Farms.com Home   News

Yard And Garden: Shade Loving Plants

By Richard Jauron, Greg Wallace
 
Gardening in the shade is cool and calming. When the right palette of plants is used, it can be successful as well. Hostas aren't the only perennials that thrive in shady conditions.
 
Here are some tips from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists on the proper way to plant perennials, wildflowers and groundcovers in shady locations. To have additional questions answered, contact the ISU Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.
 
What are some good perennials for shady locations? 
 
Perennials that perform well in partial to heavy shade include monkshood (Aconitum spp.), bugbane (Actaea racemosa), astilbe (Astilbe spp.), Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla), bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.), hosta (Hosta spp.), crested iris (Iris cristata), martagon lily (Lilium martagon), Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium caeruleum), lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.), celandine poppy (Stylophorum spp.), meadow rue (Thalictrum spp.), toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta) and various ferns.
 
What are some good native woodland wildflowers for a shady site?
 
When selecting plants for the shade garden, one group of plants that is sometimes overlooked is native woodland wildflowers. Since they are native to the state, woodland wildflowers are well adapted to the area. They are easy to grow and perform well when given a favorable environment.
 
 
Native woodland wildflowers that make good additions to the home landscape include wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus), Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense), Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia), false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), May apple (Podophyllum peltatum), Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), trillium (Trillium spp.), large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), and others.  
 
Obtaining plants is easy. Woodland wildflowers are available at garden centers and mail-order nurseries.  Do not remove plants from natural woodland areas.
 
What are some good groundcovers for shade?
 
Excellent groundcovers for shade include bugleweed (Ajuga spp.), wild ginger (Asarum canadense and A. europaeum), barrenwort (Epimedium spp.), sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), hosta (Hosta spp.), yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon), spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum), creeping lily-turf (Liriope spicata), Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis), creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.), foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia), and vinca (Vinca minor).
 
Variegated bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’) and lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) are two other shade-tolerant groundcovers. Unfortunately, both plants spread rapidly and may become invasive. These aggressive spreaders should not be planted with other perennials as they quickly crowd out neighboring plants. Variegated bishop’s weed and lily-of-the-valley should be planted only in areas where they can be confined (for example, between a building and sidewalk) or allowed to spread freely.  
 

Trending Video

Is it Financially Worth it to Graze Past First Hollow Stem?

Video: Is it Financially Worth it to Graze Past First Hollow Stem?

Eric DeVuyst, OSU Extension agricultural economist, crunches the numbers to determine whether it’s worth it to harvest wheat pasture for grain or graze it out for cattle in a season with good wheat prospects and high beef prices.