What Flowers Grow Well in Shade?

On a hot summer's day, it's lovely to sit under the cool shade of a tree. But beneath that shade tree you may have nothing but bare soil. That is because not all plants thrive in shade, just as not all plants thrive in full sunshine. You can rejoice in knowing that with the right plants, the bare soil beneath your tree can be transformed into a beautiful flower garden with the right shade-loving species.

Geography

If your yard has shady spots from trees, buildings, fences or even your house itself, there are some excellent flowering plants that you can add to give more color to your shady area. Dark, shaded rain forests have some of the most beautiful tropical flowers in the world, so you should be able to find some perfect plants at your local nursery. Most nurseries are very helpful in advising you on the right choices for different lighting. Make sure you know what time of day the planting area is shaded and note if it gets any sun at all. This information is important for the nursery to help you make the right plant choices.

Types

Some of the most frequently used flowers in a shady area are hostas. These plants have beautiful foliage and thrive in shady areas. There are a number of different types of hostas, and you will find many that have nice blooming flowers. Blue hostas are very popular and grow in a mound up to about 3 feet in height and spread up to 60 inches. They produce a pale lavender flower in the summer. The Royal Standard hosta has a pretty trumpet shaped flower with a sweet scent.

Features

The easiest way to start a flowering garden in the shade is to start with some perennials that will return year after year. These are taller plants than most shade flowers, so plant them towards the back of the garden to frame any smaller plants in the front. Lily-of-the-valley is an easy shade loving plant that has daintily curved stems with tiny white bells. The scent is so enchanting that colognes and candles are often given this fragrance. This plant will spread quickly and grows to a height of about 10 inches. Bleeding hearts are a beloved shady garden flower with pretty pink and white hearts hanging in rows. Reaching a height of three feet, they make a good cut flower too. Columbine, Ladies Mantle, Coral Bells and Primrose are all excellent shade loving perennial flowers.

Considerations

Wax begonias, pansies, fuscia and violas are also among the annual flowers you can plant beneath a shade tree. As annuals, these will only last one season and will have to be replaced yearly, but their beauty is worth the extra trouble. These are low growing plants that can be planted on the outskirts of the garden, which also makes for easy replacement next spring.

Prevention/Solution

Although ferns do not bloom, no self respecting shade garden would be without a few lacy ferns to accompany the flowering plants. Some of the more popular ferns to choose from are wood fern, cinnamon, ostrich ferns and maidenhair.