Plants that do well in shady areas?

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).

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


I'll ask my mom when she gets home.

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Originally Posted by Kfamr

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

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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.

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

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

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.

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Originally Posted by Queen of Poop

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

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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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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. :)

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.

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

I use hostas and impatiens in my shadiest areas. That way, there is the perennial that kind of adds structure to the area and then I can use whatever color of impatiens I want - different each year :) The impatiens do need a good bit of water though. The hostas come in some really pretty varieties - deep ridges in the leaves or variegated colors with yellows and whites. Those things are so reliable - at least where we live. (Ohio) You can also divide them up each year.

Here is an area we planted with the above - freshly planted here. This year, they are at least twice the size.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...en/garden8.jpg

edit: Love the pictures K9soul!! My favorite is in your middle picture.:)

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Originally Posted by IRescue452

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

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yes I love bleeding hearts and tiger lillies

Bleeding heart does well in PARTIAL shade. In MY yard's shade, it barely even comes up each year. When I say my back yard is dark, I mean DARK! The astible does better, marginally ...

Violets and Forgetmenots do do well. The forgetmenots unfortunately re-seeded themselves into the lawn, and not the garden area, so they got mowed this year! Gotta replant.

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Originally Posted by sirrahbed

edit: Love the pictures K9soul!! My favorite is in your middle picture.:)

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That one was my favorite too! I just loved that gold one. I can't remember the variety that one was, but it looked similar to one called August Moon they were selling. Your hostas and impatiens look nice. :) I'm thinking hostas would do nicely in NY where Sue is from. Hydrangeas are nice too if you like a bigger shrub like plant or two.

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!

I've done a lot of research since yous started posting yesterday. Between that & memory yous have listed some plants that I have already tried there.
Here is what I have tried so far & how they did:
wildflowers (died before they were 1-2" tall)
Marigolds (died within a month)
Snap dragons (lived but didn't bloom that much)
Lillies (were there when I moved in, I have them in numerous parts of my yard I moved them because they were half the size & didn't bloom as much as the others)
Violets (didn't bloom or grow anything like the violets I have elsewhere in my yard)
Pansy's (lived but didn't grow or live well)
Lavander (lived but didn't produce anything but the stems)
There are a few other annuals I tried before but I can't find their names yet.

Seems that everything I have tried either died or didn't grow as tall or flower as much as they should.

And yes I have had my soil checked last year and it is fine. I think it just that, like I said this area gets very little if any sun at all.

I prefer perennials but annuals would be ok. I also prefer something that grows to be at least a foot or so tall, but under 4 feet and flowers.

I think I might try 1-2 or so of the following, depending on what is avail & what I like once I see them in person:
Impatience (because I would love something that flowers there)
Hostas (they stay short though don't they?)
Periwinkle
And I'll put in 1-3 giant ferns there too in the background, just in case all else fails I will at least have something. :p

I love the bleeding hearts, not sure if I will try that or not though.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...oyStorm011.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...oyStorm008.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...oyStorm007.jpg

Just saw this. I will ask my hubby, he is the one with green fingers here :D

I am sure about one plant though: "fern"

Hosta come in very many different varieties and some can get quite tall! Make sure you read up on which kind you are getting to be certain about the mature height. I daresay you aren't going to find one that gets to 4 ft tall, though! LOL!!

Logan