Quick facts
- Shady areas are cooler and the soil remains moist longer.
- Shady areas may be the last areas in your landscape to thaw out in the winter.
- Different levels of shade exist, from dappled to deep shade.
- Soil fertility can be a challenge to maintain and plants often require supplemental fertilization.
- Containers of plants can be located under trees and near shrubs to avoid competition from tree and shrub roots.
Diversity in landscape lighting can add interest and a sense of discovery to your yard and garden. This includes a diversity of plants, the use of structures and containers, and having various levels of light from full sun to full and even deep shade. Created by trees, landscape light allows you to be creative in various parts of your yard and garden.
Trees are valuable additions to landscapes.
- They provide shade and windbreaks resulting in energy efficiency.
- Trees lower ambient temperatures by creating shade and through transpiration.
- Trees provide habitat for wildlife, supporting many forms of life, and they absorb carbon dioxide, converting it through photosynthesis into oxygen.
- Healthy trees can raise property values by 3 to 15%.
See The Benefits of Trees from the National Arbor Foundation.
The National Tree Benefit Calculator can help you estimate the value your trees provide to your landscape and neighborhood.
Creating shade
Planning a shade garden
Know your site conditions
Creating shade gardens can be a challenge, but one that, as gardeners facing warmer, drier summers, we should embrace in order to have a long-lived, healthy landscape. The first step is to understand your growing conditions:
- Size of your planting space
- Cold hardiness zone
- Light levels
- Soil conditions
Having a basic knowledge of the garden area will help you choose the plants that will grow best in your site and your plants will thrive, not just survive. A plant won’t perform well in conditions that differ from what it needs to grow. The plant will be stressed and unable to reach its full size, form and shape, nor will it produce healthy leaves and flowers. Plants growing in less-than-optimal conditions are also more likely to succumb to diseases and insect damage.
Maybe it’s just room for a few plants under a shade tree. Or a large woodland garden. Either way, measure the plantable space and keep that in mind when selecting your plants. Plants should have enough room to grow to their full, mature size.
Check plant labels, catalogs or the Plant Elements of Design plant database for specific plant information. All the plants in the following lists include the mature size of the plant.
Being “zone hardy” means a plant can survive the temperature extremes in a particular area. For the most reliably hardy plants:
- Find your hardiness zone.
- A plant’s cold hardiness information can be found on plant labels, in catalogs, reference books, databases and on reputable websites.
- Choose plants listed for your hardiness zone.
- If you decide to try growing a plant from a warmer hardiness zone such as zone 5 or 6, have realistic expectations that this plant may not live through the winter.
Shady areas are microclimates or areas within your landscape where the conditions (wind, light, moisture, temperature) vary from the surrounding landscape. Some common microclimates:
- Evergreen trees and shrub plantings provide year-round shade and create a cooler space that is protected from the wind.
- Areas where soil remains consistently moist and may thaw last in your landscape due to less sunlight and cooler temperatures,
- Areas where soil remains consistently dry due to protection from rain by structures, overhangs, etc.
- Areas where the ambient temperature is higher due to intense sunlight and lack of cooling winds.
- Areas where the ambient temperature is lower due to shade from trees.
Spend time observing the light levels in your landscape and how they change throughout the day and seasons. Put a thermometer in different areas of your landscape and observe the changes as the sun moves through the sky. For example, morning sun is less intense and thus provides full sun conditions without extreme heat whereas afternoon sun is stronger and temperatures warmer.
Light levels of shade:
- Dappled shade: light filtering through a tree canopy
- Light shade or part shade: about 3-6 hours of sunlight
- Full shade: less than 3 hours of sunlight
- Deep shade: almost no sunlight
Although areas with part shade receive direct sunlight for a small portion of the day, the light intensity can still be quite bright.
- There are numerous plants that grow in part shade such as woodland wildflowers.
- Certain herbs and leafy greens can be grown in dappled to part shade conditions.
- Some plants tolerate relatively low light levels and a few actually thrive.
- Many groundcovers do well in shady areas.
Soil affects everything you do from planting flowers and trees to growing a healthy lawn to building structures like decks, patios and terraces. For plants, it supplies plants with nutrients, water, microbes and air for the healthy growth of roots, and provides a means of support to keep plants firmly rooted in the ground.
A solid understanding of the soil on your property is key to knowing which plants will grow well in your landscape. A soil test is a good place to start and the most reliable way to gather specific information:
- Test your soil every 3-5 years at the UMN Soil Testing Lab.
- Test your soil when you convert an area of your landscape to something new such as lawn to a vegetable garden.
- Soil can vary throughout a landscape, especially on urban sites, due to construction, soil amendments, erosion, etc.
Shade gardens typically retain soil moisture due to cooler temperatures and protection from sunlight. This can benefit plants that prefer cool, consistently moist growing conditions. However, this means a shade garden may warm up later in the spring. Moss and slugs may also be problematic in shade gardens.
As a microclimate, dry shade is one of the most limiting for gardeners and plant lovers. Dry shade is created by:
- Tree canopies.
- Eaves and overhangs of a house.
- Competition from other plants for light and soil moisture.
- Building foundations and structures that block rainfall.
Growing plants beneath large trees or under the overhang of a building is challenging because they prevent even plentiful rainfall from reaching the plants. The dry soil and lack of sunlight create difficult growing conditions for plants.
Selecting plants that grow in dry shade will help reduce (but not totally eliminate) supplemental watering. Supplemental watering will be needed occasionally in dry shade plantings. Use a drip hose, irrigation or hand water to saturate the top 3 to 4 inches of soil when it’s dry.
Most shade plants grow well in moist, well-drained organic soil. However, adequate nutrients maintaining soil fertility can be challenging in shady sites.
- Trees and some shrubs have extensive root systems or “feeder roots” in the top 18 to 20 inches of soil that compete with other plants for space, nutrients and water.
- Test your soil to better understand how to improve your soil especially if plants have special soil requirements such as acidic soil pH.
- As a general recommendation, apply a balanced fertilizer such as a 15-15-15 (N-P-K) in spring followed by one or two applications as the season progresses.
Containers and houseplants in shade gardens
Containers add interesting art and structure to your shade garden. Stretch your creativity by mixing and matching annuals, perennials, bulbs, and even some edibles in your garden beds and containers.
- Start with robust bedding plants from your local nursery or garden center. Don’t bother direct seeding shade annuals as our season is too short for most to ever bloom well.
- Get creative! Combine annuals, bulbs, grasses, small shrubs and perennials in containers.
- Set containers under trees and near shrubs to avoid combating tree and shrub roots.
- If space allows, sink pots into the soil to conserve moisture.
- Tall shrubs can provide shade for houseplants in pots
- Replant containers each spring as these plants will most likely not survive the winter in containers.
Houseplants as part of a shade garden
Look for unusual items that can be reused as planting containers—pails, troughs, cans, wagons, ceramic crocks. Just about anything can hold a plant. Use a power drill to add drainage holes in most materials. If drainage holes are not possible, pot up your plant in a separate pot and set it in the container. Remove it from the outer container when you water and allow it to drain well before putting it back.
Incorporating your houseplants into shade gardens can add some exotic interest to your garden.
Many houseplants also benefit from being outdoors over the summer. However, a change in location can shock a plant, so it’s important to gradually get plants accustomed to new growing conditions or acclimate them.
- Locate houseplants in dappled shade and under trees to protect them from the hot midday sun.
- Hang plants from tree branches or from structures like a pergola.
- Add lighting to highlight plants and create a great gathering space for summer evenings.
- Take advantage of shaded patios and north sides of your house to hang plants on walls.
Plant lists
Deciduous shrubs that grow well in shade
Common name | Scientific name | Height | Width | Optimal soil conditions | Hardiness zones | Light requirements |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Northern lights azalea | Rhododendron Northern lights series | 5 ft. | 3 ft. | Well-drained soil with a pH 4.5-5.5 | 3-7 | Full sun to part shade |
Iroquois Beauty glossy black chokeberry | Aronia melanocarpa 'Morton' | 2-3 ft. | 4-5 ft. | Average, well-drained soil | 3-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Garden Glow™ dogwood | Cornus hessei 'Garden Glow' | 4-6 ft. | 4-6 ft. | Moist average soil | 2-7 | Dappled to full shade |
Gray dogwood | Cornus racemosa | 8 ft. | 6 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 2-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Red twig dogwood | Cornus sericea | 2-10 ft. | 2-10 ft. | Adaptable; prefers moist, well-drained soil with a pH 6.1-8.5; salt sensitive | 2-7 | Full sun to part shade |
Tartarian dogwood | Cornus alba | 3-10 ft. | 3-10 ft. | Adaptable; prefers moist, well-drained soils with a pH 5.5-7.0 | 3-7 | Full to part shade |
Bush honeysuckle | Diervilla lonicera | 3-5 ft. | 3-5 ft. | Moist to dry, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.1-6.5 though adaptable to higher; tolerates drought | 3-7 | Full sun to full shade |
Annabelle hydrangea | Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' | 5 ft. | 5 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 3-9 | Dappled to part shade |
Panicle hydrangea | Hydrangea paniculata | 2-8 ft. | 3-8 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 3-8 | Full sun to part sun |
Lace shrub | Stephanandra incisa 'Crispa' | 1 ft. | 3 ft. | Average soil | 4-7 | Part shade |
Blue ice bog rosemary | Andromeda polifolia 'Blue ice' | 1 ft. | 3 ft. | Wet or evenly moist soil | 2-6 | Full sun to part shade |
Snowberry | Symphoricarpos albus | 4 ft. | 4 ft. | Moist average soil | 4-7 | Full sun to part shade |
Tiger Eye sumac | Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger' | 6 ft. | 6 ft. | Sandy, well-drained soil | 4-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Hummingbird summersweet | Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' | 3 ft. | 3 ft. | Moist soil | 3-8 | Full sun to full shade |
Dwarf European viburnum | Viburnum opulus 'Nanum' | 2 ft. | 3 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 3-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Highbush cranberry | Viburnum trilobum | 10 ft. | 5 ft. | Average soil | 2-7 | Full sun to part shade |
Nannyberry | Viburnum lentago | 15 ft. | 6 ft. | Average moist soil | 4-7 | Full sun to part shade |
Mount Airy witch alder | Fothergilla gardenii x major 'Mount Airy' | 6 ft. | 4 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil with a pH 5.0 - 7.0 | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Evergreens for shade
Common name | Scientific name | Height | Width | Optimal soil conditions | Hardiness zones | Light requirements |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Holmstrup arborvitae | Thuja occidentalis 'Holmstrup' | 8 ft. | 3 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 2-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Chicagoland® Green boxwood | Buxus x 'Glencoe' | 3-4 ft. | 3-4 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Aurea compacts hemlock | Tsuga canadensis 'Aurea Compacta' | 6 ft. | 6 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 3-8 | Full sun to full shade |
Eastern hemlock (MN native plant) | Tsuga canadensis | 40-70 ft. | 25-35 ft. | Cool, moist, organic soil | 3-6 | |
Dwarf Bright Gold yew | Taxus cuspidata 'Dwarf Bright Gold' | 4 ft. | 6 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 2-7 | Full sun to full shade |
Taunton yew | Taxus x media 'Tauntonii' | 3 ft. | 6 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 4-7 | Part to full shade |
Japanese yew | Taxus cuspidata | 10-25 ft. | 5-10 ft. | Sandy, moist, well-drained soil | 4-7 | Full sun to full shade |
Small deciduous trees for shade
Common name | Scientific name | Height | Width | Optimal soil conditions | Hardiness zones | Light requirements |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Juneberry, Serviceberry (MN Native Plant) | Amelanchier species | 15-40 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil with a pH 5.5-7.0 | 2-8 | Full sun to full shade | |
Northern Strain redbud | Cercis canadensis 'Northern Strain' | 20-30 ft. | 25-35 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil, adaptable to soil pH | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Sour gum | Nyssa sylvatica | 30-50 ft. | 20-30 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil with a pH 5.5-6.5 | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade; sheltered planting location. Look for trees grown by northern nurseries. |
Witchhazel (MN native plant) | Hamamelis virginiana | 10-20 ft. | 20-25 ft. | Moist soil, avoid very dry | 3-8 | Full sun to full shade |
Hop tree, wafer ash (MN native plant) | Ptelea trifoliata | 15-20 ft. | 5-15 ft. | Adaptable; prefers moist, organic soil | 3-9 | Full sun to full shade |
Speckled alder (MN native plant) | Alnus rugosa | 15-25 ft. | 5-15 ft. | Wet, highly organic soil | 3-6 | Full sun to part shade |
American bladdernut | Staphylea trifoliate | 10-15 ft. | 10-15 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 4-8 | Full to deep shade |
Blue beech (MN native plant) | Carpinus caroliniana | 20-30 ft. | 20-30 ft. | Deep, moist organic soils with a pH 4.0-7.4 | 3-9 | Full sun to full shade |
Canada Red chokecherry (MN native cultivar) | Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red' | 25-30 ft. | 15-20 ft. | Moist, well-drained soil | 2-10 | Full sun to part shade |
Pagoda dogwood | Cornus alternifolia | 15-25 ft. | 22-35 ft. | Moist soil with a pH 5.5-6.5 | 3-7 | Full sun to part shade |
Ironwood, American hop hornbeam (MN native plant) | Ostrya virginiana | 25-40 ft. | 20-30 ft. | Average to dry soil, rocky slopes, old fields | 3-9 | Full sun to full shade |
Tall perennials for shade
Common name | Scientific name | Height | Width | Optimal soil conditions | Hardiness zones | Light requirements |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Big leaf ligularia | Ligularia dentata | 48 inches | 48 inches | Moist to wet soils | 3-8 | Filtered to heavy shade; north side of buildings. Wilts in full sun / heat of the day. |
Leopard plant | Ligularia przewalskii | 48-72 inches | 24-36 inches | Medium to wet organic soils | 4-8 | Full shade |
Bleeding heart | Dicentra spectabilis | 24-36 inches | 24-36 inches | Moist soils; tolerates boggy soil | 2-9 | Part shade. This plant goes dormant in early summer after blooming. |
Bowman's root | Gillenia trifoliata | 24-36 inches | 36 inches | Moist, well-drained soil; tolerates drier soils | 4-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Cinnamon fern | Osmunda cinnamomea | 48 inches | 36 inches | Moist, organic, well-drained soil with a pH 5.5-6.5 | 3-8 | Part shade to full shade |
Royal fern | Osmunda regalis | 36 inches | 36 inches | Moist to wet soil with a pH | 3-10 | |
Ostrich fern | Matteuccia struthiopteris | 48 inches | 36 inches | Moist, organic soil with a pH 5.5-6.5. Fronds will scorch and dry up if soil become dry. | 4-7 | Part to full shade |
Culver's root | Veronicastrum virginicum | 36-60 inches | 24-48 inches | Moist to wet average soil | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade; best in afternoon shade |
Astilbe, False spiraea | Astilbe x arendsii | 24-48 inches | 24 inches | Moist rich organic soil; moisture is the most important requirement for optimum performance | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Foxglove | Digitalis purpurea | 24-60 inches | 12-30 inches | Moist, well-drained soil | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Goat's beard | Aruncus dioicus | 48-72 inches | 72 inches | Moist soil | 3-7 | Part shade |
Joe-Pye weed | Eutrochium maculatum | 48-84 inches | 36-48 inches | Moist, rich organic soil; best if it doesn't dry out. | 4-9 | Full sun to dappled shade |
Martagon lily | Lilium martagon | 36-48 inches | 12 inches | Moist, well-drained organic soil with slightly alkaline pH | 3-8 | Full sun to part shade; flowers last longer in shade |
Great bellflower, milky bellflower | Campanula lactiflora | 36-60 inches | 24 inches | Well-drained soil | 3-6 | Part shade |
Monkshood | Aconitum napellus | 36-48 inches | 12-18 inches | Moist, organic soil | 4-8 | Part shade |
Queen-of-the-meadow | Filipendula ulmaria | 48 inches | 36 inches | Moist, organic soil | 3-9 | Part shade |
Queen-of-the-prairie | Filipendula rubra | 72-96 inches | 36-48 inches | Moist to wey, organic well-drained soil | 3-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Rodgersia | Rodgersia aesculifolia | 36-72 inches | 36-60 inches | Moist, well-drained soil | 4-7 | Full sun to part shade |
Black snakeroot, black cohosh | Actea racemosa (syn. Cimicifuga racemosa) | 48-60 inches | 24-48 inches | Moist, well-drained soil | 3-9 | Full sun to part shade |
White Pearl snakeroot | Actea simplex 'White Pearl' (syn. Cimicifuga simplex) | 48-60 inches | 24-36 inches | Moist, organic soil | 4-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Tall meadow rue | Thalictrum dasycarpum | 36-60 inches | 36-48 inches | Moist, well-drained, organic soil | 4-7 | Full sun to dappled shade to part shade |
Turtlehead | Chelone lyonii | 36 inches | 24 inches | Moist to wet organic soil | 3-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Ground covers for shade
Common name | Scientific name | Height | Optimal soil conditions | Hardiness zones | Light requirements | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gray's sedge, mace sedge | Carex grayi | 24 inches | 36 inches | Average to wet soil | 4-9 | Part shade to full shade |
Weak-stemmed wood sedge | Carex laxiculmis | 6-10 inches | 6-12 inches | Average to moist soil | Part shade to full shade | |
Japanese sedge | Carex morrowii | 6-15 inches | Average to moist soil | Part shade to full shade | ||
Palm sedge, Muskingum sedge | Carex muskingumensis | 24-36 inches | 24-36 inches | Average to wet soil | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Pennsylvania sedge, sun sedge | Carex pensylvanica | 6-12 inches | 6-12 inches | Average to dry soil | 3-8 | Full sun to full shade |
Plantain sedge, seersucker sedge | Carex plantaginea | 8-15 inches | Average to moist soil | Part shade to full shade | ||
Broad-leafed sedge | Carex siderosticha | 12-18 inches | Average to moist soil | Part shade to full shade | ||
Catlin's Giant Bugleweed | Ajuga reptans 'Caitlin' | 10 inches | 15 inches | Moist soil. Tolerates dry soil. | 3-10 | Full sun to full shade |
Sweet Woodruff | Galium odoratum | 6 inches | 12 inches | Adaptable. Tolerates dry soil. | 4-8 | Part shade |
Japanese Spurge | Pachysandra terminalis | 8 inches | 12 inches | Moist, well-drained organic soil. | 4-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Striped Moptop Sedge | Carex caryophyllea 'Beatlemania' | 6 inches | 12 inches | Moist soil | 4-9 | Full sun to part shade |
Rat-stripper | Paxistima canbyi | 12 inches | 48 inches | Dry, well-drained soil; tolerates sandy soil. | 4-8 | Part shade to full shade |
Barren Strawberry | Waldsteinia ternata | 8 inches | 15 inches | Adaptable | 4-8 | Full sun to part shade |
Wild Ginger | Asarum canadense | 8 inches | 8 inches | Prefers evenly-moist soil. Tolerates dry soil. | 2-6 | Part shade to full shade |
Reviewed in 2021