PLANTS FOR
SHADY GARDENS
When most people think about gardens, they think of bright, sunny spaces with plenty of colourful flowers. However, shady gardens can be just as beautiful – and they definitely have their own unique charm! If you’re looking to plant some shady areas in your garden, then read on for our top tips and advice. We’ll list the best plants for shady gardens, along with some handy tips on how to garden in shady areas.
Shady gardens need specific plants to thrive
When planning a shady garden, it’s important to think about the types of plants that will thrive in these conditions. Many shade-loving plants prefer moist soil and plenty of humidity, so make sure to choose plants that are suited to your specific climate and garden conditions. In shady areas, you can grow a range of plants, including flowers, shrubs, climbers and ericaceous plants.
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Shady areas in your garden
There are a few things to consider when planting shady areas in your garden. Firstly, you need to think about the amount of light that the area receives. Some shady spots may only receive dappled sunlight or light from a single direction, while others may be shady all day long. It’s also important to think about the soil type and drainage in these areas – shady gardens often have wetter soil than sunny gardens, although there are shady gardens with very dry or quite acidic soil. If you don’t know what kind of soil you have, you can order testing kits online (or look over the neighbours fence to see what kind of plants they’re growing!).
Ruxley's PLants for shade
You can find all the plants below in our Shady Plant Area in our Outdoor Plants Department as long as they are in stock. If you can’t find what you’re looking for just ask one of our friendly team to help.
Plants for medium shade
- Chaenomeles
- Choysia ternata
- Cornus
- Cotoneaster
- Daphne
- Deutzia
- Eleagnus
- Polystichum (Shield fern)
Climbing plants for shade
- Garrya elliptica
- Jasmine humile
- Hydrangea petiolaris
- Hedera
- Pyracantha
- Kerria japonica
Plants for heavy shade
- Aucuba japonica
- Achemilla mollis
- Bergenia
- Brunnera macrophylla
- Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)
- Taxus (Yew)
- Corylus (Hazel)
- Dicksonia antarctica (Soft Tree Fern)
- Euonymous fortuneii
- Fatsia japonica
- Ligustrum (Privet)
- Mahonia
- Osmanthus
- Prunus laurocerasus (Cherry laurel)
- Prunus lusitanica (Portugese laurel)
- Pyracantha (Firethorn)
- Sarcococca (Sweet box)
- Vinca (Periwinkle)
Plants for dry shade
- Aucuba japonica (Spotted laurel)
- Acanthus mollis
- Ajuga repens
- Dianthus deltoides
- Saxifraga umberosa
- Acer
- Euphorbia
- Persicaria
- Aquilegia vulgaris
- Ophipogon
- Helleborus
- Hyacinthoides non-scripta (English bluebell)
- Ilex (Holly)
- Sorbus acuparia (Rowan)
- Betula (Birch)
- Alnus (Alder)
Ericaceous plants for shade
- Azalea
- Camellia
- Skimmia
- Gaultheria
- Pieris
- Hydrangea
What does ericaceous mean?
Perennial plants for shade
- Acanthus mollis
- Aconitum
- Achemilla mollis
- Anenome japonica
- Aquilegia vulgaris
- Astilbe
- Astrantia
- Bergenia
- Brunnera macrophylla
- Cyclamen coum
- Campanula
- Carex
- Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)
- Dicentra (Bleeding Hearts)
- Digitalis (Foxglove)
- Tiarella
Visit us in store for even more expert plant advice and guidance!
