One of the most difficult conditions 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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Acanthus hungaricus
Item #: 3496
Zones: 6a to 8b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Southeast Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Acanthus mollis Reut, Israel
Item #: 9811
Zones: 7a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Mediterranean Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per
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Acanthus mollis 'Rue Ledan'
Item #: 4732
Zones: 6a to 8a
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Northern Africa, Southwest Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outAcanthus 'Morning Candle'
Item #: 8933
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Acanthus sennii
Item #: 13718
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Ethiopia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Acanthus 'Summer Beauty'
Item #: 2526
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Agave nizandensis 'Double Stripe'
Item #: 10638
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.40Regular priceUnit price per$38.00Sale price $30.40
Sale -
Ajuga reptans 'Texas Tough'
Item #: 12990
Zones: 3a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $17.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Alstroemeria 'Golden Tiara' PPAF
Item #: 17264
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 45" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $27.00Regular priceUnit price per
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Alstroemeria 'Koice'
Item #: 9113
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 40" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $26.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Alstroemeria 'Princess Fabiana' PP 17,991
Item #: 9555
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $26.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outAlstroemeria 'The Third Harmonic'
Item #: 4160
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $26.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Amorphophallus henryi
Item #: 3049
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Taiwan
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outAmorphophallus kiusianus
Item #: 3053
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Japan, Taiwan
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Amorphophallus x konbus 'Glow Light'
Item #: 15754
Zones: 6a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 40" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $75.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Amorphophallus x konbus 'Green Genes'
Item #: 17093
Zones: 6a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 40" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $75.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Amorphophallus x konbus 'Mary Sizemore'
Item #: 15753
Zones: 6a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 46" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $75.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Amorphophallus konjac
Item #: 783
Zones: 6a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Japan
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $26.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Amorphophallus konjac 'Flesh Gordon'
Item #: 3256
Zones: 6b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 21" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $40.00Regular priceUnit price per$50.00Sale price $40.00
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Amorphophallus konjac 'Leo Song'
Item #: 7089
Zones: 6b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Vietnam
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $36.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Anemone 'Dreaming Swan' PP 27,384
Item #: 13578
Zones: 6a to 8b, probably colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $18.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Anemone keiskeiana
Item #: 9646
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Summer
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 2.5" pot (7.9 fl. oz/233 ml)
Regular price $15.20Regular priceUnit price per$19.00Sale price $15.20Sale -
Angelica japonica
Item #: 8157
Zones: 7a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Summer
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Japan, Korea
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $18.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Arachniodes simplicior 'Variegata'
Item #: 1428
Zones: 7a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: India
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $19.00Regular priceUnit price per
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. When you're ready to buy drought tolerant shade plants for your garden, we hope the list of plants for dry shade will help.
Some of our favorite plants for dry shade include:
- Aspidistra
- Cyclamen
- Danae
- Liriope
- Ophiopogon
- Pyrrosia
- Ruscus
- Sarcococca
Also, see all 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.