We Found The Best Perennials For Your Garden’s Shadiest Spots

This wild pink plant will brighten any garden's shady spot. Blooming throughout the summer season, this plant thrives well into the fall temperatures. Plant this with your early spring bloomers to keep color lasting all season long.

Soil: Well-draining soil rich with organic nutrients

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8

The violet liriope flower blooms well into late summer, especially when planted in the shade. The striped greenery adds lushness and plenty of cover to any bare patches, while the spike-like flowers attract friendly pollinators. Fast-Growing Trees describes this plant as “semi-evergreen and virtually indestructible.”

Soil: Moist soil in an area safe from flooding or pooling

Hardiness Zone: 5 to 10

Dense and fragrant, this large geranium plant flowers vibrantly and is largely used as a pop of color in ground cover. This plant is drought-tolerant, doing just as well in dry conditions as it does in the shade. Expect a bloom time of late spring to summer.

Soil: Well-draining, slightly dry/sandy

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8

While these perennials do well in the sun, they can also thrive in partial shade. Foxgloves produce eye-catching flowers in shades of pink, purple, white, and yellow that bloom in late spring to mid-summer. You'll often find them in cool, moist climates and along borders of gardens and wooded areas. Keep in mind that, while they’re beautiful and unique, they’re also highly toxic if ingested.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 4 to 9

Comprised of delicate pale purple flowers, woodland phlox is another shade plant that can endure a bit of sun, too. Often grown as a ground cover, this plant creates a beautiful mat of blooms on the ground in mid-to-late spring and is deer-resistant, as well as attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 4 to 8

Trillium plants produce things in threes—three large leaves, three-petaled flowers, and three sepals. Hence the name, which is derived from the Latin term for “triple.” These plants thrive in shade and partial sun, though they can tolerate fully shaded areas. They’re beautiful in woodland gardens, but be warned that they are a favorite of deer and rabbits.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 3 to 9

Green-and-golds produce vibrant star-shaped flowers from the late spring into fall. (And you only need to look at them to see how they get their name.) These shade-loving plants are fairly easy to grow and provide a nice ground covering in any garden, particularly one with partial shade.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 5 to 9

This tough shade plant not only provides your garden with gorgeously green foliage but also brings ground coverage—not to mention purplish-brown flowers that show up in the spring. Use the plant in your woodland garden or as a border for part of your yard, but keep in mind that it’s likely to spread into large colonies over the years. Canadian wild ginger is also deer-resistant and thrives in partial shade.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 4 to 6

This pretty, low-growing shade plant (also known as hardy geranium) has a lovely, spicy mint scent that repels deer and rabbits. Its delicate flowers bloom in a range of colors, from purple and pink to white and blue. Bonus: It attracts butterflies and other pollinators.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 4 to 9

This delicate shade plant creates dense mats in your garden and creeps along the ground in a beautiful storybook way. A petite plant with little white flowers, Irish moss looks incredible between stepping stones or when decorating a garden arbor.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 4 to 8

Think of the toad lily as a shade-loving orchid—its unique, spotted flowers bloom in shades of white, purple, and pink. The toad lily will bloom in late summer to fall, and it does best in fully shaded areas.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 4 to 9

One look at this chartreuse plant and you’ll know why it’s called creeping Jenny. In the late spring, you can find little yellow flowers popping up from its stems that add even more color to your yard. Just be aware that Jenny creeps quickly, and she’ll be fast to take over an area of your yard!

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 3 to 9

Vinca minor—which goes by a few names, including periwinkle or creeping myrtle—is a charming flowering plant that covers the ground. The dark green leaves are a beautiful contrast to its delicate purple petals, which appear in late spring and thrive in full shade.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 4 to 9

The bell-shaped flowers of the Lily of the Valley are iconic, a traditional choice for bridal bouquets. The beautiful blooms, which come out in the spring, produce a very strong floral scent and are quick to spread, which is ideal if you adore the plant. On the other hand, if you want it only in some places, try between pavers or somewhere it can be easily contained.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 2 to 7

Bletilla, also known as a hardy orchid, is a sturdy flowering plant that loves moisture. From late spring to early summer, expect to find the purple blooms opening up against their lance-shaped leaves. These shade perennials will tolerate mild morning sun and do best in temperate climates.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 5 to 9

Beware: This shade-loving plant is a favorite of deer. While the large and lush green leaves of hostas look beautiful under mature trees and in cool spots in your garden, it can feel like your planting work is all for nothing if Bambi comes over for a nibble. That being said, hostas are totally worth the effort, as they also attract hummingbirds with their tiny spikes of flowers, which bloom in mid-summer.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 3 to 9

A bleeding heart is a shade plant that takes several years to show its stuff, so be patient, and you’ll be greatly rewarded with the striking blooms. Give the plant a lot of shade with some morning sun for the best results. The flowers can pop out in pure white, red, or pink, and typically appear in late spring.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 3 to 9

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Japanese forest grass is often referred to as “Stripe It Rich,” thanks to the white and golden stripes on its long leaves. This perennial lights up shady corners of your garden and produces delicate little flowers in the late summer, though they seldom show themselves from under the leaves. The best part? The leaves on this varietal are deer-resistant.

Soil: Moist but well-draining

Hardiness zones: 5 to 9

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