Flowering shade plants for the garden bring decorative color to dark areas under trees, behind the house or on the balcony with their flowers. But which plants are suitable?

In a nutshell

  • only a few plants get by with low incidence of light
  • Even in shady places, plants should receive light sunlight for about three hours a day
  • Pot culture is possible for many plants, but requires a different level of care than outdoors
  • A good mixture of plants ensures that there are always flowers to be seen oxen ensures that there are always flowers to be seen

Care for shade plants properly

All flowering plants for a shady location require proper care. This not only applies to fertilizing, but above all to watering. Unfortunately, especially in summer, the plants that were planted in the shade - for example under trees or behind the house - are often forgotten. The following points should therefore be observed:

  • Regular Watering: The soil should be well moistened but not wet. When cultivating in a bucket, even more care must be taken to ensure that the substrate does not dry out.
  • Cover soil: Applying bark mulch reduces evaporation and fertilizes the soil over the long term. Alternatively, coarse gravel can also be used. In any case, this measure reduces the amount of water required and the frequency of watering.
  • Introduce drainage: Especially in the case of bucket culture, it is important that the water can drain off sufficiently and does not accumulate in the bucket. A layer of gravel at the bottom of the planter, coconut fibers or sand to loosen the soil and good drainage for substrates that tend to compact can prevent waterlogging.

Flowering shade plants from A - E

Bergenia

The Bergenia is an ideal perennial for the shade and semi-shade. You should fertilize them every two weeks from April to August. The use of liquid fertilizer is recommended for this. The addition of compost or the use of long-term fertilizers are also well suited.

The pink to red flowers appear between April and May and remain until June. However, the lush green and thick leaves of the bergenia are also a decorative ornament after flowering. In addition, some varieties can achieve a second flowering phase in autumn if the dried inflorescences are cut off early in summer.

Bergenia, Bergenia

leadwort

Leadwort is a delicate and inconspicuous but blooming shade plant - until it starts blooming in May. Densely packed blue flowers can cover old tree trunks or trellises in the climbing varieties such as the Cape Leadwort. When it comes to care and leadwort in general, attention should be paid to the following factors:

  • requires large amounts of nutrients, so fertilize regularly
  • Flowering period from May to September
  • ideal for culture in buckets
  • provide climbing or trellis aids for Cape Leadwort
  • usually not frost-resistant, therefore overwintering indoors

Christmas rose

The Christmas roses are an unusual specialty because they also bloom in the snow and contract again when the temperature is too low before they open their blossoms again.

  • good combination with witch hazel, winter lice and snow heather
  • semi-shady to shady location
  • bloom in winter
  • frost hardy down to -10 °C
  • also suitable for pot culture
Christmas rose, Helleborus niger

Tip: Because Christmas roses bloom in white, they don't add much color to the garden. If you like it brighter and brighter, you can use the closely related but much less well-known spring roses.

aconite

With more than 300 species, there is a large selection of monkshood, so that the right one can be found for every garden and every location in the shade. The characteristics include:

  • Heights from ten centimeters to three meters
  • upright and twining varieties
  • Usually blooms around June, depending on the variety
  • require nutrient-rich, slightly moist soil
  • blue to violet flowers
Monkshood, Aconitum napellus

But beware! Monkshood is highly poisonous in all parts. Even skin contact is sufficient for reactions. You should therefore avoid the plant in gardens with small children or playing pets.

Planting from F - H

thimble

Like monkshood, all parts of thimble are poisonous. It grows upright and displays a particularly interesting inflorescence. In addition, the following points apply to him:

  • Available in different colors from white to violet
  • needs fresh, loamy, humus-rich soil
  • usually reaches a height of more than one meter
  • biennial
  • hardy
  • the perennial is suitable for outdoor and container culture
red foxglove, Digitalis purpurea

Funkie

The hostas, which originate from Asia, are available in numerous varieties and with many flower colours. Even the foliage shines in decorative colors in autumn. They also bring these benefits:

  • Outdoor varieties are hardy, even without shelter
  • suitable as cut flowers
  • Dry phases are survived well
  • great biodiversity and numerous varieties

memorial

The memorial is a flowering plant for partial shade and light shade, it should not be too dark. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful underplanting for trees and shrubs, as long as it still gets enough daylight. In addition, it has these characteristics and requirements:

  • blue bloom
  • Flowering time from April to May
  • pointed leaves
  • low height from ten to 20 centimeters
  • forms ground-covering carpets by runners
Commemoration, Omphalodes verna

grove flower

The grove flower is a flowering ground cover that can transform sunny and partially shaded areas into a sea of flowers. As a result, they can not only add a dash of color to the garden bed or onto the balcony, but are also a real eye-catcher. The following points are also worth knowing about the grove flower:

  • long flowering period from May to September
  • lush blooms in the color blue
  • annual
  • ground cover
  • well suited for tub culture and open land
  • need nutrient-rich and loose, well-drained soil

Autumn Anemone

The autumn anemone is an easy-care and robust plant that is available in different variants and - depending on the variety - shows its flowers as early as July or September. The autumn anemone can provide accents and color in the garden well into October.

  • Flower color White, pink, pink or crimson
  • available plain and filled
  • 60 to 160 centimeters high
  • ideal for light shade or partial shade
Autumn anemone, Anemone japonica

Shade plants from K - P

toad lily

Toad lilies are an eye-catcher and can shine in several colors at the same time. They are frugal as long as they get enough shade. These qualities are characteristic of them:

  • Inflorescences of white, yellow, pink or blue color
  • partly patterned flowers, which are extremely decorative
  • need cool, shady locations
  • perennial and robust
  • do best under trees or on a north face

spring rose

The spring rose, which is closely related to the Christmas rose, shares almost all the characteristics of this plant, but has a greater variety of colours. They also have the following characteristics, among others:

  • up to 50 centimeters high
  • hardy and semi-evergreen
  • toxic in all parts
  • prefer loamy but well-drained and humus-rich soils

Corydalis

Larkspur is an extraordinarily versatile plant due to the different cultivated forms and varieties. Ten centimeters or two meters high, ground-covering or climbing - there are so many differences in this plant that shady locations of all kinds can be easily decorated with it.

The flower color also varies greatly and the different requirements show significant differences. Therefore, you should always be careful when choosing the right larkspur. However, it is a frugal and easy-care plant, which can also be grown in pots and is robust.

Astilbe

With 30 to about 35 varieties, the Astilbe offers a large selection and even flowers very profusely in the shade. In addition, they not only set an accent in the garden with their bright color of the flowers, but are also an eye-catcher due to the shape of the inflorescence.

  • flowers reminiscent of feathers
  • Flowers can shine in white, cream, pink, crimson
  • Half shade and shade are ideal
  • Height depending on the variety between ten and 100 centimeters
'Finale', Astilbe chinensis hybrid

Flowering plants from R - Z

rhododendron

The rhododendron has numerous types and colors to offer, so that the optimal variety can be found for every garden and location. In general, however, the plants prefer shady to half-shady locations and loose, permeable soil.
When choosing the location, you should make sure that the long-lived plants can reach considerable heights over time and should be protected from cold winds as much as possible. Proximity to larger trees or bushes is therefore an option, as is planting near a house wall. As a plant for the shade, the rhododendron also feels at home on the north face.

Rhododendron racemosum

Ruprechtskraut

The Ruprechtskraut is one of the hardy, blooming shade plants, with very small but persistent inflorescences. From late spring to autumn, they conjure up splashes of color in shaded locations. Their properties include:

  • can be used as a medicinal herb
  • reaches heights between ten and 40 centimeters
  • durable and easy to care for
  • thrives well near deciduous trees and shrubs

Foam Flower - Tiarella

The foam flower, also known as Tiarella, is ideal for semi-shady and shady locations and is a wonderful ground cover. Therefore, the plants can be optimally used as underplanting for taller plants. They also have some useful properties if they are properly cared for. It refers to:

  • Flowering from April to May
  • Bee pasture and food source for butterflies
  • well-drained, slightly moist and moderately nutrient-rich soil
  • Fertilizing in spring and autumn is sufficient
  • Flower color from white to pink
  • very hardy, therefore suitable for outdoors

frequently asked Questions

Is the care effort in bucket culture greater?

Yes. Since the plants have less substrate available, they have to be watered and fertilized more often. Repotting also increases the effort. On the other hand, plants that are not or only partially hardy can be overwintered more easily.

Does the flowering power suffer in shady locations?

When it comes to shade plants, the flowering power does not suffer. However, care should be taken to determine whether the plants are suitable for light shade, partial shade or full shade.

When should plants for shady locations be planted?

That depends solely on the respective species and variety of the respective plant. Normally, spring and/or autumn are ideal for outdoor use. Which time is better should be decided based on the plant species and the regional climate.

Category:

Garden design