Plants that do well in shady areas?

[lv4dogs]

I have this section of flower bed that recieves little to no sun. I've tried a few different flowers there that were supposed to do well in shady areas but I think this area is even too shady for them. (can not remember what the names of the flowers were though).
I know ferns would thrive there and I will most likely put in a few of them but I don't really want the area to be all ferns. Is there anything else that would live in such conditions? Please no "ground covering" plants (ones that spred a lot anyways).

[Kfamr]

LOL.. I was going to mention any sort of ground cover.


I'll ask my mom when she gets home.

[lv4dogs]

LOL.. I was going to mention any sort of ground cover.

Well I don't mind a ground cover as long as it doesn't spread too fast, like if it takes a couple years to really start spreading so it's noticable, that wouldn't be too bad.

[Killearn Kitties]

Hostas like the shade. You maybe want something that flowers better though. Have you tried an online Plant Selector. Here is a link to one if you want to have a look. Selector

[Queen of Poop]

Impatience is a good shade plant and it has many different colored flowers.

[Karen]

Violets, but they will spread if you're not careful, periwinkle (vinca) which is also a ground cover ... my whole yard is pretty dark, and some plants, like columbine, which are supposed to be okay, died. Astilbe will do okay in some shade as well, any garden center has "shade tolerant plants" in a separate area. Impatients and begonias, which are annuals, do well in shade as well.

[.sarah]

Impatience is a good shade plant and it has many different colored flowers.

I was going to say Impatients also. They have been one of the only plants I could get to grow in my yard. Marigolds also have done pretty well in the shade for me.

[Queen of Poop]

More shade loving plants:

bacopa hybrid
begonia
browallia
coleus
mimulus
pansy viola tricolor
viola tricolor

Note that the pansy and viola will self seed and you'll have them coming up year after year, even though they are annuals. I personally love the violas, just like pansy's but smaller, their cute flower faces are so tiny, colorful and beautiful.

And NONE of these are groundcovers.

[smokey the elder]

You can go with plants with striking foliage. Hostas, caladiums, elephant ears, black taro, Persian shield, Chocolate plant are all ones I've had success with. Deer don't seem to bother the tropicals (elephant ears, taro and caladiums) or the chocolate plant. Pachysandra can be invasive but grows fairly slowly.

Good luck!

[jazzcat]

Are you looking for something to come back year after year or are you looking for annuals?

Some good annuals are:
Impatience
Begonias
Coleus
Caladiums

Some good perrenials are:
Hosta
Hydranga
Astilbe
Bleeding Heart

I've read that Daylillies will tolerate shade but the ones I have in shady areas don't bloom as well as the ones in full sun.

[K9soul]

I'm personally a big hosta fan. I love getting different varieties and planting them together, it can be as pretty as blooming plants and they look better and better every year. We have some gold-leafed, variegated, and large blue leaved hostas together to make a great medley. I'll throw in a few pictures I took at a greenhouse lately who has a lot of pretty ones planted. We have a lot in our yard as well but I haven't gotten recent pictures of them (which I need to do). Hostas do bloom but they are planted for their foliage as their blooms aren't particularly impressive.

For annuals Impatiens are nice, but I usually put those in containers like those half barrels for shady areas.

[IRescue452]

Bleeding hearts do great in shade. They do grow out a bit, but it takes a while. Tiger lilys too, but they spread.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Impatiens and coleus do very well here in Florida shade. Unfortunately, we have no luck with hostas. I love them. We also do pretty well with begonias in the sun or shade. Anything that can survive the Florida heat should thrive anywhere else. The summers are relentless here. My daylilies do better in partial shade.

[cyber-sibes]

I like Impatience too. They grow well and spread quickly. You saw how much shade we have - there were snapdragons all aroung the big tree by the dirveway when we moved in, so I guess they do well. We replaced them with hostas.

[Logan]

Depending on what size plants you want, Hosta are great, as others have mentioned and I have planted Hydrangeas in the shade at my house, too, as well as Acuba. There are tons of choices with perennials and annuals.

Logan