Shady locations are often difficult to green, it is particularly difficult to find blooming hardy plants. There are some perennials that can also conjure up lush flowers at this location.

In a nutshell

  • Woodruff and periwinkle are low-maintenance ground covers in a shady location
  • Species like the Bergenia are evergreen and can turn a shady spot into a green oasis in winter
  • Ferns and grasses are easy-care plants in shady locations that need to be cut back no more than once a year
  • there are numerous plants for shady locations that bloom profusely despite reduced solar radiation

Species A - E

Altai bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia)

  • Height: up to 40 cm
  • Growth habit: sprawling, bushy, forms large clumps
  • Space requirement: 35 cm
  • Flowers: umbel-shaped, pink
  • Flowering time: April - May
  • Leaves: oval to heart-shaped, shiny, leathery
  • Soil: fresh, nutritious, permeable

When planting in shady locations, there is no way around the Bergenia. The leaves are evergreen and it produces attractive flowers in early spring.

Trefoil Golden Strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata)

Source: Agnieszka Kwiecień (Nova), Waldsteinia ternata 01, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Height: up to 15 cm
  • Growth form: flat, creeping, carpet-like
  • Space requirements: can take up several square meters in a short time
  • Flower: simple, golden yellow
  • Flowering time: April - May
  • leaves: tripartite, toothed, hairy
  • Soil: permeable, fresh, moist, humic

Tip: There are few hardy plants that survive the lowest temperatures as well as the trefoil golden strawberry. This also makes it suitable for planting in areas that are at risk of frost.

Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

  • Height: up to 30 cm
  • Growth habit: upright, flat
  • Space requirement: 20 - 30 cm
  • Flowers: umbel-shaped, white, simple
  • Flowering time: April - May
  • leaves: lanceolate, whorled
  • Soil: permeable, very humic

Elf flowers (Epimedium spec.)

Elf Flower 'Frohnleiten', Epimedium perralchicum
  • Height: up to 30 cm
  • Growth form: cushion-like, loose clumps
  • Space requirement: 30 - 40 cm
  • Flowers: depending on the variety, white, violet, bluish, orange-red
  • Flowering time: April - May
  • Leaves: worrying, green, reddish, reddish brown
  • Soil: permeable, fresh, humus moist

The elf flowers live up to their name. The delicate and filigree flowers are particularly effective in a shady location.

European ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris
  • Height: up to 120 cm
  • Growth form: forms clumps, forms strong runners
  • Space requirement: 80 - 100 cm
  • Blossom: forms no flowers
  • Leaves: Bipinnate, dull, tapering
  • Soil: fresh, moist, permeable, humic

Hardy plants such as the ostrich fern benefit from a shady location, because snow often lies there for longer. This protects the underground buds and prevents the plants from budding too early and possibly being damaged by late frosts.

Types of F - G

Hostas (Hosta spec.)

  • Height: up to 50 cm
  • Growth habit: ground covering, branched
  • Space requirement: 40 - 50 cm
  • Flower: violet, bell-shaped
  • Flowering period: June - July
  • Leaves: ovate, tapering, green tones, yellow tones or variegated depending on the variety
  • Soil: humic, permeable, fresh

Hostas are the ideal plants for a shady location. They only flower under optimal conditions. Due to their leaves, which can have different colors depending on the variety, they are an eye-catcher in shady places.

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

  • Height: up to 40 cm
  • Growth form: clump-like, cushion-like
  • Space requirement: 40 cm
  • Flowers: umbel-shaped, green-yellow
  • Flowering period: June - July
  • leaves: rounded, toothed or lobed leaf margin
  • Soil: fresh, well drained

Species with H

Hanging Goldbell (Uvularia grandiflora)

Source: Chanteusey, Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Height: up to 60 cm
  • Growth form: forms clumps and rhizomes, arched
  • Space requirement: 30 - 40 cm
  • Flower: bell-shaped, yellow
  • Flowering period: April - June
  • leaves: lanceolate, dull
  • Soil: permeable, very humic

Autumn Anemone (Anemone spec.)

Autumn Anemone, Anemone hupehensis
  • Height: up to 80 cm
  • Growth form: clumpy, sprawling
  • Space requirement: 35 cm
  • Flower: simple, white or purple depending on the variety
  • Flowering period: August - October
  • leaves: tripartite, finely hairy
  • Soil: well-drained, nutritious, loamy, sandy

The autumn anemone is ideal for shady places and in autumn it provides another magic flower. In good locations, it blooms until the first frost.

Heartleaf foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia)

Source: Cbaile19, Tiarella cordifolia growing in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, 02, Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Height: up to 20 cm
  • Growth form: carpet-like, flat
  • Space requirement: 25 cm
  • Flowers: in panicles, yellow-white
  • Flowering time: April - May
  • Leaves: Roundish to heart-shaped, lobed, finely hairy
  • Soil: fresh, humic, permeable

The heart-leaved foam flower is not only a decorative perennial, it also requires no maintenance. If plant debris bothers you, you can remove it, or simply leave it to compost on the spot. This also makes it suitable for planting in difficult locations such as on slopes.

Tall goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus)

  • Height: up to 180 cm
  • Growth habit: sprawling, clumpy
  • Space requirement: 100 cm
  • Flowers: simple, in panicles, yellowish, white
  • Flowering period: June - July
  • Leaves: pinnate, dull, large
  • Soil: permeable, very nutritious, very humic

The high forest goat's beard is an ideal perennial for greening large shady areas. It reaches an imposing height of almost two meters. Even when it has faded, the large leaves still cover the area well. The flowers are also very popular with insects.

Types of I - R

Periwinkle (Vinca spec.)

Small periwinkle
  • Height: up to 30 cm
  • Growth habit: sprawling, forms many runners
  • Space requirement: 30 cm, the space requirement can increase rapidly due to the formation of foothills
  • Flower: simple, blue or white depending on the variety
  • Flowering period: May - September
  • Leaves: lanceolate, dark green
  • Soil: permeable, fresh, humic

Notice: The periwinkle is the ideal plant for shady places. After a few years, the plants form a lush carpet of flowers and the leaves are green all year round.

Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii)

Carex morrowii, Japanese sedge
  • Height: up to 40 cm
  • Growth form: clump-forming
  • Space requirement: 30 - 50 cm
  • Flowers: simple, spike-shaped, brown-yellow
  • Flowering time: March - May
  • leaves: lanceolate, leathery, acuminate
  • Soil: well-drained, fresh, loamy, sandy

The Japanese sedge is also suitable for shady locations where it is drier. Compared to other grasses, this species does not form any runners and the space requirement is constant, especially in the first few years. Should the Japanese sedge ever get too big, it is simply divided and the rest that is too much is removed.

Red flowering lungwort (Pulmonaria rubra)

  • Height: up to 30 cm
  • Growth form: pillow-like
  • Space requirement: 25 - 30 cm
  • Flower: bell-shaped, red
  • Flowering time: April - May
  • leaves: lanceolate, finely hairy
  • Soil: fresh, moist, humic, loamy, sandy

Ice are not many hardy plants that bloom early and are very attractive to insects. The red-flowering lungwort is a cultivated form of the native lungwort, but it has pure red flowers. Lungwort is also a very good ground cover that does not grow very tall.

Species with S

Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum spec.)

  • Height: up to 60 cm
  • Growth form: upright, overhanging
  • Space requirement: 30 cm
  • Flowers: racemes, small white bell-shaped single flowers
  • Flowering period: May - June
  • Leaves: green, ovate
  • Soil: well drained, fresh

Shade sedge (Carex umbrosa)

Source: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Carex umbrosa kz02, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Height: up to 20 cm
  • Growth form: cushion-like, forms clumps
  • Space requirement: 20 - 25 cm
  • Flowers: spiked, reddish brown
  • Flowering time: April - May
  • leaves: lanceolate, pointed
  • Soil: fresh, loamy, humic

The shade sedge has the advantage that it can be easily mown with the lawnmower after flowering due to its early flowering time. Shady areas can be greened with it without any problems and the overhanging clumps look attractive all year round, even if you don't trim them after flowering.

Snakehead (Chelone obliqua)

  • Height: up to 150 cm
  • Growth habit: upright, moderately leafy
  • Space requirement: 15 - 20 cm
  • Flowers: semi-double, pink - white, cup-shaped
  • Flowering period: July - September
  • Leaves: broad, tapering, deep green
  • Soil: humic, moist, neutral

The snakehead is a wildflower originally from the United States. Although it prefers a shady location where it is constantly moist, it will also grow in sunny locations if it is adequately watered.

Sea Pen Fern (Blechnum penna-marina)

Source: Daderot, Blechnum penna-marina - Berlin Botanical Garden - IMG 8763, edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Height: up to 30 cm
  • Growth form: branched, creeping
  • Space requirement: 20 cm
  • Blossom: forms no flowers
  • Leaves: Pinnate, rounded tips, lanceolate
  • Soil: moist, fresh, loose

Tip: In a shady location, lawns usually only grow sparsely. The sea pen fern is a suitable alternative for greening large areas in the shade, because you can mow it regularly like lawns, which means that it quickly forms a dense cover.

Types of T - Z

Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabili)

crying heart
  • Height: up to 80 cm
  • Growth habit: upright, clumpy, sprawling
  • Space requirement: 75 cm
  • Flower: heart-shaped, pink, white, reddish
  • Flowering period: May - June
  • Leaves: pinnate, blue-green
  • Soil: fresh, humic, rich in nutrients, permeable

Tip: The Bleeding Heart is particularly effective when planted in groups. You should plant a maximum of three perennials per square meter.

Wood ledge (Scirpus sylvaticus)

Source: Rigel7, PR Vresova stran 036 Scirpus sylvaticus, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Height: up to 60 cm
  • Growth form: clumpy
  • Space requirement: 30 cm
  • Flowers: spike-shaped, brown, simple
  • Flowering period: May - June
  • Leaves: green, narrow, long, silvery ciliated at the edge
  • Soil: humic, fresh, permeable

Monkshood (Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. vulparia)

  • Height: up to 80 cm
  • Growth habit: upright flower stalks, clump-forming, basal leaf rosette
  • Space requirement: 35 cm
  • Flowers: racemose, pale yellow, simple
  • Flowering period: July - August
  • leaves: glossy, deeply dissected
  • Soil: well drained, humic, rich in nutrients, slightly acidic

Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)

Source: No machine-readable author provided. Valérie75 assumed (based on copyright claims)., Dryopteris filix-mas 001, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Height: up to 90 cm
  • Growth form: clump-forming, upright, spreading
  • Space requirement: 70 cm
  • Blossom: forms no flowers
  • Flowering time: -
  • leaves: pinnate, lanceolate
  • Soil: fresh, well-drained, very humic, rich in nutrients, slightly acidic

frequently asked Questions

Can slopes be greened with hardy shade plants?

Hardy plants that are suitable for shady locations can also be used for planting on slopes. They can even help stabilize those slopes that are at risk of slipping due to persistent moisture.

Are plants in shady locations more difficult to care for?

No, the opposite is often the case. Compared to other perennials, dead plant parts in shady locations decompose faster due to the high humidity. This reduces the need to remove leaves and stems. Rapid composting has the advantage that many nutrients are available, which hardy plants also appreciate in shady places.

What should be considered when planting hardy plants in the shade?

Due to the low light conditions, you should make sure that the plants do not take away the light from each other. Therefore, when selecting the plants, make sure that they grow to the same height or that they flower at different times. Early bloomers usually don't mind if it's even more shady later when they've already bloomed.

Category:

Garden plants