Garden shade can feel like a problem, but it can actually be one of the prettiest parts of your outdoor space. Whether you’re dealing with a north-facing border, a dry patch beneath a tree or a narrow side return, the right shade-loving plants can turn a dark corner into a lush, colourful feature.
From elegant ferns to flowering favourites and foliage with striking texture and colour, there are plenty of plants that won’t just cope in lower light, but thrive in it.
‘Through the years I’ve found that many shade-loving plants are also wonderful performers that make a delightful addition to the garden,’ author and gardener Sarah Raven tells us. ‘A lot of them offer excellent ground-cover too, carpeting the soil with romantic colour while helping to supress weeds. In the shadier corners of Perch Hill, I tend to fill a few pots and containers with colourful shade-loving plants that can add interest to those otherwise dull and dark areas. I adore petunias and fuchsias for this – they are really colourful and look nothing short of fabulous when potted together.’
15 best shade-loving plants
Here are 15 shade-loving plants that will thrive in even the darkest parts of your garden:
Spring stunners1. Caucasian pennycress, Pachyphragma macrophyllum
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This is a Sarah Raven favourite with pretty white flowers in spring. ‘It’s superb when situated in the midst of shrubs and trees during spring, displaying layer after layer of beautiful white flowers for months on end,’ says Sarah.
2. Bleeding Hearts – Lamprocapnos spectabilis 
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Formerly known as Dicentra spectablilis, these heart-shaped flowers on arching stems are quite distinctive. From late spring to early summer, these perennials look good emerging through ground cover such as oxalis or sweet woodruff.
3. Dogs tooth violet, Erythronium dens-canis
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This is a stunning spring bulb, good for perennialising, with mottled leaves and delicate pink starry flowers. Add plenty of leaf mould to the soil to mimic the woodland conditions it thrives in. There are white and yellow variations and cultivars.
4. Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum
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With arching stems and nodding white flowers, these mid-height perennials are a good companion for bleeding hearts and ferns.
5. Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ 
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With large, silvered, heart-shaped leaves and delicate, forget-me-not-like flowers from spring into early summer, this is a hard-working plant that will naturalise and offer a long season of interest.
6. Lily-of-the-valley, Convallaria majalis
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These sweetly-scented spring flowers make a charming jam jar posy when cut. A reliable spreader in fertile, moist soil, it’s ideal for planting beneath shrubs at the front of a shady border.
Summer winners7. Astilbe
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With feathery plumes of flowers in peak summer, ranging from white through pink to deep crimson, these are ideal for adding colour to areas of partial shade with damper soil.
8. Veratrum
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The pleated leaves add striking texture to areas of partial shade with rich soil, while tall flower spires in late summer make this an unusual and spectacular addition.
9. Japanese anemones
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A late summer stalwart, these are good for planting where you have space for them to spread and they will tolerate part shade and drier soils. The airy height and pale pink or white flowers look fantastic en masse.
10. Toad lilies, Tricyrtis formosana 
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This is one for smaller, very shady spaces or containers, where you can marvel up close at the detail of the unusual spotted markings and the beautiful lily-like flowers that appear in September to October. Keep the soil moist.
11. Thalictrum delavayi
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The clouds of delicate mauve flowers in summer on tall stems make this a good plant for the back of a border, but it will need some support. It thrives in moister soils and part shade.
12. Epimediums
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Ideal for dry, shady areas, this plant has gorgeous foliage that emerges bronzy before forming a semi-evergreen spread. Its tiny spring flowers are exquisite starbursts of pink, yellow or orange, depending on the cultivar, and well worth admiring up close.
13. Tiarella
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With small white flowers in early summer and decorative foliage, these work well at the edges of a shady border, paired with contrasting grasses or geraniums. Plant in small groups or, if you choose the cordifolia variety, this will spread and naturalise.
14. Ferns
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The unfurling fronds push through ground cover to add height and texture. With so many varieties to choose from, it’s worth combining a few — Beth Chatto’s Nursery recommends Dryopteris and Polystichum.
15. Ivy of Uruguay Cissus striata
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Recommended by planting designer Susanna Grant (@hellotherelinda) as a great alternative to traditional ivy, this glossy-leaved climber is ideal for greening up walls and fences in smaller spaces. Its subtle flowers are also a valuable draw for pollinators.
How to manage your shady corner
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• Note how many hours of direct sunlight your shady spot gets before choosing your plants.
• Mulch with organic matter, leaf mould if possible, for that woodland floor environment to add nutrients and help the soil hold onto moisture.
• When you plant in dry, shady areas, make sure you water regularly for at least the first season and in periods of drought to ensure plants establish a good root system.
• When using containers, go for the biggest and deepest you can accommodate – small pots will dry out more easily.
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