Plants that do well in shady areas?

[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

[sirrahbed]

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.


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

[Karen]

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.

[K9soul]

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

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.

[shihtzulover850]

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

yes I love bleeding hearts and tiger lillies