It takes a unique strategy to create an attractive shady landscape under and around trees. Lawn grass doesn’t grow well in the shade, and flowering plants often perform poorly. Even if they receive enough light, some plants have dark flowers and foliage that can easily become lost in the shadows of trees.
The plants that perform best under trees tend to flower for shorter periods than those in full sun. Rather than giant swaths of colorful flowers, the sublime beauty of a shade garden comes from complementary groupings of foliage textures and colors and a constant flow of short-lived bloom cycles from different plants throughout the landscape. Start planning your new shade garden here with these plants to grow under trees.
Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)
The bronze color of its emerging “fiddle heads” and young fronds gives this rugged fern its common name. Autumn Fern is a tough woodland plant that withstands dry conditions and grows equally well in deep shade or partial sunlight. Plus, Autumn Fern’s mature green fronds persist well after the first hard freeze of the season, adding structure and interest through four seasons in the landscape.
USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 9
Size: 1.5 feet wide by 2 feet tall
Plantain Lily (Hosta spp.)
Hostas, also known as plantain lilies, add luxuriant fleshy foliage in myriad colors and sizes, along with midsummer flower spikes to the shade garden. Plus, you can plant hostas in late summer as temperatures cool. There are scores of hosta cultivars from which to choose; Patriot is a favorite for its variegated leaves and medium size. Its white variegation shows up even in the darkest shade. The pale lavender flowers of hostas attract butterflies and hummingbirds; look for Wrinkle in Time hosta for a small size and darker lavender buds.
USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 9
Size: Up to 3 feet wide by 2.5 feet tall
Coral Bells (Heuchera ‘Tiramisu’)
Coral Bells are low, mounding perennials grown for their attractive and colorful foliage. They come in a array of leaf colors, including purple, bronze, orange, chartreuse, and many combinations. Avoid the temptation to buy the gorgeous deep purple and bronze cultivars for deep shade gardens. Although they’ll grow well, they easily dissolve into the shadows. Heuchera ‘Tiramisu’ offers multicolored foliage from spring through fall and creamy white flowers in summer, making the plant pop in dark shade all season.
USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 9
Size: .75 feet wide by 1 foot tall
Ivory Prince Lenten Rose (Helleborus x hybridus ‘Ivory Prince’)
Hellebores always make excellent choices as shade-loving plants. They have evergreen foliage and bloom between early winter and midspring, depending on the cultivar. Ivory Prince Lenten Rose, also called Walhelivor hybrid, is a low, spreading cultivar with leathery foliage and creamy white flowers. As its common name of Christmas rose implies, it begins its bloom period in late winter, and the flowers persist well into spring.
USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 8
Size: 1.5 feet wide by 1.5 feet tall
Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’)
Although ornamental grasses typically do not love shade, Japanese Forest Grass, also known as Hakone Grass, is a notable exception. Several colorful cultivars, including Golden Japanese Forest Grass, grow as especially welcome additions to shady landscapes because of their bright colors, gracefully arching stems, and spreading growth habits. Golden Japanese Grass features yellow leaves with green stripes; planting several can form a wonderful ground cover or border under trees.
USDA hardiness zones: 5 to 9
Size: 1.5 feet wide by 1.5 feet tall
Rheinland Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii ‘Rheinland’)
For a strong color statement, plant a mass of astilbe under trees or in another shady area of the landscape. Found in shades of red, pink, purple, or white, astilbe delivers a strong color statement otherwise hard to match under trees. Rheinland Astilbe sends up its beautiful pink 2-foot tall flower spikes in spring and early summer, attracting a variety of pollinators to shady areas.
USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 8
Size: 2 feet wide by 2 feet tall
White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
The beloved Trillium deserves a spot in any shade garden conversation. Of all the native woodland wildflowers, the early spring ephemeral White Trillium is among the most popular with gardeners. The flowers naturalize easily in open wooded areas or beneath shade trees with moist, rich soil. Their large, snow-white flowers mature slowly to pink before the tiny seed capsules ripen and the plant dies back to the ground in summer.
USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 8
Size: 1 foot wide by 1.5 feet tall
Angel Wing Begonia (Begonia ‘Argenteo-guttata’)
If you simply want an annual flower next to your shaded mailbox, in a pot by the front door, or to plant under trees, begonias prove a great choice. Angel Wing Begonias have large waxy leaves, more height than common begonias, and blooms of either pink or red. They are super easy to grow, and bloom continuously from spring until the first frost of fall. Angel Wing Begonias perform best in filtered sunlight, so these are perfect plants under trees. Be aware that they have a low poison severity, causing itching on contact and vomiting in cats and dogs if eaten.
USDA hardiness zones: 10 to 11, or as an annual
Size: 2 feet wide by 2.5 feet tall
New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri)
New Guinea impatiens offer nonstop blooms throughout the growing season. Use impatiens as annuals to add pockets of color in strategic areas in a shade garden, near the deck or patio, along walkways, or tucked among other plants under trees. This is your go-to plant for vibrant color, including purple, orange, red, pink, and more. New Guinea impatiens flower best when planted in the filtered sunlight of many trees.
USDA hardiness zones: 10 to 12, or as an annual
Size: 2.5 feet wide by 2 feet tall
White Dogwood (Cornus florida)
If the dominant tall trees in your landscape form a high, open canopy, consider adding some structure and color between the “roof” and “floor” of your garden. A small flowering type of dogwood called White Dogwood can do the trick. When grown as an understory tree, White Dogwood develops a beautiful tiered branch pattern. While in bloom, the white flowers fill the branches to create a wonderful cloudlike effect under trees.
USDA hardiness zones: 5 to 9
Size: 15 to 30 feet wide by 15 to 30 feet tall
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
Though most types of hydrangea could make this list, Oakleaf Hydrangea too often gets overlooked simply because it has only white flowers. But there’s so much more to this fantastic shade garden plant. The large white late-spring flower clusters mature to deep pink by midsummer, and persist on the plant into fall. The large oaklike leaves change to deep maroon in late fall. The bare branches reveal exfoliating bark in winter, accounting for four seasons of interest. Growing hydrangeas requires placing them in partial to full sun, so these are good additions in landscapes that shade garden beds part of the day.
USDA hardiness zones: 5 to 9
Size: 4 to 10 feet wide by 4 to 8 feet tall
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Mountain Laurel naturally grows along the cool, shady slopes and creek banks of the southeastern United States. The spring flowers on Mountain Laurel are some of the showiest around, and the plant requires little help to grow. It tolerates a wide range of growing conditions including heavy soils, frigid winters, and the hot, humid conditions of the Southeast. And, the evergreen foliage on Mountain Laurel makes it suitable as an accent or foundation plant around the house.
USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 9
Size: 4 to 8 feet wide by 4 to 15 feet tall
Jelena Witch Hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’)
The world needs more witch hazel. Jelena Witch Hazel grows as a large shrub with a spreading habit and thrives in the shade. These tall plants are deciduous shrubs that bloom on bare stems in the late winter garden. Jelena’s fragrant, amber-colored blooms attract early-season pollinators and serve as a wonderful reminder that spring approaches. Plant Jelena in a large open space near a main entrance or patio, or any empty spot that gets partial shade from trees.
USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 9
Size: 8 to 12 feet wide by 8 to 12 feet tall
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