Shady Plants for Woodland Gardens

Shady Plants for Woodland Gardens

By Published February 05, 2016 Updated July 05, 2022

Welcome to Plant Delights Nursery at Juniper Level Botanic Gardens. We are a private research and display botanic garden located near Raleigh, North Carolina (USDA Hardiness Zone 7b). Our retail mail order division allows us to make the best perennials from our trials available to gardeners around the world, some of which were developed here, some from our plant explorations, and others from breeders around the world. Between 1988 and 2010, Plant Delights Nursery introduced over 500 new perennial plants to US horticulture. In 2002, we were honored to be recognized by the American Horticulture Society for our lifetime of work in commercial horticulture. This image gallery is but a sampling of the great perennial plants available for gardeners around the world. We do not carry all plants pictured at any one time, but since our mission is to educate and inspire, we hope these images and the linked articles below will expand your garden horizons and interest. You will find an array of other interesting information and fascinating perennials throughout our website...thank you for taking time to visit.

Do you not have a lot of sunshine in your life? There's no need to be jealous over your neighbors' sunny yards, there are plenty of intriguing shade loving plants for your garden! A good shade perennial will add interest and has the bonus of coming back year after year.

Before you start searching for shade garden plants, you have to ask yourself, "What kind of shade do I have?" Considering the growing conditions you can provide will help with the selection of plants for shade. While some shade garden plants can thrive in dense shade, others prefer filtered sunlight throughout the day, and other plants for shade will enjoy a few hours of direct morning sun.

If your planting area has a lack of moisture due to a thick tree canopy or structural overhang, then dry shade plants may be the answer. Some members of the ruscus genus are successful dry shade plants, as well as Aspidistra. A woodland garden with moist, rich soil, can be the happy host to a shade perennial such as Rabdosia, or a mass planting of Carex (grass-like shade loving plants).

Armed with a little knowledge, you can locate the most suitable shade loving plants for your area. You'll be able to stay cooler when working with your plants for shade, and your sunny garden neighbors will be the envious ones.
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