Shade! What does that actually mean? And, what perennials can you plant to make the shady areas of your garden pop? Tanya Olsen, third-generation owner of Royal City Nursery and a Professor in the Horticulture Apprenticeship program at Humber College, has the answers. She showcases a beautiful array of shade-friendly perennials that you can plant in your garden this season. Watch our latest video on youtube to learn more or scroll to continue reading.
Thumbnail image with link to ‘Enhance your garden with these Shade Perennials’ video on our YouTube channel.
Shade: What does that specifically mean?
Understanding the different types of light your garden receives is crucial for selecting the right plants. Here’s a breakdown:
- Full Sun: This generally means your garden receives 6 to 8+ hours of direct sunlight each day. Full sun is ideal for many flowering plants and vegetables, as they need prolonged exposure to sunlight to produce energy through photosynthesis.
- Partial Sun: In these areas, your plants will get around 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight. The sun may not be as intense as the midday sun, but it is still very bright and warm nonetheless. .
- Part Shade: Your plants receive some sunlight for a few hours, typically from dawn to around 10am, and potentially again, from 4pm to dusk. During the hottest part of the day, these areas are in full shade. Part shade is ideal for plants that can’t handle the intense midday sun but still need some light to thrive.
- Full Shade: These areas receive no direct sunlight. Full shade is usually found under larger trees, along the north side of buildings, or in heavily wooded areas. Plants that thrive in full shade have adapted to low-light conditions & often have lush, green or lime green foliage.
Tired of Hostas? Here are some Must-Have Shade Perennials!
While Hostas are a classic choice for shade gardens, there are many other beautiful perennials that can add variety and interest. Here’s are some of Tanya’s favourite shade perennials:
Astilbe
- Available in white, pink, and red, these beautiful knee-height plants (about 12 inches high) add a splash of color to your garden. Astilbes do not like to dry out, so plant in a well drained location that is easy to water if needed. The ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ variety offers stunning dark foliage.
Siberian Bugloss
- This plant features great texture with its stubble like white and green surface, making it an excellent choice for adding contrast to shady areas. Jack Frost is one of the tried and true cultivars that provides a gorgeous silver leaf and dainty blue flowers in spring.
Bugbane
- Bugbanes have dark, fern-like leaves, and in the summer, they shoot up a striking 5-foot tall white flower spike. Super cool! One of our favorite varieties is Choc-a holic!
Goat’s Beard
- This summer-blooming plant is phenomenal for pollinators. Goat’s beard comes in a dwarf variety (15-18 inches high) that is resistant to rabbits and deer, as well as the 5 to 6 foot taller growing parent.
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
- Thriving in part-sun to part-shade, Coral Bells come in a range of colours & varieties like ‘Fire Alarm’ and ‘Lime Rickey’. They add vibrant foliage colours to your garden but require a bit more light than other shade perennials.
Lungwort
- Lungworts are perfect for the early spring bloom, with both pink and blue flowers, and a stubble like textured leaf. ‘Dark Vader’ pairs well with ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. Sci-fi enthusiasts will love adding these unique plants to their garden.
Barrenwort (Epimedium)
- Known for its bright yellow flowers, Barrenwort adds a pop of color to shady areas and is great for ground cover.
Pig Squeak (Bergenia)
- Ideal for dry shade, Bergenia is not only beautiful but also fun—the evergreen leaves actually squeak when rubbed and the pretty pink flowers in April are pollinator friendly and perfect to cut and bring indoors!
Masterwort (Astrantia)
- Vanilla Gorilla: This unique perennial produces good spikes of flowers through a green and white variegated clump of leaves that grow around 2 feet tall. It is also deer and rabbit resistant.
Pollinators for the Shade
Foamflower (Tiarella)
- With beautiful flowers in June and great glossy foliage, Tiarella offers a mix of flowers and dark foliage that stands out in the shade.
Japanese Spikenard (Aralia)
Featuring lime green to bright yellow foliage, this plant grows 3-5 feet tall and adds a bold statement to your garden with flowers in the summer.
Ferns
Ferns come in two distinct groups – evergreen (the fronds stay up all season long) and the deciduous ones that leaf in the spring and disappear with the heat of summer. Planting a combination of deciduous and evergreen ferns will make sure you have great texture in your yard.
Northern Lady: a deciduous, delicate fern known for its finely divided, lacy fronds.
Ostrich Fern: a striking fern known for its tall, plume-like fronds that resemble the feathers of an ostrich, making it a dramatic addition to any shady garden.
Japanese Painted Fern: Known for its striking silvery deciduous fronds with deep purple veins and a delicate, feathery texture.
Hostas
You got shade, you need hostas! There are many beautiful varieties with stunning foliage colours:
Mini Hostas
- ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ and ‘Lucky Mouse’ are charming varieties that grow about 6 inches tall and wide.
Mid-Sized Hostas
- These knee-height hostas (18-24 inches wide) add texture and drama. Try combining varieties like ‘Praying Hands’ with ‘So Sweet’. Wiggles and Squiggles’ offer unique shapes, while ‘First Frost’ features stable blue and green variegation. The ‘Autumn Frost’ variety has yellow variegation, with older leaves turning white.
Specimen Hostas
- These giants range from mid-thigh to hip height and can spread 3-4 feet wide. Varieties like ‘. ‘Stained Glass’ Hosta is particularly stunning with its vibrant colour, Empress Wu is huge (over 5’ at mature width) and the Shadowland series from Proven Winners are fantastic at providing bright colour in a dark corner.
Mix and match your shade perennial combinations to create a wonderful variety of textures, colours, and variegation, adding much more interest to your shady areas. By incorporating these must-have shade perennials, you can transform any dark corner of your garden into a vibrant, thriving space. Visit our garden centre to find these (and more) shade-friendly plants under the big tarp—you can’t miss them!
About Tanya Olsen:
Tanya is a third-generation garden centre owner and landscape designer.
Teaches Horticulture Apprenticeship at Humber College in Ontario, Canada.
Has a weekly segment on CTV news.
Has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture.
YWCA Woman of Distinction.
About Royal City Nursery:
Guelph, Ontario’s only third-generation, full-service garden centre! We specialize in creating custom outdoor living spaces and unique solutions for all your garden, landscape, and seasonal decorating needs! At our new greenhouse, located between Guelph and Cambridge, we are the garden centre of choice for discerning homeowners, landscapers, and designers.
