How to Choose Shade Gardening Plants for Dry Shade
Dry shade is a gardening condition that consists of little to no sunlight, along with dry soil. A common source of dry shade is large trees, in which the canopy blocks the sunlight and the root system draws most of the moisture out of the soil. There are attractive landscaping plants that can thrive in these dry, dark conditions, even if it means competing with larger, more established trees or plants. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Use a soil pH tester to find out the acidity of the soil in your dry shade. These devices are available at most gardening centers. You can also send a soil sample to a local county extension to have it tested for pH.
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Monitor the shaded area throughout the day to find out how much sunlight the area receives, if any. Even dappled light coming through leaves counts as some sunlight. If the area only gets morning or afternoon sun, note that fact because some plants thrive in partial shade.
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Look up your cold hardiness zone. Plants are cold hardy only in certain zones of the country because of climate factors.
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Visit your local nursery or garden center and narrow the selection down to plants that thrive in the kind of shade you have, in the soil pH you have, in your cold hardiness zone and that can tolerate drought conditions.
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Select the plants out of those options that match your landscaping plans, such as vines for ground cover, or flowering bulbs for a flower garden.
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