Shady areas of the garden can be one of the hardest places to get flowers to grow, so the species recommended for these spots are often foliage plants like heucheras and ivy. But it is possible to grow beautiful flowers in shady places with a few careful choices.
Here, two Kew Gardens experts – Valerie Boujard, Supervisor in the Arboretum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Thomas Cameron, a Botanical Horticulturist who works in the Rhododendron Dell, share their top 12 plants to provide a profusion of flowers throughout the year in a shady spot.
Top 12 flowering plants for shade
1. Great white rhododendron and Augustine’s rhododendron
The great white rhododendron (Rhododendron decorum) is a small evergreen tree with outstanding funnel-shaped white flowers in late spring and early summer. It thrives in acid soil in a sheltered spot, ideally in partial shade. Valerie loves its huge white flowers and absolutely beautiful perfume.
Thomas recommends Augustine’s rhododendron (Rhododendron augustinii), which has unusually coloured violet-blue flowers. Although this species needs more water than some other rhododendrons, Thomas suggests growing varieties such as Rhododendron augustinii ‘Bowood Blue’, which can tolerate drier conditions.
2. Japanese snowbell
The Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonicus) is a popular deciduous tree which grows to around 12m, but it can be pruned to restrict its size. There are also more compact varieties, such as Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’. Growing well in a sheltered spot in partial shade, it’s ideal as a mid-canopy tree. The Japanese snowbell has tiny bell-shaped white flowers in summer. Valerie suggests growing it as a companion to rhododendrons in larger gardens. Both Japanese snowbell trees and rhododendrons require acid soils.
3. Christmas rose
Valerie explains “We chose Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) because of its pure white flowers in winter. It’s an easy plant to grow and copes with practically no maintenance. If you cut off the dead foliage though, it helps the flowers to be seen.” Christmas roses grow well under shrubs and trees, but do be aware that the plant is toxic.
4. Hydrangea involucrata
This deciduous shrub from Japan provides fantastic ground cover. Reaching only 60-80cm in height, Valerie loves the compact hydrangea because “it’s one of the best shrubs for full shade that has big blooms, with white or blue flowers in summer depending on the cultivar.” Grow Hydrangea involucrata in moist, but well-drained soil in partial shade. It’s toxic and can be a skin allergen, so wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling.
5. Sweet box
This evergreen shrub has tiny white flowers in winter with a strong sweet scent, which gives it the name sweet box (Sarcococca confusa). Valerie likes the fact "it’s quite reliable and doesn’t need much attention, so there’s no need to prune it. And it flowers in full shade when nothing else in the garden is in bloom.”
6. Oregon grape
Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium, until recently known as Mahonia aquifolium) is a superb evergreen ground cover shrub, suitable for partial to full shade. Valerie loves it because it does so well in any soil. It’s a very early plant to flower, producing clusters of scented yellow blooms in March and April. Oregon grape is great for pollinating insects and the plants at Kew Gardens attract a lot of bees.
7. Greater periwinkle
Thomas loves this vigorous ground cover shrub because it copes well with dry conditions and its starry blue blooms provide welcome colour in deep shade where many other plants would struggle to flower. Valerie sees ones of greater periwinkle’s (Vinca major) main strengths as its drought tolerance – an important trait, as many shade-loving plants need more moisture in the soil. In a border with other plants, greater periwinkle can be a problem due to its vigorous growth.
8. Seemann’s hydrangea
Seemann’s hydrangea (Hydrangea seemannii) is an evergreen climber from Mexico with long leathery leaves and white flowerheads in the summer. Valerie explains “at Kew Gardens we grow it against oak trees and it’s absolutely stunning. This climbing hydrangea gives such a good show when it’s in bloom. It only needs watering for a couple of years until it’s established, so it’s ideal for drier shade.” It’s toxic and can be a skin allergen, so wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling.
9. Himalayan lily
Thomas loves the Himalayan lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) “because it grows tall – to around 3m with big white lily flowers in mid-summer and pairs nicely with rhododendrons. At Kew Gardens it’s very dramatic, a big showstopper in the Woodland Garden, and we’ll be planting them in the Rhododendron Garden soon.” The Himalayan lily requires moist, but well-drained soil and thrives in partial shade.
10. Dog’s-tooth violet
Dog’s-tooth violet (Erythronium japonicum) is a spring-flowering perennial. Valerie recommends them for the interesting shape of the flowers which are “lovely in woodland, something different from bluebells and daffodils.” Thomas loves the “swept-back petals – they’re really striking. They make me want to get down and look at them.” Erythronium japonicum can be hard to find, so you could try the similar, but more readily available, Erythronium californicum.
11. Paeonia broteri
Thomas loves Paeonia broteri with its beautiful dark rose pink peony flowers in spring. Originating from Portugal and Spain, this perennial thrives in dry shade as long as it’s well-watered until established. It grows well in the Mediterranean Garden at Kew in poor, rocky soil, though it took a while to establish and start flowering
12. Wood anemone
Valerie’s final favourite is wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa). “They flower in early spring in the Woodland Garden and need no maintenance – no water, nothing. They pair well with winter aconites and bring colour to the garden when little else is in flower. All you need to do is divide them if you have too many and give some clumps to friends.”
Top tips from Kew Gardens for maximising flowers in a shady garden
- To give rhododendrons the best chance of a great flowering season, make sure they are kept well watered in the previous summer. With constant moisture rates in August, plants should flower abundantly the following spring. These acid-loving plants also fare better if they are watered with rain water, so save the water butt supplies for your rhododendrons in late summer
- Mulch plants in winter to conserve moisture throughout the year. Leaf mould is the best mulch, especially for woodland plants, preferably oak leaves if you can get them. With a good mulch keeping as much moisture in the soil as possible, plants are more likely to put on an abundant displays of flowers
- Most shade-loving plants don’t like cold, strong winds, so shelter is vital. If you’re starting a garden from scratch, ensure you’ve planted enough larger trees and shrubs to create a shelter belt against any prevailing winds. For existing gardens, make sure plants like Styrax have protection from cold winds