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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Taccarum caudatum 'Eruption'
Item #: 13604
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Bolivia, Brazil, Peru
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $32.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTetrapanax papyrifer
Item #: 4676
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 80" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $29.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTiarella 'Cutting Edge' PP 29,745
Item #: 16628
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTiarella 'Pink Skyrocket'
Item #: 5106
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTitanotrichum oldhamii
Item #: 2433
Zones: 6b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per
Next crop available: 06/20/2025Sold out -
Tricyrtis 'Momoyama'
Item #: 8922
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $26.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Tricyrtis 'Sparkles'
Item #: 17221
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 22" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $26.00Regular priceUnit price per
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Sold outTrillium cuneatum 'Pleasant Hill'
Item #: 8968
Zones: 5a to 8b, possibly warmer
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $27.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium decumbens 'Georgia Walker'
Item #: 18295
Zones: 5a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $45.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium delicatum
Item #: 17390
Zones: 5a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 3" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $50.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium foetidissimum 'Baton Rouge'
Item #: 7103
Zones: 5a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium foetidissimum 'Wakefield'
Item #: 10453
Zones: 5a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium freemanii 'Cairns'
Item #: 1900
Zones: 5a to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $28.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium grandiflorum 'Georgeous'
Item #: 18297
Zones: 2a to 8b
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $65.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium 'Julia'
Item #: 12970
Zones: 5a to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Light Shade to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $50.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium lancifolium 'Black Panther'
Item #: 16605
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium lancifolium 'Lancelot'
Item #: 6627
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Trillium lancifolium 'Shotgun Wedding'
Item #: 1465
Zones: 6a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $28.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium ludovicianum 'Ouachita'
Item #: 8963
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium luteum
Item #: 8856
Zones: 4a to 7b
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold outTrillium sulcatum
Item #: 9205
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $39.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Trillium underwoodii 'Lumpkin Lightning'
Item #: 18298
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $38.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Uvularia grandiflora
Item #: 1754
Zones: 3a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" 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 -
Vinca minor 'Illumination'
Item #: 3419
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Asia, Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular 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.
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.