Shade-Loving Flowering Plants

Shady locations under trees can be the perfect place to create a garden, even though they might not seem so at first glance. While many reach for hostas and ferns, there are other shade-loving flowering plants that are just as good. Creatively speaking, shade plants can be versatile like the Virginia creeper, as easy to grow as the wax begonia, and as fragrantly beautiful as the drooping leucothoe.

Drooping Leucothoe

The drooping leucothoe, Leucothoe fontanesiana, is an evergreen shrub from the heath family. It can get 3 to 5 feet tall with lance-like leaves (light green maturing to dark green) and white, fragrant flowers. It will bloom in the spring. Plant a drooping leucothoe in acidic, moist and well-drained soil with dense to partial shade. Propagate via hardened stem cuttings.

Impatiens

The impatiens flower, Impatiens wallerana, is a perennial (grown as an annual) from the jewelweed family. It is easy to grow and it is a hummingbird attractor. There are many flowers, in all color hues. Mounds can get 8 to 24 inches tall with the same in width. Impatiens flowers prefer moist and fertile soil in the partial shade to partial sun locations (with mostly shade in hot regions). Propagate via seed or take warm season cuttings.

Wax Begonia

The wax begonia, Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum, is an easy to grow tender perennial from the begonia family. Mounds are 6 to 18 inches tall with succulent stems. Leaves are in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Flowers are red, rose, white, or pink and can be a varied size as well. Plant a wax begonia according to its cultivar; some need full shade while others need sun. Propagate via root cuttings.

Carpet Bugleweed

The carpet bugleweed, Ajuga reptans, is a fast growing perennial from the mint family. It can get 6 to 10 inches tall with dark green basal leaves 3 to 5 inches long and blue or purple flowers half inch long. Plant a carpet bugleweed in any soil in partial to full shade. Keep the plant moist. Propagate via summer cuttings, seed, or by separating the stolon plants that arise.

Virginia Creeper

The Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is a fast growing vine from the grape family. Leaves have five leaflets, 3 to 7 inches long, which go from green to red. Small flowers are in clusters. Berries are blue-black. Plant a Virginia creeper in any soil in shade or sun. Propagate via seed or by root cuttings.