Key Takeaways
Lavender struggles in the shade—leading to sparse blooms, leggy growth, and a weaker scent—so it really needs full sun to thrive.Other sun-loving perennials like roses, ornamental grasses, and salvias also suffer in low light.For shaded gardens, opt for plants like hydrangeas, hostas, ferns, and camellias.
When it comes to gardening, some of us are lucky enough to have outdoor spaces with ideal lighting—a good mix of sun and shade—that allows for a wide variety of plants to thrive. But not everyone is this lucky. Sometimes, there’s too much sun or too much shade, and we end up trying to grow plants in less-than-ideal conditions. Occasionally, this works! Other times, not so much.
Here, professional gardeners share the one perennial you should never try to grow in the shade, along with a few others that also struggle in low light.
The Worst Perennial to Grow in Shade
According to the gardeners we asked, lavender is the trickiest perennial to grow in shade. “I am an herb farmer who grows herbs for skincare, and one of them is lavender—this perennial does not do well in the shade,” says Cindy Jones, owner of Colorado Aromatics. “Planting lavender in shade can result in less growth of the plant, fewer flower stalks, leggy growth, and most importantly, less scent!”
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Ward Dilmore, founder and head landscape designer at Petrus Luxury Estate Landscaping Company, agrees, explaining that lavender is a heat- and full sun-loving plant. “If grown in shade, it will become very leggy and will not develop its classic compact dense form of growth.
Lavender plants do like it hot and dry, Lorraine Ballato says, and if you give them even part sun or shade, they will survive, but their flower production will be greatly reduced. They’ll start to lean toward the sun, so staking them is crucial.
There are other things you should do to keep your lavender stalks looking their best if they’re growing in less-than-ideal conditions. Ballato recommends promptly deadheading any blooms you do get to encourage more reblooming. “And be careful not to overwater, the biggest reason for plant failure,” Ballato advises.
Other Perennials You Shouldn’t Attempt to Grow in Shade
Our experts noted other popular perennials you really shouldn’t bother planting in shade, so if you’ve got a garden with low light, steer clear of these varieties.
Roses
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This classic perennial requires as much sun as possible to help prevent disease and to bloom as prolifically as it can. “A rose in shade will not likely bloom and will be at higher risk of getting certain types of disease that are very common for roses,” Dilmore points out.
Ornamental Grasses
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Patrick001/Getty Images
According to Dilmore, ornamental grasses in full sun can create a beautiful display of flowing textures with interesting seed heads. In the shade, ornamental grasses will not grow to their full, dense form and will instead grow leggy and sparse.
Salvias
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fotolinchen/getty images
“This family of plants loves the full sun and will reward you with prolific blooms when grown in at least six hours of sunlight per day,” Dilmore says. And just like the other perennials on this list, salvias will grow leggy and have sparse flowers if they do not get enough sun.
Perennials That Thrive in Shade
Now that you know which plants you should avoid growing in shade, you’re probably wondering about plants you can grow in low light. Before you start planting, check your hardiness zone to make sure you’re choosing varieties that will thrive, but in general, plants like hydrangeas, hostas, ferns, and camellia bushes do well in low-light conditions.
For a flourishing shade garden, enrich your soil with compost, water deeply during the first season, and mulch properly to help these plants establish strong roots.
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