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Oct 15, 2024

28 Best Shade Flowers That Are Easy to Grow

No sun? No problem! Every item on this page was chosen by a The Pioneer Woman editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Although we typically associate sunshine with plant

No sun? No problem!

Every item on this page was chosen by a The Pioneer Woman editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Although we typically associate sunshine with plant growth, you don't have to let a lack of light stop you from growing your dream garden! Believe it or not, numerous flowers actually thrive in the shade. So even the covered or shadiest spots on your lawn can boast beauty and vibrancy like their sunlit antitheses! Plus, by incorporating both annuals and perennials in your yard, you'll cultivate a delightful garden brimming with blooms from spring through fall.

Before shopping for shade flowers, watch your garden at various times of day. Full shade is considered 3 or fewer hours of direct sunlight per day. Part shade is about 3 to 6 hours of shade. Then read the plant tags or descriptions so you choose the right flowers for your garden's conditions. And when planting perennials, make sure to choose those that can survive winters in your USDA Hardiness Zone (find yours here).

Don’t forget that even shade plants need to be watered when first planted and during any hot, dry spells. Check pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets daily during hot weather because they tend to dry out more quickly than beds. Also, make sure to fertilize regularly (with any general purpose fertilizer) to prevent nutrients from leaching out and to keep flowers blooming all season. Thanks to these shade flowers, a few helpful tips, and of course, your handy gardening tools, even dark spots in your garden will be blooming with beauty!

For more great gardening ideas:

Also known as 'Purple Knight,' this moody annual adapts well to partial shade conditions! Its deep purple leaves are the perfect way to add contrast to bright blooms in your garden.

SHOP ALTERNANTHERA

Despite having the word "sun" in its name, this beautiful bloom can grow in the shade, although it also thrives in full sun. SunPatiens is a cross between two impatiens species: New Guinea impatiens and impatiens walleriana, the latter of which is also a shade-loving plant!

SHOP SUNPATIENS

Nicotiana, or flowering tobacco, is an amazing annual known for its star-shaped blooms and the sweet floral scent it emits. This fragrant flower, which comes in many colors, such as pink, red, white, and lime, grows well in partial or dappled shade. Its leaves can get larger and more green when grown in partial shade rather than full sun!

SHOP FLOWERING TOBACCO

As its name suggests, these white flowers look like clusters of fluffy snow and are so easy to grow! Diamond Frost is a hybrid perennial that can grow in partial shade. It's known for its narrow, gray-green to bright green leaves and tiny white flowers that bloom from spring to frost.

SHOP EUPHORBIA

You can really add some style to your shaded garden with this speckled flower! The easy-to-grow and elegant toad lily boasts white to light purple six-petaled flowers that closely resemble orchids. You can plant this one in the spring for late summer or fall blooms. Just remember that they're toxic to cats.

SHOP TOAD LILY

Not only is this perennial so lovely to look at, but it's super easy to care for, too! The unique, dangling bell-shaped blooms of columbine come in a variety of colors to liven up even the shadiest parts of your yard. Plus, the early summer bloomers are loved by birds and butterflies but aren't likely to be enjoyed by deer.

SHOP COLUMBINE

Thanks to the lungwort's eye-catching silvery dotted leaves that last through the season and pretty clusters of pink, white, or blue flowers that pop up for a for a short period of time, it'll add bright color to your shady garden for months! While planting it in late summer or early autumn will give you the best results, spring planting should also work.

SHOP LUNGWORT

The bigroot geranium is one tough (and pretty) plant! With thicker rhizomes and stouts than other geraniums grown as annuals, these colorfully blooming perennial plants with their sprawling stems will definitely add lasting looks to your garden. They make for easy ground cover and produce pretty summer flowers. Their woodsy-scented foliage will even offer great color in the fall.

SHOP BIGROOT GERANIUM

Hummingbirds can’t resist the purple, white or pink blooms of this trailing annual. Torenia looks amazing draping out of window boxes and hanging baskets, and you won't have to deadhead, or remove faded flowers, to keep it blooming.

SHOP TORENIA

These exotic-looking annuals come in shades of white, hot pink, pale pink and deep purple. Fuchsia is another plant hummingbirds can’t resist, so plant it in a hanging basket and wait for the show as hummers whiz and buzz by you on the way to sip the nectar.

SHOP FUCHSIA

Large heart-shaped pink, red, white and green leaves make caladium a real show-stopper in the shade. They grow from tubers, which you can leave in the ground in zones 8 and warmer, and they’ll return next year. But in cool climates, dig up the bulbs after the first frost and save to replant next spring.

SHOP CALADIUM

Lobelia is an annual with tiny, delicate flowers of pink, purple or white. It looks smashing in mixed containers, draping over the edges. However, it doesn’t like heat, so when nighttime temperatures stay in the 70s, it stops blooming well. Shear it back, and it should rebound when it cools down again in the fall.

SHOP LOBELIA

Heuchera is another plant grown for its colorful foliage. This perennial grows well in ground or in pots, and it comes in every color from lime green to dark burgundy. Bunnies and deer tend to leave it alone, too.

SHOP HEUCHERA

Nemesia resembles tiny snapdragons and comes in cheery colors including pink, purple, white, orange and sunny yellow. These annuals also prefer cooler temperatures, so give them a light haircut if they’re looking scraggly, and they should perk up for fall. Bonus: The flowers are beautifully fragrant!

SHOP NEMESIA

This heat tolerant annual has pretty star-shaped purple or white flowers. Browallia will bloom all season long, and it’s often used as an alternative to impatiens.

SHOP BROWALLIA

This gorgeous begonia with striking leaf shapes and stunning patterns is grown for its foliage, rather than its flowers. The Jurassic series is especially beautiful. Bonus: In fall, you can bring it indoors as a houseplant.

SHOP REX BEGONIA

The pretty speckled leaves and pink and purple flowers of this perennial shine in late spring. Pulmonaria is super cold-hardy, too, and you’ll enjoy the pretty foliage all season long after the flowers fade.

SHOP PULMONARIA

Heart-shaped leaves dusted with white are topped by delicate bright blue flowers in spring. Brunnera is a must-have perennial for any shade garden with its good looks and cold-hardiness. It’s also deer resistant.

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The colorful name of this perennial reflects its pretty heart-shaped white, pink or red flowers. Bleeding heart is deer resistant and does well in most soils, except it doesn’t like heavy clay.

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This low-growing annual has teeny white, pink or purple flowers with a honey scent. Pollinators love it! Sweet alyssum are perfect for baskets, window boxes, or spilling over the edges of containers. It tolerates light frosts, too, so you’ll have blooms well into fall. White Knight is a particularly sturdy variety.

SHOP SWEET ALYSSUM

Arricca Elin SanSone is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content developer. She specializes in lifestyle and interior design content with a focus on gardening. Arricca earned dual bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude in English and classics from Hiram College, as well as an MBA cum laude from Georgia Southern University. Before writing full-time, Arricca studied in Rome, traveled in Europe, and taught school in Asia. With over a decade of experience, Arricca has pitched, researched, and crafted fresh story ideas and content to appeal to national audiences. She has written thousands of articles for print and digital publications such as Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, House Beautiful, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.

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