In general the best perennials for a shade garden include hostas, ferns, Solomon seal, Heuchera, bleeding hearts and astilbe. There are some things to consider that will help you lean toward some of these plants over others. Part shade vs full shade is a big part of selecting plants for a shade garden. Some of the shade loving perennials will not flower without at least 4hr of sun. while others will burn in late summer without full shade. Below we will go into greater detail about shade loving perennials.
What Shade Perennials Bloom The Longest?
Geranium, lungwort, bleeding heart, astilbe, heuchera, and Solomon seal are among the longest blooming shade perennials. There are many shade perennials that don’t bloom for a long time but are planted for there vibrant foliage. But if your looking for a pop of color. Below we have created a chart listing some of The 20 best shade perennials that have blooms and their expect bloom time.
| Perennial Shade Plant | Expected Bloom time |
| Hardy Geranium | Spring summer fall (There will be periods of time without blooms) |
| Lungwort | 2-4 weeks in late winter early spring |
| Bleeding Heart | 8-12 weeks starting in mid spring to mid summer |
| Astilbe | 2-3 months by planting early and late varieties together you can see blooms all summer long |
| Heuchera | 2-3 weeks per bloom cycle with multiple cycles per season. |
| Solomon Seal | Early blooms start in April and last through late June. In deep shade blooms can extend to late July |
| Spiderwort | 4-6 weeks continually with each flower blooming only for one day. |
| Bell Flower | 2-3 weeks per cluster from late spring to early summer |
| Hydrangeas (read more here) | Midspring to late summer |
| Russian Sage | Starts late spring last till early fall |
| Toad Lily | late fall lasting 3-4 weeks or until frost |
| Bear Breeches | late spring lasting 3-4 |
| Phlox | starting in April last 3 weeks |
| Lily of the Valley | early to mid spring lasting 3-4 |
| Ladies Mantle | June to September |
| Creeping Veronica | April to July |
| Bugloss | Starting late spring and last 8-10 weeks |
| Celandine Poppy | March through May |
| Leopard Plant | early fall for about 4 weeks |
| Epimedium | May to June with some varieties reblooming late summer |
What Are Tall Shade Loving Perennials?
There are many tall perennials to chose from We compiled a list of our favorite 10 tall shade loving perennials.
| Tall Shade Perennial | Height Of Plant |
| Bugbane | 36″-60″ |
| Solomon Seal | 24″-48″ |
| Bear Breeches | 36″-48″ |
| Astilbe | 18″-48″ |
| Toad Lily | 18″-48″ |
| Leopard Plant | 24″-48″ |
| Cardinal Flower | 3-4 Ft |
| Ligularia | 4-5 Ft |
| Viburnum | 8-10 Ft |
Tips for choosing shade perennials
- Add Variety: Shade gardens can have a lot of diversity if you focus of layering, foliage, and blooms. Some good ways to create this is with a back border that has big shrubs such as viburnums (paid link). By creating a consistent back drop it will help other plants in the shade garden stand out.
- Consider Bloom Time: By grouping plants together that share a bloom time you can create pockets of color that stand out in the shade. When done right you can ensure that you have a colorful garden spring to fall. An example of this is Solomon Seal mixed with lilies, with heuchera layered in front of them.
- Foliage makes a difference: Many shade loving plants have vibrant variegated foliage. large foliage is great for covering plants that die back or as a back drop to plants that are blooming. By planning ahead you can ensure that you always have unique foliage in every spot. A great example of this is Jacobs ladder (paid link). It has a great bloom but after the bloom is over you still have a vibrant foliage. I plant lilies behind the Jacobs ladder giving the appearance that the Jacobs ladder is the lilies foliage. This little detail can add a big interest to your shade garden.
- Don’t Forget Shrubs: I am surprised how many shade gardens don’t use shrubs. There are many shrubs that not only have interesting foliage, like Blacklace Elderberry (paid link), but will bloom with just a little dappled sunlight, like Arrowhead Viburnum. Shrubs not only fill in large spaces but add a structure to build around. If you have not considered shrubs in your shade garden, look at what is available in your area and give it a try.
- Vegetables: Vegetables, such as onion and garlic, and herbs, like dill and basil, are great fillers for the shade. Dill and basil, although annuals, will seed themselves for the following season when not harvested. Purple basil (paid link) not only smells wonderful but has a unique dark leaf that grows fast and fills in big spaces. Dill spreads itself easily filling in spot with a fine almost feather like structure. And onion and garlic can be used for the stems to add clusters of green spike. This may seem a bit odd but it will make your shade garden stand out from others.
- Statues and lighting: Shade gardens are of course darker and many people see that as a negative, after all gardens are suppose to be bright and full of color. However, with the darker space, lighting options can create awe-inspiring spots. Mixing colors of light with unique garden pieces surrounded by plants will add a lot to a garden space. Image a Rock fountain surrounded by ferns and Hosta with faint purple light casted on the water, Nestled among big mature trees. That same spot in an open sun garden loses the coziness that the shade and trees provide. For one example, check out our post on Japanese gardens!
Don’t tie yourself down by trying to chose the tallest or brightest plants for your shade garden. Instead chose unique plants that interest you and find creative ways to help them stand out in your amazing shade garden. At the end of the day if you love your creation that’s all that matters.
No shade garden? For the best perennial flowers, check out this post.
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