Shade Plant Profiles
Plant these shade-tolorant plants where the sun don't shine!
Got a shady spot that needs a little color? Try these plants to brighten up your backyard.
Columbine
Botanical name: Aquilegia
Plant type: Perennial
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer.
Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9
Flower color: Yellow, pink, red, blue, purple and white; single hues or bicolored
Height: 8 inches to 3 feet.
Width: 4 to 18 inches.
Light needs: Shade to full sun.
Planting: Sow seeds outdoors from spring through early summer. Deadhead to prevent cultivars from seeding offspring that may be more aggressive and less desirable.
Impatiens
Botanical name: Impatiens.
Bloom time: Summer to first frost.
Hardiness: Annual in most zones.
Flower color: White, red, pink, orange, lavender blue, coral, yellow and purple.
Height: 6 inches to 2 feet.
Width: 12 to 24 inches.
Light needs: Partial to full shade.
Planting: Impatiens are highly sensitive to cold. Set out plants only after all danger of frost has passed.
Cyclamen
Botanical name: Cyclamen hederifolium.
Plant type: Perennial.
Bloom time: Midsummer to late fall, or late winter to early spring.
Hardiness: Zones 5 to 9.
Flower color: White, pink, red and purple.
Height: 4 to 6 inches.
Width: 4 to 6 inches.
Light needs: Partial shade.
Planting: In mid- to late summer, plant tubers 1 to 2 inches deep and 3 to 6 inches apart. Flowers unfurl when cooler temperatures arrive.
Calla Lily
Botanical name: Zantedeschia.
Plant type: Annual in most zones.
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer.
Flower color: White, yellow, pink and red.
Height: 12 to 36 inches.
Width: 8 to 24 inches.
Light needs: Partial to full shade.
Planting: Plant rhizomes directly in the garden after the threat of frost passes. Plant 4 inches deep and about 18 inches apart.
Bleeding Heart
Botanical name: Dicentra spectabilis.
Plant type: Perennial.
Bloom time: Late spring. Plants are dormant by midsummer.
Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9
Flower color: Rose pink and white, with white inner petals that "bleed" from the tip.
Height: 2 to 3 feet.
Width: 18 inches to 3 feet.
Light needs: Partial to full shade. Can tolerate more sun if the soil is moist.
Planting: Nursery-grown potted plants can be planted anytime during the growing season. Seeds should be sown in spring after the danger of frost passes.
More Shade Favorites:
Lady slipper, jack-in-the-pulpit, ajuga