These plants will quickly fill your shade garden with color and texture.
Do you have an area in your garden where the sun just refuses to shine? Rather than leaving it bare, fill this negative space with annuals and perennial plants that thrive in partial to full shade. To help you do so quickly, we asked experts to share fast-growing shade plants that can survive—and flourish—in gardens with little to no sun. From eye-catching foliage plants to colorful blooming varieties, these fast growers will give your shade garden a beautiful boost in no time.
Meet the Expert
- Gavin Young,gardening expert for Eden Brothers, which offers one of the largest seed and flower bulb assortments available in the United States
- Adrienne Roethling,garden director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, a botanical garden in Kernersville, N.C.
Related: 12 Fast-Growing Ornamental Grasses That Mature Quickly
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Hosta
Hostas are shade-tolerant perennials with ornate leaves that look beautiful in any garden or yard. “Despite the fact that hostas produce flowers, the leaves are the main attraction,” says Gavin Young, gardening expert for Eden Brothers. “The aesthetic opportunities truly are endless, with white and variegated hostas among the many hues and patterns available.” What’s more, hostas are very easy to grow and tolerant of challenging conditions, like deep shade.
- Zones: 3 to 9
- Size: Depends on variety
- Care requirements: Partial to full shade; rich, well-drained soil
Related: 21 Hosta Varieties With Beautiful Foliage and Blooms
02 of 15
Caladium
Caladiums have colorful, heart-shaped leaves and are available in multiple varieties, offering colors like pink, white, green, and red. “Some caladium cultivars have splashes and speckles of contrasting color combinations, offering a showy season of about six months,” says Young. “Caladiums look beautiful as a ground cover, border, or in pots, hanging baskets, and planters on your deck and inside your home.” During the growing period, remove any dead or damaged leaves.
- Zones: 8 to 11
- Size: 15 to 20 inches tall x 8 to 14 inches wide
- Care requirements: Partial shade; rich, well-drained soil
03 of 15
Woodland Phlox
Woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) produces a carpet of small, rounded, green leaves that produce blue or white flowers in spring. “There are a number of clump-forming varieties, but you may find the ground cover producing mass carpets that create a wonderful sea of blue in spring,” says Adrienne Roethling, garden director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden.
- Zones: 3 to 8
- Size: Depends on variety
- Care requirements: Partial shade; well-drained soil
04 of 15
Autumn Fern
Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) fills gardens with multiple seasons of interest. “The new leaves emerge in spring with a rusty colored hue,” says Roethling. “The fine-textured leaves eventually turn all green before turning copper in fall.”
- Zones: 5 to 8
- Size: 18 to 24 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wide
- Care requirements: Full shade; rich, well-drained soil
Related: 6 Fruit Trees That Are Prolific Even in Shady Gardens, According to Experts…