuals for Your Garden
Colorful flowers and colored leaves in a shady spot? These eight shade-loving annuals are wonderful for making beds without much light a real eye-catcher.
1. Coleus
Colourful, more colourful, nettle - the stinging nettle (Solenostemon scutellarioides) lives up to its name: its colorful leaves shine in many different colors from light yellow to red to dark violet . Wild color combinations can also be found in the colored nettle and make it a real eye-catcher. At the same time, it is absolutely easy to care for and does not require much attention, but still enriches the home beds with its colorful leaves. In sunny places, however, the soft, beautiful leaves burn easily, which is why the colored nettle should at least grow in partial shade. The colored nettles also thrive wonderfully in shady places, but there is a small downside: the darker their location, the less bright their leaf color is.
2. Pansies
Not stuffy at all, the pansy (Viola x wittrockiana) is beautiful, especially in spring. Especially their large flowers, which range in color from snow white to yellow tobright violet make the plant one of the most popular flowering plants in Germany. But it is also their easy-care nature that makes the pansy so popular - the plant easily forgives you if you look after it rather "neglected" and it doesn't get too much attention. You can find out here what is important when caring for pansies. Only the right location is of crucial importance for the small flower: the pansy feels most comfortable in the light shade. On the other hand, if you expose it to the blazing sun, it quickly loses its strength and withers.
3. Lobelia
The lobelia (Lobelia erinus), also known as faithful to men, has blossomed into a popular balcony flower in recent years. The reason: The lobelia also grows excellently in shady locations, even if it forms more flowers in sunny locations. The lobelia cut a fine figure both hanging for the hanging basket, but also as an underplanting of standard stems or even as an upright variety. Especially the large number of small, blue-violet, rarely white flowers that bloom from May to September make the lobelia a real feast for the eyes.
Tip: Especially in the shade, it is important that you provide your plants with nutrients so that they develop flowers. So ensure optimal conditions when planting by using high-quality organic soil such as our peat-free organic potting soil.
4. Jasmine Flowering Nightshade
Although its name is more reminiscent of the delicate jasmine, the jasmine-flowered nightshade (Solanum laxum), also known as summer jasmine, is actually a close relative of the potato and is known because of its resemblance large white flowers on this also called potato bush. The plant is also similar to other nightshade plants when it comes to choosing its location: the jasmine-flowered nightshade likes it warm and sheltered, but not necessarily sunny - the plant also gets along wonderfully in light shade. The plant does not tolerate frost at all. It should therefore overwinter indoors or be planted as an annual. Otherwise, the jasmine-flowered nightshade is very robust and easy to care for, the plant should only be given a climbing aid and regular pruning -otherwise the climber, which can develop tendrils up to ten meters long, will quickly outgrow the gardener.
5. Browallia americana
The Browallia americana is hardly known in Germany, which is why the flower does not have a German name. The plant has a lot to offer and great potential to become a popular summer bloomer: its light purple flowers appear in July and bloom tirelessly until the first frost. Thanks to its beautiful colour, it is very similar to the forget-me-not, which is why it is also known in English as "Jamaican forget-me-not". But its ability to thrive well in shady places also makes the Browallia americana a great plant that transforms dark corners into real eye-catchers.
6. Point Sheet
No more boring, monochromatic plants: The dotted leaf (Hypoestes phyllostachya) not only shows its colors, but also has pretty dots on its leaves. With its pretty white or red variegated coloring and its interesting pattern, the spotted leaf has managed to become an extremely popular houseplant. But it is also a welcome guest in the garden. It is particularly easy to care for and robust, but does not tolerate colder temperatures and is therefore particularly suitable as a potted plant that can be brought into the house as needed. The point leaf likes semi-shady or bright shady locations best - if it gets too much light, it can get burns. On the other hand, if it receives too little light, its foliage color becomes less intense.
7. Busy Lizzie
Anyone who expects long, beautiful flowers from their plant is making the right decision with the hard-working Lizzie (Impatiens walleriana): The perennial plant flowers from May to October and thinks twice even more blooms in the summer. But not only their enormous willingness to bloom, but also the beauty of their flowers, which have an enormous luminosity, make the hard-working Lieschen a real eye-catcher. In the light shade, the intensive coloring of the flowers even increases and provides a colorful catch of light in dark corners. The blazing sunHowever, the plant does not tolerate it - direct sunlight can burn the sensitive leaves.
8. Fuchsia
She is the queen of shade-loving plants: the fuchsia (Fuchsia) is not only beautiful but also one of the most popular balcony plants of all. But it is also a real eye-catcher in the garden and is ideal as an eye-catcher for shady places, as it thrives particularly well even without much light. Contrary to popular belief, the fuchsia is not just a pure shade plant. Certain fuchsia varieties can also tolerate the sun well, as long as their environment and care are appropriate. Its appearance is also shaped by the diversity of this variety - the fuchsia varies from the small Fuchsia procumbens, which feels most comfortable in rock gardens, to the Fuchsia excorticata , which grows into a magnificent tree nearly ten meters tall. However, all varieties have in common the graceful bell-shaped flowers that give the flower its special charm. The often two-tone flowers shine in a wide variety of colors and often sit in hundreds on the branches of the decorative plant.
Shade Plants: The 8 Best Perennial Species for Your Garden
You want to beautify your shady garden permanently with colorful plants? We show you eight perennial shade-loving plants not to be missed.
1. Purple Bells
Tiny bell-shaped flowers in white, pink or red - the beauty of the purple bell (Heuchera) can hardly be denied. But the lobed foliage of the plant alone ensures its high ornamental value, after all it shines in bright colors from green to red to violet and often also has elegant markings. The location of the plant is directly related to the color of its leaves: while yellow and green-leaved varieties prefer the shade or partial shade, red-leaved varieties should always move to a sunny location so that their leaves get the most intense coloration possible. But yellow and green-leaved varieties should not be left completely in the dark either, as they often stop producing flowers if there is too little light. As a rule, the purple bells tolerate a bright, but at the same time shady place very well.
2. Funkie
The hosta (Hosta) not only impresses with its hanging bellflowers, but is also a real eye-catcher because of its unusual leaves: The heart-shaped to columnar leaves not only show their colour and appear in cream white, steel blue or various shades of green, but mostly also have decorative patterns. These properties made the hosta a popular houseplant for a long time. But it can also be cultivated wonderfully in the garden and is almost indispensable for shady forest or Japanese gardens. The hosta is also ideal as a hardy container plant, because it is extremely hardy and robust as long as it is not exposed to the blazing sun.
3. Lungwort
A beautiful carpet of plants that not only impresses with pretty flowers, but also with decorative leaves? That can only be lungwort (Pulmonaria). This rather small plant with a maximum height of 30 centimeters is the perfect groundcover for greening shady beds. Lungwort feels particularly at home under deciduous trees or shrubs, because here it has enough light for a rich bloom in early spring, but is protected from strong sunlight in summer. But even in the permanent shade, the lungwort usually gets along well. From March to April, the red, violet, blue and (rarely) white flowers appear, which are among the first heralds of spring. Some varieties even change their flower color within the flower, which makes them a very special eye-catcher. But even after flowering, lungwort is not to be scoffed at: many varieties have white-spotted or silver-grey leaves, which are also extremely decorative.
4. Hellebore
Hellebore, Christmas, Lenten or snow rose: The genus Hellebore (Helleborus) has many names and with 15 to 25 species as well as countless varieties and breeds from Europe to Asia widespread. This genus is still very popular, especially among gardeners. Last but not least, their early flowering makes the Helleborus species popular garden flowers. The first is the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), which blooms reliably around Christmas time. BetweenSpring roses (Helleborus Orientalis hybrids) and stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), which gives off a slightly unpleasant odour, then bloom in February and April. Almost all types of hellebore are characterized by dark green foliage and beautiful flowers, which make them a real eye-catcher, especially in the snow. Since they also prefer shady places, they are perfect for spring in the shady garden.
5. Astilbe
Bright, feather-like panicles of flowers from June to September: Hardly any other perennial flowers as impressively as the Astilbe (Astilbe), which is also known as a magnificent pier, even in the deepest shade. Depending on the variety, the upright plants reach a height of 10 to 100 centimeters and bloom in a color spectrum from white to crimson and violet. But not only the inflorescences beautify the shade garden immensely: If you leave the flowers on the plant, beautiful infructescences develop, which also decorate the garden in winter.
6. Foam Blossom
They live up to their name: the beds of foam flowers (Tiarella) look almost like the whitecaps of the sea when they are in full bloom. The countless small flowers in white or pale pink sit in loose clusters on the plant from May to August and create this extraordinary picture. The foam flower spreads particularly quickly, but only reaches a maximum height of up to 30 centimeters. At the same time, the foam flower thrives wonderfully in the shade and is extremely easy to care for. For these reasons, it is particularly popular as a decorative ground cover under shrubs and trees. But even in contrast to other flowering shrubs, the foam flower makes a very good impression and can be used wonderfully to beautify shady beds.
7. Forest Lily
Beautiful white flowers and bracts up to ten centimeters in size - the large-flowered forest lily (Trillium grandiflorum) is an absolute eye-catcher. But other forest lilies (Trillium), colloquially also called trefoil, are in no way inferior to their big sister: Both the impressive flowers and the three bracts, which protrude almost horizontally from the stem of the plant, are in all speciesto find and make them a welcome decoration for the garden. Especially in shady places, preferably as underplanting for deciduous trees, the forest lily feels very comfortable and delights us with its majestic sight. But despite its radiant beauty, the forest lily is anything but demanding. On the contrary: once established, it needs very little care and is very hardy. The plant only needs some water regularly in dry summers, as it does not like drought.
8. Bleeding Heart
Easy-care, romantic, extravagant - the Bleeding (or Flaming) Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) with its unusual flower shape is a real beauty in the plant kingdom. As the name suggests, the flower is reminiscent of a heart with its shape and its pink and white colour, which gives it a very romantic touch. This dreamy charm is further reinforced by the arching, overhanging shoots, each of which has a dozen flowers hanging from it. What makes the Bleeding Heart particularly attractive, however, is that the beautiful plant is both robust and beginner-friendly: in a shady, sheltered place, the perennial only needs to be fertilized about every two years and only watered on very hot days - no more care is needed.
Doesn't some sun reach your garden from time to time? In our special article we provide information about perennials for the penumbra.