Dry shade poses a problem for many gardeners, but these plants for dry shade are up to the challenge! Choose from perennials, shrubs, and more.
Dry shade, often found under mature trees or shrubs, is one of the most challenging garden spots to fill. Above ground, plants are starved for sunlight. Below, they battle for root space and moisture. With that said, a few adaptable beauties can shine here. From groundcovers and perennials to shrubs, here are 10 of the best plants for dry shade.
Remember, though, that even the toughest plants need a head start! Water regularly for the first two years while roots settle in, and add add organic mulch like leaves and woodchips to lock in moisture and add nutrients. Expect slower growth than in prime garden soil, and since shade and heat tolerance vary, always choose plants suited to your site.
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Hellebore – Christmas and Lenten Rose
Helleborus hybrids, Zones 4 to 9
Hellebores offer flower power when we, and early pollinators, most need them. Newer cultivars face the sky for a vivid display. Long-lasting once established, many come with beautiful notched or colored foliage that shines all year in part to full shade. All parts of these plants are toxic if ingested.
Why we love it: With a selection of hellebore plants for dry shade, you can have deer-resistant blooms from fall through winter.
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By Eve Livesey/Getty Images
Abelia
Abelia x grandiflora hybrids, Zones 6 to 11 (depending on variety)
Best in sun to light shade, this easygoing shrub, 2 to 8 feet tall, delivers multicolored foliage and fragrant white or pink blooms. Its tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and it can tolerate some dry periods once established. Sweet Emotion is listed as hardy in zone 4.
Why we love it: Abelia’s kaleidoscope-like foliage makes it a wonderful harmonizer with companions in the garden, or in a vase.
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Red-Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea ‘Artic Fire’ Zones 2-7
A cultivar of native dogwood, adaptable red-osier dogwood (also known as red twig dogwood) delights in all seasons. It nourishes birds and pollinators with berries, nectar and pollen, including specialists like the short-tongued bee. White spring flowers become berries, and when leaves drop in the fall, it reveals vivid red stems. It grows and flowers best in full to part sun with moist soils but tolerates occasional flooding, wet and dry conditions.
Why we love it: Not only beautiful in the garden, red-osier’s colorful stems add drama and vertical architecture to winter containers and window boxes.
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Terra Nova Nurseries
Alexander’s Great Brunnera
Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexander’s Great,’ Zones 3 to 8
As if the massive silver-painted leaves aren’t enough, brunnera seals the deal by sprouting a froth of lapis blue star-shaped flowers in spring. As low-maintenance as other brunnera plants for dry shade, ‘Alexander’s Great’ has an especially vigorous habit, spanning 14 inches high and up to 30 inches wide at maturity. It does best in light shade with some consistent moisture.
Why we love it: Brunnera flowers support bees, and their bold foliage sparkles as shade garden edging plants.
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Alex Manders/Getty Images Pink and white ivy-leaved cyclamen
Hardy Cyclamen
Cyclamen coum (common name eastern sowbread) and Cyclamen hederifolium (common name ivy-leaved cyclamen), Zones 4 to 8
Undaunted by tree roots, hardy cyclamen flowers in carpets of nodding bells in pink, white, and lavender – often in fall. Smaller than tender florist’s cyclamen, the flowers exude woodland charm. That said, the foliage that emerges first, marbled and stippled in silver and green, may be the real star. Shallow-rooted, they are best paired with slow-growing companions like dwarf hostas.
Why we love it: Suspended on slender stalks, cyclamen flowers almost appear to float in clouds above the painted foliage. Plus, they’re an excellent pick for late-season blooming flowers.
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Doreen Wynja/Monrovia ‘Brilliance’ Autumn fern
Brilliance Autumn Fern
Dryopteris ‘Brilliance,’ Zones 5 to 9
A foolproof fern that enjoys a wide range of conditions, autumn fern brings a twist to the lightly shaded garden. New fronds emerge in fiery tones from rust to scarlet, with ‘Brilliance’ being extra spicy. It appreciates extra moisture and only needs a spring trimming.
Why we love it: Autumn fern is deer-resistant and evergreen, letting you enjoy the foliage all year. For another winter-evergreen option, try Christmas fern.
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Doreen Wynja/Monrovia Variegated Solomon’s Seal
Variegated Solomon’s Seal
Polygonatumodoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum,’ Zones 3 to 8
With stems making graceful arches and lined with tiny white bells in spring, a mature clump of Solomon’s seal is an unforgettable sight. The flowers’ fragrance echoes that of lilies, and the plant offers blue-black berries as the foliage turns a soft gold. In ‘Variegatum,’ the white-edged foliage is even more striking. Solomon’s seal prefers shelter from high heat. All parts are mildly toxic if ingested.
Why we love it: Adaptable to varied moisture levels, Solomon’s seal is easy to fit into your garden. The foliage also makes a distinctive accent in arrangements. Check out even more fabulous foliage plants to add pizazz to your beds.
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Doreen Wynja/Monrovia
Cast Iron Plant
Aspidastra eliator, Zones 7 to 9 or annual elsewhere
Best for warmer regions outdoors, aspidastra’s common name boasts its chief benefit: its hardiness. Cast iron plant withstands deer, heat, drought, full shade, and even salt. In colder zones, well-draining soil will help it get through the wet winter. The evergreen foliage comes in solids, stripes, or speckles. If you find your variegated aspidistra is fading, it would appreciate more sunlight.
Why we love it: Gardeners can plant it (almost) anywhere, and it’s always exciting when its flowers emerge between fall and early spring.
Epimediums make excellent ground covers for dry shade one established. The Asian varieties tend to be deciduous while the Mediterranean ones are evergreen or semi-evergreen in milder climates. The dainty flowers come in a variety of colors and serve as a delightful counterpoint to the armor-like foliage.
Why we love it: For a tough-as-nails groundcover that resists deer- and rabbit-browsing, you can’t beat epimedium. It spreads politely, too.
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Anna Gratys/ShutterstockHeuchera ‘Marmalade’
Coral Bells
Heuchera hybrids, Zones 4 to 8
Heuchera wow in a hypnotizing array of colors and leaf patterns, from lime to purple, copper and silver, and of course, green, with flowers in white, yellow, pink, or cherry red. Bees and hummingbirds enjoy the flowers too. Their sweet spot is light shade with well-draining soil. Flowering for months, these plants for dry shade benefit from dividing every few years when growth slows.
Why we love it: Compact cultivars, some less than 1 foot high and 1 foot wide, shine in containers or as edgers in small garden beds.
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