What flowering shrubs grow in shade?

This tough perennial blooms in shades of burgundy, red, pink, lavender, and white. In addition to the attractive flowers, these colorful shade plants have finely cut foliage, which in many varieties is flushed with bronze. Astilbe grows best in Zones 4-8 and can reach up to 4 feet tall, depending on variety.

Some evergreens for shade include:

Aucuba.

Boxwood.

Hemlock (Canada and Carolina varieties)

Leucothoe (Coast and Drooping species)

Dwarf Bamboo.

Dwarf Chinese Holly.

Dwarf Nandina.

Arborvitae (Emerald, Globe and Techny varieties)

7 Shrubs for Shade Gardens

Oakleaf Hydrangea a.k.a. Hydrangea quercifolia.

Rhododendron a.k.a. Rhododendron spp.

Virginia Sweetspire a.k.a. Itea virginica.

Serviceberry a.k.a. Amelanchier spp.

Japanese Pieris a.k.a. Pieris japonica.

Bottlebrush Buckeye a.k.a. Aesculus parviflora.

Daphne.

They prefer well-drained soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline. Mulch with an inch or so of chopped leaves to help keep soil cool (but don’t heap mulch against the stems). Once established, boxwood shrubs are very drought-tolerant. Most cultivars will grow in full sun to a half day of shade.

Some white flowers that grow in shade are:

Alyssum.

Astilbe.

Begonia.

Common Shootingstar.

Coral Bells.

Dropwort.

Heliotrope.

Impatiens.

25 Gorgeous Shade-Tolerant Plants That Will Bring Your Shaded Garden Areas to Life

Coral Bells. This is a beautiful flowering plant that is actually a perennial.

Dead Nettle.

Foam Flower.

Lungwort.

Astilbe.

Foxglove.

Japanese Forest Grass.

Primrose.

Discover seven shrubs that are made for the shade.

Kurume Azalea (Rhododendron x obtusum)

Camellia (Camellia)

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’)

Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)

H x S 1.5m x 60cm.

Holly. Virtually all hollies will grow in a little shade.

Camellia. The aristocrats of the early spring garden, camellias bring style and glamour at a time when it’s most unexpected.

Yew. With clipped yew in your garden, you’re assured of year-round shape and form.

Euonymus fortunei.

Pyracantha.

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones.

Rhododendrons require the proper mix of sun and shade, but acid soil is also a must for plants of this genus. They thrive only in acidic soil. The ideal soil pH for growing rhodies is in the range of 5.0 to 5.5, an acidity level that is generally higher than that of native soils.

Most hydrangeas thrive in rich, porous, somewhat moist soils. Add compost to enrich poor soil. They prefer full sun in the morning, with some afternoon shade; however, many will grow and bloom in partial shade.

Shade-Tolerant Lavender. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) thrives best in full sun and well-drained soil, but it is somewhat shade tolerant and will still grow under low light. Do not overwater shaded lavender plants, and make sure the soil can drain to avoid root rot.

Light: In general, camellias grow and bloom better in partial shade (morning sun and dappled afternoon shade are ideal conditions) with shelter from hot afternoon sun. This is especially true for young plants, which thrive under the shade of tall trees or when grown on the north side of a house.

Lilacs grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Lilacs grown in partial sun or shade will not flower well. The shrubs may take three to four years to establish themselves in a new site, but once established they can live for centuries.

Plant them in dense shade, and they won’t bloom. A good location is where they receive either dappled sun all day or sun in the morning and light shade in the afternoon. Azaleas do well in moist, acid (pH 5.5 or so), well-drained soil with lots of organic matter, such as peat, compost, chopped leaves, or ground bark.

However, they can tolerate light shade in areas that only receive four hours of midday sun per day. According to Michael Dirr, Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata) may be more shade tolerant than Eastern or American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). Arborvitae lose their dense habit if grown in full shade.

Nearly all roses perform best in full sun (more than 6 hours a day) where they set the most bloom and are more resistant to disease. However, a number of roses can tolerate partial shade. Certain classes of roses tend to be more shade tolerant.

Currently, Chicago is categorized as being Zone 5b where minimum temperatures range from -10 to -15° F. The back of a plant label will usually indicate a plant’s hardiness either in temperature or to a zone.

Most azalea leaves are roughly football-shaped. Evergreen azaleas typically keep most of their foliage year round, but deciduous plants lose all of their leaves in the fall, with new growth forming in the spring.

Fine Gardening recommends planting American holly in sites with full sun to part shade, and yaupon holly is categorized as shade-tolerant. Slightly acidic soil is best for most varieties.