Shade Loving Plants

Sometimes seen as a difficult task growing plants in shade, where there is little light is not as difficult as it might seem, if you choose the right plants. In the UK any area that is close to a building or fence and has a northerly aspect usually requires shade tolerant plants. Then we have areas beneath large deciduous trees or 'woodland areas' here we start to think about the use of natural 'woodland plants' or other shade loving plants. We also have dry shade and damp shade. Solutions can be found for all of these areas

Shade is a relative term, Full Shade, Part Shade, Afternoon Shade and Dappled Shade, all have different requirements.

Full shade does not mean no light at all, it refers to areas that receive little or no real direct light, usually these areas are suited to ferns, clivias, epimediums and hostas. Hellebores and a few others will grow in these areas, however the degree of light may well affect flowering.

Dappled shade is the type of shade that we tend to get beneath deciduous trees, these areas are similar to many native woodlands, so here we start to look for woodland plants.

Afternoon shade is great for those plants that love some light but do not cope well with hot afternoon sun, think hydrangeas.

And of course we have areas that are shaded by coniferous trees, these are the areas that create real problems, more because of the leaves that (pine needles) that make it difficult to grow much at all, and for some spots there is really no solution. For the rest we have a list of plants for shady positions in the garden.

Shady spot needs some shade tolerant plants, some gardens are almost entirely in shade for a large part of the day. Shade can be because of buildings, trees or terrain and shaded areas may be dry or wet. When selecting garden plants for shade first determine the amount of shade and soil conditions (wet or dry). Shade area beneath trees is often dry so consider this when looking for shade plants.

Plants for dry shade

Plants for dry shade are great for planting beneath large trees in the garden. Plants that will grow in the dry shady areas next to buildings are also much in demand.

Plants for wet or damp shade

Plants for wet or damp shaded areas are required for shaded positions near waterways or other damp areas.