Shady locations can be a challenge when greening. However, there are some plants that are also suitable for such places. Here we present 24 perennials that also thrive in the shade of the north side without any problems.

In a nutshell

  • For the north side there are not only upright solitary perennials, but also plants that spread out flat
  • Plants for the shade like a moist soil, but it must not form waterlogged
  • Shade plants such as hostas or elfin mirrors have attractive foliage
  • Many shade plants require no care and can largely be left to their own devices
  • Perennials for the shade are available in different heights, which also makes it easy to create shade beds

Shade perennials from B to G

Mountain Cranesbill (Geranium nodosum)

Mountain Cranesbill (Geranium nodosum)
  • Height: 40 to 50 cm
  • Growth: bushy, forms rhizomes, upright flower stalks
  • Flower: light violet, single
  • Flowering period: May to September
  • Leaves: multi-part, serrated leaf margin
  • Soil: fresh, well-drained, very humic, prefers acidic soil
  • Usage: Wood edge, underplanting for woody plants

monkshood (aconite)

Chinese Verbena (Aconitum carmichaelii)
  • Height: 80 to 100 cm
  • Growth: upright, forms loose clumps
  • Flower: yellow, white or blue, depending on the variety
  • Flowering period: July to August
  • Leaves: deeply dissected, dark green, deciduous
  • Soil: fresh, well-drained, nutrient-rich, humic, loamy, sandy, also tolerates a slightly acidic pH value
  • Use: bedding plant, open land, underplanting with trees and shrubs

Elf Flower (Epimedium)

Epimedium x rubrum
  • Height: 20 to 35 cm
  • Growth: cushion-like, forms rhizomes
  • Flowers: sulphur-yellow, grape-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Leaves: heart-shaped, leaf margin serrated, leathery, brown-green, evergreen
  • Soil: fresh, moist, humic, permeable
  • Use: Underplanting for trees and shrubs, ground cover

Notice: There are different types of elven flowers, which differ in the color of the foliage and the flowers.

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum)

Curled Peacock Fern (Adiantum aleuticum)
  • Height: 40 to 50 cm
  • Growth: arching, spreading
  • Flower: none
  • Leaves: Fan-like, pinnate, leaf margin with indentations, light green
  • Soil: permeable, fresh, moist, lots of humus
  • Use: Underplanting for trees and shrubs, solitary plant

Funkie (Hosta)

White-edged Grey-leaf Funkie 'Francee' (Hosta x fortunei)
  • Height: 30 to 50 cm
  • Growth: upright, clumpy, bushy
  • Flower: light violet
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • Leaves: deciduous, large, cordate
  • Soil: fresh, permeable, rich in nutrients, humic
  • Use: Underplanting for trees and shrubs, solitary plant, pots, beds with shade

Few perennials are so well adapted to a spot that is shaded. The advantage of the Hosta is that it is easy to cultivate in a bucket. However, the perennials rarely produce flowers in full shade, such as on the north side of the house. But they score with an attractive foliage, which can have different colors with white or yellow accents depending on the variety.

Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)

Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)
  • Height: 15 to 20 cm
  • Growth: upright, clumpy
  • Flowers: purple-pink, in panicles
  • Flowering period: May to July
  • Leaves: ovate, serrate leaf margin, hairy, green
  • Soil: fresh, well-drained, humic, rich in nutrients, slightly acidic
  • Use: Underplanting for trees, tree edges

Tip: As a perennial for the shade, you can use the wild form of the spotted deadnettle. Cultivated forms such as "Beacon Silver", which have an attractive green-white leaf colour, are much more attractive.

Great masterwort (Astrantia major)

Great masterwort 'Venice' (Astrantia major)
  • Height: 40 to 50 cm
  • Growth: bushy, clumpy, upright flower stalks
  • Flowers: white-pink to greenish, umbel-shaped
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • Leaves: finger-shaped, serrate leaf margin, glossy, green
  • Soil: fresh, moist, permeable, humic, rich in nutrients
  • Use: Underplanting for trees, tree edges, open land

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)
  • Height: 30 to 40 cm
  • Growth: cushion-like, clumpy
  • Flowers: green-yellow, umbel-shaped
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • leaves: rounded, toothed or lobed leaf margin, hairy
  • Soil: Fresh, moist, well-drained, normal soil
  • Use: groundcover, woody border

Large-leaved periwinkle (Vinca major)

Large-leaved periwinkle (Vinca major)
  • Height: 20 to 30 cm
  • Growth: upright, arching, forms runners
  • Flower: violet-blue, cup-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Leaves: ovate, acuminate, dark green, evergreen
  • Soil: moderately moist, humic, well-drained, sandy, loamy
  • Use: Underplanting for trees, tree edges, ground cover

Shade perennials from H to S

Hazel root (Asarum europaeum)

Hazel root (Asarum europaeum)
  • Height: 3 to 15 cm
  • Growth: creeping, flat
  • Flower: red-brown, funnel-shaped
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • Leaves: kidney-shaped, glossy, evergreen
  • Soil: humic, fresh, well-drained, prefers calcareous soil
  • Use: Underplanting for trees and shrubs, ground cover

Autumn Anemone (Anemone japonica)

Autumn Anemone (Anemone japonica)
  • Height: 70 to 90 cm
  • Growth: sprawling, clumpy, upright inflorescences
  • Flowers: depending on the variety, pink or white, bowl-shaped
  • Flowering time: September to October
  • Leaves: cordate, roughly serrate, hairy, deep green, deciduous
  • Soil: very permeable, lots of humus
  • Use: woody border, bedding perennial

Heartleaf foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia)

Heartleaf foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia)
  • Height: 10 to 20 cm
  • Growth: carpet-like, flat, forms runners
  • Flowers: yellow-white, in panicles
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Leaves: rounded, lobed, heart-shaped, hairy, lime green, evergreen
  • Soil: humic, fresh, permeable
  • Use: Wood edge, bedding perennial, ground cover, underplanting for woody plants

Caucasus forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla)

Large-leaved Caucasus forget-me-not 'Jack Frost' (Brunnera macrophylla)
  • Height: 20 to 40 cm
  • Growth: clumpy, bushy
  • Flowers: light blue, paniculate,
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Leaves: Heart-shaped, rough, large, dark green, yellow in autumn, deciduous
  • Soil: fresh, moist, lean, humic, loamy
  • Usage: Wood edge, bedding perennial, borders

Tip: The Caucasus forget-me-not is one of the few perennials that likes shade and also develops well in poor soil.

Crawling Bugle (Ajuga reptans)

Crawling Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
  • Height: 10 to 15 cm
  • Growth: carpet-like, forms runners
  • Flowers: blue-violet, spike-shaped
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • Leaves: Tongue-shaped, glossy, evergreen
  • Soil: humic, nutritious, permeable
  • Use: Open spaces, ground cover, underplanting for trees and shrubs

Notice: The Creeping Günsel is mainly suitable for areas that only get full shade after flowering, such as underplanting with trees and shrubs.

Astilbe (Astilbe)

Astilbe (Astilbe)
  • Height: 30 to 50 cm
  • Growth: cushion-like, spreading, bushy
  • Flowers: depending on the variety, white, pink, light violet, in panicles
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • Leaves: pinnate, lanceolate, serrate leaf margin, deciduous
  • Soil: permeable, fresh, moist, humic, rich in nutrients
  • Use: Perennial beds, container plants, borders, specimen plants

Black Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger)

Christmas rose - Helleborus niger
  • Height: 10 to 30 cm
  • Growth: broad, bushy, clumpy
  • Flower: simple, white
  • Flowering period: January to April
  • Leaves: palmate, leathery, dark green, evergreen
  • Soil: fresh, humic, rich in nutrients, permeable
  • Use: Underplanting for trees, open land, shady beds

Notice: The Christmas rose grows ideally in locations that let the light through during its flowering period. It is suitable as underplanting for deciduous trees or hedges.

September black cohosh (Cimicifuga ramosa)

October black cohosh (Cimicifuga ramosa)
  • Height: 50 to 180 cm
  • Growth: arching, clumpy, sprawling
  • Flowers: white, in panicles
  • Flowering time: September to October
  • Leaves: Roughly serrate, incised, red-purple, deciduous
  • Soil: very permeable, humic, rich in nutrients
  • Use: Underplanting for trees, tree edges

Shade perennials from T to W

Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)
  • Height: 60 to 80 cm
  • Growth: sprawling, upright, clumpy
  • Flowers: pure white or pink with white, depending on the variety, grape-shaped
  • Flowering period: May - June
  • Leaves: Trilobed, soft, deciduous, blue-green
  • Soil: fresh, permeable, humic, rich in nutrients
  • Usage: Wood edge, shady beds, solitary plant

Multiflowered Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)

Multiflowered Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum)
  • Height: 50 to 60 cm
  • Growth: upright, overhanging, forms rhizomes
  • Flower: white, grape-shaped
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • Leaves: ovate, acuminate, dull, green, deciduous
  • Soil: fresh, well-drained normal soil
  • Use: Edge of trees, underplanting under tall trees

Forest goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus)

Forest goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus)
  • Height: 150 to 180 cm
  • Growth: upright, sprawling, clumpy
  • Flowers: white-yellowish, in panicles
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • Leaves: Pinnate, roughly serrated leaf margin, dull, smooth, deep green, deciduous
  • Soil: well drained, very humic, high nutrient requirement
  • Use: Edge of wood, underplanting under tall trees, solitary shrub

Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
  • Height: 10 to 30 cm
  • Growth: flat, upright, forms runners
  • Flowers: white, umbel-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Leaves: lanceolate, whorled, deciduous
  • Soil: permeable, very humic
  • Use: Edge of trees, underplanting under tall trees

Tip: The woodruff is one of the perennials that not only grow well in extremely shady locations such as on the north side of houses, it is also edible. It can be used to prepare drinks such as punch or tea.

Forest sedge (Carex sylvatica)

Forest sedge (Carex sylvatica)
  • Height: 30 to 70 cm
  • Growth: arching leaves, upright inflorescences
  • Flowers: simple, brown, spike-shaped
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • Leaves: linear, acuminate, smooth, shiny, light green
  • Soil: fresh, moist, permeable, rich in nutrients, humic, loamy, sandy
  • Use: Underplanting for trees and shrubs

Wood ledge (Luzula sylvatica)

  • Height: 20 to 60 cm
  • Growth: loose clumps, lawn-like
  • Flowers: brown, spike-shaped
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • Leaves: Broad linear, silvery, glossy, evergreen
  • Soil: humic, fresh, permeable
  • Use: Underplanting for trees, tree edges, ground cover

White Forest Aster (Aster divaricatus)

White Forest Aster (Aster divaricatus)
  • Height: 30 to 40 cm
  • Growth: clump-like, upright inflorescences
  • Flowers: white, umbel-shaped
  • Flowering period: July to October
  • Leaves: lanceolate, pointed, dark green, deciduous
  • Soil: fresh
  • Use: Planting under trees, edges of trees, group planting, open spaces

frequently asked Questions

Do perennials in the shade need a lot of care?

That depends on the species. Species such as the creeping bugle or the woodruff simply have to be cut off or mowed down once a year. Plants such as periwinkle require practically no care, you can even leave dead inflorescences as they wither after a short time.

Do shade perennials need a lot of nutrients?

Most shady perennials have medium to high nutrient requirements. You should therefore supply the plants regularly with organic fertilizer. Alternatively, you can also mulch continuously, as the mulch brings new nutrients into the soil as it decomposes.

What care do perennials need in the bucket?

Perennials that prefer a shady location often have medium to high water requirements. You should pay particular attention to this if you plant perennials in tubs, as the perennials often get too little water there.

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Garden plants