Plants You Can Grow Without Full Sun
- horticulturist and gardening expertMarch 21, 2026
Growing Plants in the Shade
We all seek a little relief from the summer heat under the shade of a favorite tree. But as gardeners, we often cringe when faced with growing a garden in the shade. Take heart, your landscape may receive more sunlight than you suspect, and if not, there are quite a few shade garden plants you can grow and ways to help shady gardens thrive.
How to Grow A Garden in the Shade
Start by evaluating the sun and shade patterns in your gardens. Monitor the amount of sunlight different areas receive throughout the day and during different times of the year. Sun-loving bulbs need lots of sun early in the season before most trees leaf out, while other plants need sunlight throughout the growing season. If you work all day, you may assume those shady spots in the morning and evening never light up, so take some time to evaluate the sun and shade conditions mid-day and throughout the season.
Make a list of plants that you have had success with and those that failed in the shady location you are landscaping. I call these indicator plants and use them to help gardeners select or avoid plants with similar light requirements. For example, if peonies bloom and tomatoes produce fruit, this area receives quite a bit of sunlight, perhaps more than you thought.
Hosta and Japanese Fern
If your landscape is too shady to grow the plants you desire, try increasing the sunlight reaching ground-level plantings. Hire a certified arborist to thin the overhead tree canopy. They have the training and experience to do the job safely and correctly. You don’t want to damage the health and structure of established trees, so critical to the beauty and longevity of your landscape.
Do not top your trees to increase the amount of light reaching the ground below. Cutting large branches back severely to small side shoots or buds results in a proliferation of weak stems. This poor growth is more subject to storm damage and at greater risk of disease.
Start planning the garden. Look for plants that tolerate the sunlight and soil in the proposed garden location, as well as your climate. Look for those that provide attractive foliage all season, flowers at various times, and winter interest with seed pods, bark, and their growth habit.
Gardening Tips for Low Light Areas
Once you’ve made your selection and planted your garden, you need to adjust the care to compensate for the limited light conditions. Plants growing under large trees or overhangs need to be watered more often, especially the first year or two until they become established. The dense canopy of many trees and impervious overhangs prevent rainfall from reaching the ground below. Plus, the extensive root systems of trees and shrubs absorb much of the rainfall that does make it through, so check soil moisture several times a week and water thoroughly as needed.
Tree and shrub roots can also compete with plantings for nutrients. Use a low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer like Milorganite that promotes steady above and below-ground growth. The 85% organic material further helps improve the soil. Apply slow-release fertilizers at planting and once again for annuals midseason. Fertilize new and established perennials in early spring and again in mid-summer as needed. Wait a year to fertilize newly planted shrubs. Once established, shrubs and trees seldom need fertilizing as they obtain needed nutrients from the surrounding garden beds and lawns.
Avoid high-nitrogen, quick-release fertilizers that promote lush, succulent growth that is more susceptible to insects and diseases. And with limited light as a potential plant stressor, this can increase the risk of problems.
When planting under or near trees, be careful not to kill them when creating your shade garden. Don’t cut or remove surface roots. This creates entryways for insects and diseases. Adding as little as an inch of soil over the roots can kill some tree species. Avoid deep cultivation that damages the feeder roots critical for water and nutrient absorption. Most of these important roots reside in the top 12 inches of soil.
Instead, set containers among perennial shade-tolerant groundcovers or on mulched beds to add a bit of greenery, seasonal color, and vertical interest. Or sink a few nursery pots in the ground. Then pot up a few shade-tolerant annuals and set them in the sunken pots. You’ll only disturb the roots once and need to water less often since the containers are insulated by the surrounding soil. It’s easier on the trees and your back.
If there’s too much shade to grow even shade-loving plants, consider mulch to keep the mud in place and a table or chair for relaxing, or a few steppers and moss to create a moss garden.
Below is a list of just a few shade-tolerant plants to consider. As always, make sure the plants also tolerate your region’s climate and the amount of sunlight they will receive. Plants that are listed as deer- and rabbit-resistant are less likely to be damaged by these animals, but if populations are high and food is scarce, animals eat even those plants. After reviewing this list, the internet, and plant catalogs, you may find it difficult to narrow down your choices to fit in your new shade garden.
Best Plants for Shady Gardens
Spring Blooming Woodland Wildflowers
Do not harvest these plants from natural spaces, instead purchase from reliable retailers.
Bloodroot (Sanquinaria canadensis) – white flowers brighten the shade, attracts bees & songbirds, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) – attracts pollinators, deer resistant, hardy in zones 4 to 8
Trillium
Trilliums – attracts pollinators, tolerates heavy shade and black walnut, hardy in zones 3 to 8 depending on species
Yellow Trout lily (Erythronium americanum) – attracts bees, butterflies and other pollinators, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) – spreads readily, plan to mask the large foliage as it fades after flowering, attracts bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators, rabbit resistant, tolerates black walnut, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Spring Flowering Bulbs
Grape hyacinths (Muscari)– spreads quickly, attracts bees & butterflies, deer and rabbit resistant. tolerates black walnut, hardy in zones 4 to 8
Checkered lilies (Fritillaria meleagris) - deer & rabbit resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Wild Hyacinth (Camassia) -attracts pollinators, deer resistant, tolerates wet soil, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Daffodils
Daffodils (Narcissus)- various types, yellow, orange, white, pink and variegated flowers, bloom times vary from December to May depending on the variety and growing location, select those suited to your climate
Native and Cultivated Shade Tolerant Perennials
Astilbe – lacy leaves topped with white, red, & lavender flowers in early-, mid- or late-summer, various heights and hardiness depending on specie and cultivar.
Barrenwort (Epimedium) – early spring blooms of white, yellow, pink or red, delicate heart-shaped leaves that turn red in fall, deer and rabbit resistant, tolerates heavy shade and dry soils, hardy in zones 4 to 8
Bleeding Heart, Common (Lamprocapnos spectabilis formerly Dicentra spectabilis)– a traditional spring flowering favorite that dies back mid-summer, design around this feature or cut back the plant after flowering to promote new growth, attracts hummingbirds & butterflies, deer & rabbit resistant, tolerates black walnuts and heavy shade, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Bleeding Heart, Fringed (Dicentra eximia)- shorter than common bleeding heart, leaves stay green all summer and produce additional blooms sporadically throughout the season, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, other pollinators and songbirds, deer and rabbit resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 9.
Bugbane & Hakone Grass
Bugbane/Cohosh (Actaea formerly Cimicifuga) – tall plants with spikes of white flowers in summer or fall, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, other pollinators and songbirds, deer & rabbit resistant, tolerates black walnut, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)– attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, other pollinators & songbirds, deer resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Coral Bells (Heuchera)– a wide array of foliage colors available with green, white, pink, rose or coral flowers, attracts bees, butterflies & hummingbirds, deer & rabbit resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Ferns – various species with many tolerating shade and moist to wet soils. Select those suited to the soil, sunlight, moisture and your climate.
Foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia and hybrids) – white bottlebrush flowers with attractive foliage, attracts bees, butterflies, moths, other pollinators and songbirds, deer resistant, heavy shade tolerant, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) – foliage dies beck in winter, flowers occur at base of plant, attracts butterflies, pollinators and songbirds, deer and erosion resistant, tolerates black walnut, heavy shade and wet soil, hardy in zones 3 to 6
European ginger, (Asarum europaeum) - evergreen where winters aren’t too harsh, resistant to deer, tolerates black walnut, hardy in zones 4 to 7
Hosta & Japanese Fern
Hosta hybrids & cultivars – white or lavender flowers, plants and leaves of various sizes and leaf color and variegation, subject to deer and rabbit browsing, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds & other pollinators, heavy shade tolerant, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra & cultivars) mounds of variegated foliage adds texture and color to shade gardens, deer resistant, tolerates heavy shade and black walnut, hardy in zones 4 to 9
Lungwort (Pulmonaria)– low growing green or variegated foliage and white, pink or blue spring flowers, attracts hummingbirds, deer resistant, tolerates heavy shade & black walnut, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Marsh Marigold
Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)- yellow flowers in spring, glossy green foliage that persists all season, attracts bees and other pollinators, deer resistant, tolerates wet soil, hardy in zones 3 to 7
Sedges – grass-like plants with green or variegated leaves - have shade and moisture tolerance, and their hardiness varies by species.
Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) – spring forget-me-not-like blue or white flowers, heart-shaped green or variegated leaves, attracts bees & other pollinators, deer and rabbit resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Solomon Seal, Variegated (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’) – upright plant, green leaves with creamy edge, white bell-shaped flowers, yellow fall color and poisonous red berries, hardy in zones 3 to 8
Toadlily (Tricyrtis) – small orchid-like flowers appear in fall, attracts bees, butterflies & hummingbirds, deer resistant, heavy shade tolerant, hardy in zones 4 to 9 depending on species
Native and Cultivated Shade Tolerant Shrubs
Serviceberry/Juneberry (Amelanchier) – shrub and tree varieties, moist well-drained soil, spring flowers, edible fruit, fall color, host plant, attracts bees, butterflies & songbirds, hardiness varies with species
Buckeye, Bottlebrush (Aesculcus parviflora), 8-12’ tall, moist well-drained soil but adaptable, summer flowers, yellow fall color, attracts hummingbirds, butterflies & other pollinators, hardy in zones 4 to 9
Bush honeysuckle, Dwarf (Diervilla lonicera), 3-4’ tall, moist to dry soil, attracts hummingbirds & butterflies, deer, rabbit and erosion resistant, not one of the invasive honeysuckles (Lonicera), hardy in zones 3 to 7
Bush honeysuckle, Southern (Diervilla sessilifolia), 3-5’ tall, adaptable, fragrant yellow summer flowers, attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, hummingbirds & songbirds, deer and erosion resistant, drought & wind tolerant, not one of the invasive honeysuckles (Lonicera), hardy in zones 4 to 7
Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus) 6-9’ tall, moist loamy soil, fragrant spring to early summer flowers, attracts butterflies & other pollinators, deer and heat resistant, hardy in zones 4 to 9
Chokeberry
Chokeberry, Black (Aronia melanocarpa) 3-5+’, moist to wet well-drained to dry soil, white flowers in spring, fall color & persistent black fruit, attracts butterflies, other pollinators & songbirds, drought and wet soil tolerant, hardy in zones 3 to 8 or 9
Chokeberry, Red (Aronia arbutifolia) 6-10’ tall, moist to wet well-drained to dry soil, pink/white flowers in spring, fall color & persistent red fruit, attracts butterflies, pollinators & songbirds, hardy in zones 4 to 9
Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) 2-5’ tall, moist to dry soil, late spring – early summer flowers, persistent fruit, attracts bees, deer resistant, hardy in zones 2 to 7
Dogwood, Red twig or Redosier (Cornus sericea) 5-8’ tall provides year-round beauty, moist to wet soil, spring flowers, fruit, fall color and red stems year-round, attracts songbirds, bees, butterflies, other pollinators & songbirds, deer resistant, erosion & wet soil tolerant, hardy in zones 2 to 7
Dogwood Garden Glow (Cornus hesseyii ‘Garden Glow’), 4-5’ tall, moist soil, white flowers, white fruit, red stems year-round, chartreuse-yellow foliage turns green in summer, good rosy-red to burgundy fall color, hardy in zones 4 to 8
Dogwood, Silky (Cornus amomum) 6 – 10’ tall, moist to wet soils, yellowish white flowers, bluish-white fruit, variable fall color, attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, & songbirds, deer resistant, black walnut, erosion and wet soil tolerant, hardy in zones 4 to 8
Dogwood, Pagoda (Cornus alternifolia) 10-25’ tall, moist well-drained soil, yellowish-white flowers, bluish-black fruit, variable reddish-purple fall color, attractive form, attracts bees, butterflies, moths, other pollinators & songbirds, deer resistant, black walnut tolerant, hardy in zones 3 to 7
Fothergilla, Dwarf (Fothergilla gardenia), 2-3’ tall, moist well-drained slightly acid soil, fragrant white spring flowers, attractive foliage & fall color, attracts bees & other pollinators, deer resistant (rabbits may browse), hardy in zones (4)5 to 8(9)
Large Fothergilla (Fothergilla latifolia formerly Fothergilla major) 6-10’ tall, moist well-drained, slightly acid soil, whitish spring flowers, attractive foliage & fall color, attracts bees, butterflies & songbirds, hardy in zones 4 to 8
Elderberry, Common (Sambucus canadensis) 5-12’, moist to wet soil, aggressive spreader, summer fragrant flowers, fruit, attracts hummingbirds, songbirds, butterflies & other pollinators, hardy in zones 4 to 8 or 9
Hydrangea, Smooth/Annabelle-type (Hydrangea arborescens) 2.5-5’ tall, moist well-drained, white summer flowers on new growth, attracts butterflies, moths, other pollinators & songbirds, erosion resistant, tolerates black walnut, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Hydrangea, Oakleaf (Hydrangea quercifolia), 4-8’ tall, moist well-drained, summer flowers on old wood, fall color and attractive bark, attracts butterflies, other pollinators & songbirds, dry soil tolerant, hardy in zones 5 to 9
Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) 3-4’ tall, moist to wet soils, summer flowers, attracts bees & butterflies, deer resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 7
New Jersey Tea (Ceonanthus americanus) 2-4’ tall, moist to dry soil, summer bloom, host plant, attracts songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies & other pollinators, deer resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 9
St. Johnswort, Shrubby (Hypericum prolificum) 1-5’ tall, tolerates dry and clay soils, yellow summer flowers, attracts butterflies, other pollinators & songbirds, tolerates heavy shade, hardy in zones 4 to 8
Spicebush, Northern (Lindera benzoin) 6-12’ tall, moist well-drained to dry soil, yellow spring flowers, red fruit, yellow fall color, host plant, attracts butterflies, other pollinators & songbirds, tolerates occasional flooding and dry soils, hardy in zones 4 to 9
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) 3-8’ tall, moist to wet rich acidic soil, mid- to late-summer flowers, attracts songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies & other pollinators, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) 2-8’, moist to wet, acidic soil, full sun to shade, moist to wet well-drained soil, attracts songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies & other pollinators, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Viburnums – many are shade tolerant but native species are susceptible to Viburnum leaf beetle, most attract pollinators & songbirds, size, attributes and hardiness varies with species
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) 6-12’ tall, moist to wet acidic soil, deciduous, red fruit if you have at least one male plant to pollinate 1 to 5 female plants, attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators & songbirds, deer resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Witchhazel
Witchhazel, Common (Hamamelis virginiana) 12-20’tall, prefers moist well-drained soil, fragrant yellow flowers in fall to early winter, attractive yellow fall color, attracts moths, other pollinators & songbirds, deer & erosion resistant, hardy in zones 3 to 9
Witchhazel , Vernal (Hamamelis vernalis) 6-10’ tall, moist soils and tolerant of poorly drained clay soils, yellow, orange or red flowers late winter-early spring, good fall color, attracts songbirds, deer resistant, hardy in zones 4 to 8
