Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil
No sun, no problem!
Here are the best shade loving plants that will tolerate low light conditions.
In fact, many of them will thrive even when they don’t get full sun.
This makes them perfect for areas in your garden that are blocked by trees, your home and other structures.
You can likewise grow them indoors, balcony and patio since they don’t require direct sunlight.
The best thing about them is, you’ll be surprised at the variety and beautiful colors that have.
Coral Bells
Coral bells are beautiful perennials that make your garden glow.
Their small bell-shaped flowers are lovely to look at. And, they have complementing foliage as well.
Add to that your choice of different colors ranging from pink to white, coral and red.
You don’t have to worry too much about their size because they only grow up to 12 to 18 inches tall.
While they enjoy full sun, they grow just as well in part shade.
This lets you enjoy them even if your garden doesn’t get a lot of natural light.
Torenia
If you live in zones 2 through 11 and want something that add color to your garden, the torenia is a good place to start.
These lovely shaped flowers come in a variety of bright colors including purple, pink and white.
Plus, they grow in a bunch so they look even better.
Once again, these aren’t the tallest of flowers. They’ll get to between 6-12 inches high. But, they do spread out a little reaching between 6 to 9 inches in width.
In case you like attracting birds to your garden, you’ll be happy to know that hummingbirds like torenias.
Foam Flower
Did you like the coral bells above?
If you did, then you may want to get to know its cousin, the foam flower.
The two are related. And, you can probably see their similarities.
Beside growing in shaded conditions, the two are very beautiful to look at.
Although, foam flowers aren’t as bright and gaudy.
Yet, they still look great especially when you see them altogether. This quantity makes them a good ground cover thanks to their density.
Christmas Fern
Should you want to add more green than flowers to your garden, the Christmas fern is one worth considering.
This is another plant that likes shaded areas.
One of the things that makes it unique is that Its dark green foliage have color almost the entire year round.
You can grow them indoors or outside. In part, that’s because they don’t get too big.
They reach about 3 feet tall and around 4 feet in width.
Foxglove
Foxglove plants are perfect if you want to add a little height to your garden.
It grows up to 6 feet high which allows you to add some vertical interest to your yard.
It’s important to note that this shade loving plant is poisonous.
Ingesting any part of it can be deadly. So, it’s important to keep it away from young kids and pets who may get curious.
That said, they’re bell-shaped flowers are very beautiful in part thanks to their lovely colors.
They do like hot areas. And, will grow best during the warmer summer days.
Astilbe
The astilbe plant is beautiful to look at thanks to its bright flower.
Althought, its foliage can make you mistaken it for a fern.
This flower grows in zones 3 through 9.
And it enjoys partial sun and shaded conditions. Direct sunlight is actually not a good idea as it can burn this plant.
But, it’s also worth noting that too much shade will hinder the growth of its flowers.
Lady’s Mantle
If you look from a distance, you may mistaken the lady’s mantle for a veggie garden.
That’s because it’s leaves can resemble a row of green, leafy vegetables.
It is for this reason that this plant works well as a edging and ground cover.
In case you’re wondering, it is edible.
But, it’s often used in teas and medicinal purposes.
Coleus
Coleus plants are among those that grow in both sunny and shade conditions.
But, it’s important to note that too much shade can dull its bright, colorful foliage.
This kind of defeats the purpose of growing them since their lovely leaves are their crowning glory.
That said, too much sun is likewise a no-no.
Dead Nettle
Dead nettles are perfect for covering shaded areas in your garden where most plants don’t grow.
Because they like the shade, they’re able to make blank patches of soil look lively.
This makes them perfect for corners or sides of your garden that don’t get a lot of sun because they’re covered by your home, a shed or trees.
These plants grow in zones 4 to 8.
And, they come in light colors that complement their dark green foliage.
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are very popular because of the way they look.
These plants are bright, flowering shrubs that are present in hardiness zones 3 through 9.
They’re also available in many colors including green, pink, blue, white and red among others.
This lets you select the ones that you like the most.
Bletilla
The bletilla is composed of only a handful of species.
Among which, only the bletilla striata is one you can find in stores.
That said, they’re well worth it.
These are magnificent looking orchids that grow purple flowers.
While the flowers themselves aren’t big, they grow in clumps making them very noticeable in any garden.
They thrive in partial sun and partial shade environments. They likewise enjoy fertile, well-drained soil.
Primrose
The primrose is perfect if you’re looking for bright colored flowers that bloom in partially shaded sections of your garden.
It’s not always easy to find something colorful and beautiful that doesn’t require a lot of sun. But,the primrose gives you that.
You also get a lot of variations including pink, blue, orange, white, yellow and bicolored ones.
Hosta
Hostas are perfect for outdoors. That’s why you’ll often see this shrub in gardens.
However, you can likewise enjoy their lovely looking foliage indoors.
You do need to place them in containers and keep them in the right conditions.
That said, this plant likes the shade.
It’s versatile look lets you position them as borders, in containers and other spaces as well. They look nice on the patio just as they do the garden.
The one thing you’ll want to watch out for with hosta plants is the pests that come with them.
Snails and slugs love them. Deer and rabbits are attracted to them as well.
Polka Dot Plant
Depending on the species you find, you’ll notice that the dots on the foliage of the plant can vary.
Some are more obvious in their dotted shapes.
But others look more like blotches of paint.
Either way, they look very pretty.
And, you have the option of choosing something more muted or showy depending on your needs. The pink and red ones are brighter and more unique looking.
Meanwhile, the white ones are less showy.
That said, polka dot plants make for great houseplants. They do well in containers and can tolerate lower light conditions.
Impatiens
Looking for a gorgeous flower that you can grow indoors or outside?
The impatiens is something worth considering.
It’s likes both part sun, part shade allowing you to easily enjoy it as a houseplant.
You can also place it in a container to grow in your patio or garden as well.
Meadow Rue
If you want a more refined look, the meadow rue is a great choice.
It isn’t as flashy as some of the other flowers. But, you get something majestically classical.
It’s simple. Yet, its colors come out very well.
While small, this plant’s flowers clump together. This makes you notice them.
They’ll get to between 4 to 6 feet tall and cover a space of around 2 to 3 feet.
Lungwort
Don’t let its ugly name fool you.
This is a gorgeous looking plant whose flower is worth listening to its unflattering name.
In case you’re interested, it got its name because it used to used to tread lung issues.
In any case, this is a fairly small plant that gets up to 14 inches. It does grow wide though, up to 2 feet.
Flowering Maple
The flowering maple is something that gardeners like because it’s beauty is unique.
Both the flower and its leaves are distinct from other plants.
This makes them very attractive to look at.
Heucherella
The heucherella gets its name from its parents. These are the heuchera and the the tiarella combined.
What you get is a lovely ground cover that grows well in shade conditions.
This is another great option if you want to cover blank or bald spots in your garden because not many flowers want to grow when there’s lack of sun in that space.
Of course, besides its lovely looks, this plant is also known for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.
Copper Plant
Big and bold, these plants are ideal to grow outdoors.
They’ll grow around 6-10 feet tall and get as wide as 4 to 8 feet.
This makes them great if you want to cover an area with purple foliage.
Copper plants like warm weather. So, you’ll find them in tropical environments including Florida. This also allows them to grow all year round.
Creeping Jenny
The creeping Jenny is perfect if you want to cover some space, be it vertically or horizontally.
They’re often used for ground cover because they’re fast growing and can take over a space fairly quickly.
That said, you can hang them up as well and let them trail downwards for special effects.
Conclusion
Not having enough sunlight is never an excuse not to grow a garden.
Hopefully, the list above will help you find a few amazing plants you’ll start growing in your home or garden.
Which one did you like the most?
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