6 Best Plants for Your Garden's Shady Spots (Slideshow)

By Bonnie Alter, TreeHugger

Mid-August is when gardeners start to get depressed. The best time for the garden is over and all its failings are starting to show. Like the shade areas: these are always tricky. But for next year, forget about jamming in Impatiens and instead think shade perennials that will grow slowly, spread on their own, and last and last.

Shade perennials are less showy, more subtle. They are all about appreciating different shades (!) of green, different textures and shapes. And don’t forget: now is the best time to buy them. They are on sale at most nurseries, and if planted now, will have time to establish themselves over the winter. (Of course, you should also seek out native plants whenever possible!)

Here are five of the best.

1. Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla Mollis) — above

A perfect plant for the edges of the shady parts of the garden. The plants grow between 8 and 14 inches high, with leaves that get larger over the summer. There are long, leggy chartreuse flowers that appear in early summer and last for weeks on end. The plant spreads every year. (Plant it with care, as it can become invasive.)

Photo Credit: A. Barra (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1 of 6

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Bonnie M.

1:36PM PDT on Sep 4, 2012

Thank you- yes, there are a good selection of perennials for shady part of the garden. I have these in my garden, love the tiarellas, the colors get very colorful in the fall. Solomon`s seal also tolerated shady areas.