These shade-tolerant plants offer a variety of foliage colors, textures, and flowering options for your shade garden in USDA Hardiness Zone 5.
Keep in mind that while these plants thrive in shade, some may require a few hours of filtered sunlight or morning sun for optimal growth and flowering. Always check the specific requirements for each plant before incorporating them into your garden design.
1) Hosta (Hosta spp.)
With their lush, colorful foliage, hostas are a staple in any shade garden. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, ranging from deep green to blue-green and variegated patterns. Plant them in rich, moist soil and watch them thrive. Hostas are low-maintenance, but keep an eye out for slugs and snails, which find their leaves irresistible.
2) Astilbe (Astilbe spp.)
Astilbes add a touch of elegance to the shade garden with their feathery plumes of flowers in shades of pink, red, and white. They bloom in early to mid-summer and prefer moist, well-draining soil. Astilbes are perfect for mass plantings or as a border along a shady path. Keep the soil consistently moist for the best growth.
3) Coral bells (Heuchera spp.)
These evergreen perennials are prized for their colorful, mounding foliage that comes in shades of purple, red, silver, and green. They also produce delicate sprays of flowers in late spring to summer. Plant them in well-draining soil and partial to full shade. Heucheras are low-maintenance and add a splash of color to the shade garden year-round.
4) Ferns (Various species, e.g. lady fern, ostrich fern, Japanese painted fern)
Ferns are a must-have for any shade garden, offering a variety of textures and shades of green. They thrive in moist, rich soil and can range in size from tiny, delicate specimens to large, stately plants. Ferns are low-maintenance and add a lush, woodland feel to the garden.
5) Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.)
Lungwort is a charming, low-growing perennial that features silver-spotted foliage and clusters of blue, pink, or white flowers in early spring. It prefers moist, well-draining soil and partial to full shade. Lungwort is an excellent groundcover and looks stunning when planted along a woodland path or in a rock garden.
6) Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.)
With their arching stems and heart-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white, bleeding hearts add a touch of romance to the shade garden. They bloom in spring and prefer moist, well-draining soil. After flowering, the foliage may die back, so plant them among other shade-loving perennials to fill in the gaps.
7) Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla)
Brunnera is a delightful perennial with large, heart-shaped leaves and sprays of tiny blue flowers that bloom in spring. It thrives in partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Brunnera is an excellent companion plant for other shade-lovers like hostas and ferns.
8) Tiarella (Tiarella cordifolia)
Also known as foamflower, tiarella features attractive, lobed foliage and spikes of tiny, star-shaped white or pink flowers in spring. It prefers partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Tiarella is a low-maintenance groundcover that looks lovely when planted en masse.
9) Hellebore (Helleborus spp.)
Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, are one of the earliest perennials to bloom, with cup-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, and purple that appear in late winter to early spring. They thrive in partial to full shade and rich, well-draining soil. Hellebores are low-maintenance and add interest to the garden when little else is in bloom.
10) Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)
With their delicate, bell-shaped white flowers and sweet fragrance, lily of the valley is a charming addition to the shade garden. They bloom in spring and prefer moist, well-draining soil. Be careful though, as they can spread rapidly and may need to be contained.
11) Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum spp.)
Solomon’s seal is a graceful perennial with arching stems and dangling, bell-shaped white flowers in spring. It thrives in partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. The blue-black berries that follow the flowers add interest to the garden in fall.
12) Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)
Also known as bishop’s hat, barrenwort features delicate, heart-shaped leaves and sprays of tiny, star-shaped flowers in shades of yellow, pink, or red in spring. It prefers partial to full shade and well-draining soil. Barrenwort is a low-maintenance groundcover that looks lovely when planted along a woodland path.
13) Goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus)
With its tall, feathery plumes of creamy-white flowers in early summer, goat’s beard adds a dramatic vertical element to the shade garden. It prefers partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Goat’s beard is a low-maintenance perennial that looks stunning when planted in the back of a border or along a woodland edge.
14) Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra)
Japanese forest grass is a graceful, mounding ornamental grass with cascading, bamboo-like foliage in shades of green, gold, or variegated patterns. It thrives in partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Japanese forest grass adds texture and movement to the shade garden and looks stunning when planted in groups.
15) Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
With their delicate, bell-shaped flowers in a range of colors, including red, pink, purple, and yellow, columbines add a touch of whimsy to the shade garden in late spring to early summer. They prefer partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. Columbines self-seed readily, so deadhead spent flowers if you don’t want them to spread.
16) True Siberian bugloss (Brunnera sibirica)
Similar to Brunnera macrophylla, true Siberian bugloss features large, heart-shaped leaves and sprays of tiny blue flowers in spring. It thrives in partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. This low-maintenance perennial is an excellent groundcover and looks stunning when planted en masse.
17) Corydalis (Corydalis spp.)
With their delicate, fern-like foliage and clusters of tubular flowers in shades of yellow, pink, or blue, corydalis add a splash of color to the shade garden in spring and summer. They prefer partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Corydalis is a low-maintenance perennial that self-seeds readily.
18) Lamium (Lamium maculatum)
Also known as spotted deadnettle, lamium is a spreading perennial with silvery-green, variegated foliage and clusters of pink, purple, or white flowers in spring and summer. It thrives in partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Lamium is an excellent groundcover and looks stunning when planted along a path or in a rock garden.
19) Foxglove (Digitalis spp.)
With their tall spikes of tubular flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white, foxgloves add a dramatic vertical element to the shade garden in early to mid-summer. They prefer partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. Foxgloves are biennial or short-lived perennials, but they self-seed readily, ensuring a continuous display year after year. Be cautious, as all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested.
20) Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis)
With their charming, cup-shaped flowers in shades of pink or white, Japanese anemones add a touch of elegance to the late summer and fall shade garden. They prefer partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Japanese anemones spread slowly via rhizomes, making them a lovely groundcover or border plant.
21) Bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum)
This low-growing, spreading perennial features fragrant, lobed foliage and clusters of pink, purple, or white flowers in late spring to early summer. It thrives in partial to full shade and moist, well-draining soil. Bigroot geranium is an excellent groundcover and looks stunning when planted along a path or in a rock garden.
22) Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
With their nodding clusters of bell-shaped, blue-pink flowers in early to mid-spring, Virginia bluebells add a charming, woodland feel to the shade garden. They prefer partial to full shade and moist, rich soil. After flowering, the foliage goes dormant, so plant them among other shade-loving perennials to fill in the gaps.
23) Chinese astilbe (Astilbe chinensis)
Similar to other astilbes, Chinese astilbe features feathery plumes of flowers in shades of pink or purple, blooming in mid to late summer. It thrives in partial to full shade and moist, rich soil. Chinese astilbe is a low-maintenance perennial that looks stunning when planted en masse or as a border along a shady path.
