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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Bambusa multiplex 'Fernleaf'
Item #: 1829
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 120" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $33.60Regular priceUnit price per$42.00Sale price $33.60Sale -
Begonia 'Caribbean Star'
Item #: 13026
Zones: 8a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $18.40Regular priceUnit price per$23.00Sale price $18.40Sale -
Begonia 'Cotes de Castillon'
Item #: 12822
Zones: 7b to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Malaysia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $18.40Regular priceUnit price per$23.00Sale price $18.40Sale -
Sold outBegonia grandis 'Alba'
Item #: 16767
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Begonia grandis 'Heron's Pirouette'
Item #: 4820
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Begonia grandis 'Pink Teardrops'
Item #: 11863
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Begonia 'Harvest Moon' PP 34,895
Item #: 18450
Zones: 7b to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $18.40Regular priceUnit price per$23.00Sale price $18.40Sale -
Begonia 'Smooch'
Item #: 7517
Zones: 6a to 8b, guessing
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Begonia 'Sterling Moon' PP 33,164
Item #: 18448
Zones: 7b to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Beschorneria septentrionalis 'Fairey Christmas'
Item #: 2704
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $27.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Blechnum nipponicum
Item #: 5629
Zones: 6a to 7b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $25.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Campanula poscharskyana 'Camgood'
Item #: 8037
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Balkans
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $16.80Regular priceUnit price per$21.00Sale price $16.80
Sale -
Campanula poscharskyana 'Essex Blue'
Item #: 18371
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Balkans
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $17.60Regular priceUnit price per$22.00Sale price $17.60Sale -
Cardamine bulbosa 'Fairy Lights'
Item #: 16976
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 17" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 2.5" pot (7.9 fl. oz/233 ml)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Cardamine bulbosa 'Snow Showers'
Item #: 13874
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 2.5" pot (7.9 fl. oz/233 ml)
Regular price $17.60Regular priceUnit price per$22.00Sale price $17.60
Sale -
Cardamine douglassii 'Southern Lady'
Item #: 8601
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 2.5" pot (7.9 fl. oz/233 ml)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Cardamine quinquefolia
Item #: 10148
Zones: 5a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Asia Minor, Bulgaria, Caucasus Mountains, Iran, Southern Europe, Turkey
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Carex bromoides
Item #: 12439
Zones: 4a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Shade
Origin: Canada, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Carex cherokeensis 'Crying Time'
Item #: 16663
Zones: 6a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 30" 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 per -
Carex eburnea
Item #: 1602
Zones: 2a to 8b, possibly warmer
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Carex 'Feather Falls' PP 26,199
Item #: 16730
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Carex lanceolata 'Silk Tassel'
Item #: 1197
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $23.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Carex oshimensis 'Everillo' PP 21,002
Item #: 9802
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $17.60Regular priceUnit price per$22.00Sale price $17.60
Sale -
Carex scaposa DJHV 2304
Item #: 16881
Zones: 7a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Vietnam
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular 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.