Everyone generally has a little bit of shade somewhere in their gardens, and it can be challenging to find plants that don’t mind being out of the sun for parts of the day.
While it is true that most plants will live their best lives in full sun, there are some which have bigger leaves or generally come up before trees grow their leaves in the wild, which make them an ideal choice for the shadier parts of your garden.
We have compiled a list of some of our favorite shade-tolerant bulbs, which will bloom throughout the summer and early fall season. Remember that while these plants are happy to spend some time in the shade, they do prefer afternoon shade to morning shade and partial shade versus full shade. You can also keep in mind that many of these plants will also do well in full sun, with one or two exceptions.
- Acanthus Spinosus: This plant grows erect spikes of snapdragon-like white flowers with spiny purplish bracts and spine-tipped, dark green leaves. Its attractive foliage will keep your garden looking lush throughout the growing season while its flowers bloom in late spring and summer.
- Alocasia: A type of elephant ear, which is a tropical plant family known for their large leaves, enjoys the heat of the summer but is also happy to live its life in partial shade. The value in planting Alocasia in your garden is in their leaves, not the flowers. They have beautiful, upward facing, very thick leaves. They are also critter resistant thanks to a crystal and structure in their leaves, which is sour and tends to burn the tongue of anything that tries to eat it.
- Amarine: One of our favorites, Amarine, is a fantastic hybrid plant, which combines the mysterious Nerine with the very showy Amaryllis. It is a late summer, early fall bloomer that is also, delightfully, critter-proof. They have several bright, beautiful pink flowers on each stem and surprising hardiness for their elegant appearance.
- Japanese Anemone: These beautiful flowers can be planted in the fall for spring blooms or in the spring for summer blooms, depending on your geographical location. They are upright, clump-forming, deer resistant perennials, which come in a broad range of colors. They are one of the rare plants that come in a true blue as well as purples, whites, and reds. These pollinators are very shade tolerant and will add some amazing color to your garden.
- Japanese Painted Fern: One of the select few on our list that actually prefers shade to full sun. Their grayish, green fronds with a silvery overlay and purple stripe down the center are beautifully delicate in appearance, which need to avoid the afternoon sun.
- Begonias: Begonias are very tropical plants that prefer to be in the shade as too much sunlight tends to dry them out. They come in a range of warm colors that predominantly bloom in the heat of the summer.
- Bletilla: Also known as the Chinese Summer Ground Orchid, Bletilla are a personal favorite around these parts. They come up in the spring with a spike of miniature Cymbidium-like Orchids (also known as Corsage Orchids). They have beautiful pleated leaves, and while they fare well in full sun, they make for a tremendous shade-tolerant plant.
- Colocasia: This incredible elephant ear is another favorite, one of the most shade-tolerant plants we offer. They have the most striking, decorative, two to four-foot leaves that range from glossy green to deep black. They are also very moisture tolerant and an excellent option for water gardens when planted in a pot and submerged in water.
- Convallaria: Known more commonly as Lily-of-the-Valley, Convallaria is one of the most sweetly fragrant flowers around. It makes for a beautiful, shade-tolerant ground cover, which comes in shades of white and pink.
- Dodecatheon: This native plant’s appearance is true to its more common name, Shooting Star. Its flowers are small but very showy, deer resistant, and will attract plenty of pollinators. It comes in shades of pink and red, which bloom in late spring and early summer. Shooting Stars prefer well-drained but moist soil.
- Oxalis Tetraphylla: These beautiful plants also go by the nickname Shamrock or Wood Sorrel and are quite happy in shade and full sun, making them a very versatile option for the garden. They are non-invasive, hardy plants, which produce mostly five-petaled flowers on three or four-leaved plants. They are effective’ shoes and socks’ that pair well with larger bulbs in the garden and patio planters. Pest resistant and happy as houseplants, they may be one of the most versatile plants around.
We hope this list is enough to get you excited about filling those shady parts of your garden in style this year. All of them are part of our summer catalogue, available on the online shop, but we recommend you order your favorites sooner rather than later! Happy planting!
