One of the most difficult growing conditions for perennials is dry shade. Not only are the plants that grow in dry shade already stressed from not having much light, but they also have to compete with other large plants for soil moisture.
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Cyclamen hederifolium ssp. crassifolium
Item #: 1991
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Spring, Summer
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Greece
Pot Size: 2.5" pot (7.9 fl. oz/233 ml)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Cyclamen hederifolium ssp. crassifolium white flowers
Item #: 17626
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Spring, Summer
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Greece
Pot Size: 2.5" pot (7.9 fl. oz/233 ml)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Cyclamen x hildebrandii
Item #: 7665
Zones: 7a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Spring, Summer
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 2.5" pot (7.9 fl. oz/233 ml)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Cymbidium goeringii 'Xueshanbiancao'
Item #: 17403
Zones: 7a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: Japan, Korea
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $150.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Cyrtomium fortunei 'Fortunately'
Item #: 5927
Zones: 7a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Cyrtomium lonchitoides
Item #: 4873
Zones: 6a to 8b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price perSold out -
Deparia lobato-crenata
Item #: 12014
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Japan, Korea
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Dicentra spectabilis 'Valentine' PP 22,739
Item #: 9243
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter, Summer, Fall
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Korea
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
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Digitalis laevigata
Item #: 17065
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/31/2024Sold out -
Digitalis thapsi 'Spanish Peaks'
Item #: 16658
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Portugal, Spain
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Disporopsis bakerorum 'Bill Baker'
Item #: 17094
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Disporopsis pernyi 'Little Hulk'
Item #: 16908
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Disporopsis pernyi 'Xiao Chengdu'
Item #: 3977
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Disporum flavens
Item #: 691
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Korea
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 06/21/2024Sold out -
Disporum longistylum 'Night Heron'
Item #: 8307
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Dracunculus canariensis
Item #: 17657
Zones: 9a to 11
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Canary Islands, Madeira
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Dracunculus vulgaris
Item #: 2821
Zones: 5b to 8b
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Mediterranean Europe
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price perSold out -
Drimiopsis maculata 'Slow Fade'
Item #: 3661
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: South Africa
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Dryopteris x australis
Item #: 3546
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 50" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 05/24/2024Sold out -
Dryopteris championii
Item #: 2966
Zones: 5a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Japan, Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance'
Item #: 5293
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Eastern Asia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Dryopteris filix-mas 'Barnesii'
Item #: 2180
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Europe, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Dryopteris ludoviciana
Item #: 611
Zones: 6a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Dryopteris sieboldii
Item #: 1836
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China, Japan, Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 01/27/2023Sold out
More Information About Dry Shade Plants
One of the most difficult conditions in the garden for plants is dry shade. Not only are dry shade plants already stressed from not having much light, but they also have to compete with other large plants for soil moisture. It takes a special plant to be a dry shade plant. We have assembled a list of plants for dry shade below that tolerate dry shade well in our climate. For those in cooler climates, your list would be quite a bit longer, since the hot daytime temperatures aren't as severe.
Keep in mind that just because a perennial plant is tolerant of dry shade doesn't mean that it will grow forever without adequate moisture. A good rule of thumb is that plants with smaller, thicker foliage can survive the longest in dry shade conditions. Also, the more established the plants are, the better they can tolerate drought. In our trials, plants like cyclamen, danae, ruscus, arum and dracunculus top the list of dry shade plants. Right behind are ophiopogon, liriope, sarcococca, hedera, aspidistra, sabal palms, tetrapanax, clumping bamboos, and aucuba. Hellebores, rohdea, and pachysandra are also drought-tolerant, but less so than the first two lists.
Some of our favorite plants for dry shade include:
- Aspidistra (Cast Iron Plants) - One of our all-time favorites. Deer-resistant and shade-tolerant, there is a reason we have over 200 different varieties.
- Cyclamen (Hardy Cyclamen) - These small fall/winter growing perennials absolutely thrive in the shady, dry conditions found underneath large deciduous trees and conifers.
- Danae (Poet's Laurel) - A slow-growing evergreen shrub with amazing shade tolerance.
- Liriope (Monkey Grass) - This drought-tolerant grass-like perennial is actually a member of the lily family but we love using it as an ornamental grass.
- Ophiopogon (Mondo Grass) - A wonderful ornamental grass with many dwarf and variegated forms to choose from.
- Pyrrosia (Tongue Fern) - Deer-resistant and drought-tolerant, these un-fern-like ferns make great accents at the edge of a dry shade garden where they can get partial sun.
- Ruscus (Butcher's Broom) - Another evergreen choice with great drought tolerance. They also produce bright red berries that add a splash of garden to your shade garden.
- Sarcococca (Sweetbox) - An evergreen dry-shade perennial that produces small, fragrant blooms in the winter when other dry-shade perennials are dormant.
Also, see all of our shade tolerant plants or just the wet shade plants.
Check out our article entitled 'Gardening in the Shade' that describes many cool plants for dry shade.