Shade loving perennials?

[derialc]

I have a patch of land at the back of my garden that is very overshadowed by a row of hawthorn trees. Over the years I have tried numerous plants and flowers there but nothing thrives. I'd does get som evening sun but I wonder if part of the problem is that the trees also shelter it from the rain so the soil is quite dry. Would anyone have any suggestions? Preferably I'm looking for something that will add a splash of colour but I'm open to all ideas!

 

[firelily99]

Hostas don't necessarily have a lot of color but they do have many sizes and leaf patterns. They are durable but if you do have a deer problem you will have to put a repellent on them. The deer find them to be a delicious snack. What plants have you tried and where are you located? Raised beds might be the answer if you think that the plants are not getting enough nutrients and water.

 

[claudine]

If I were you, I'd plant Primroses. They look really lovely and they're very colorful. I love them They're easy to grow and they don't need a lot of sunlight. You wold have to water them from time to time though.
Here is what they look like:

 

[Edgeofparadise]

Would primroses do well mixed in with hostas? I have always planted hostas in shade but some color mixed in would sure be nice.

 

[annageckos]

I have a shade garden and have struggled to find nice plants. It has taken a couple years but it is starting to get filled in now. Heuchera also called coral bells are nice and come in many different colors. I'll list a few others I have. Astilbe, columbine (they will die back in the summer, but are one of the first things to bloom in the spring), coleus (not perennial), hellebore, ferns ( I have ostrich, cinnamon, Japanese painted, ghost and autumn), calla lily, feverfew and dead nettle (they are more of a ground cover.. There is also bleeding hearts (they die back in the summer), jack in the pulpit, caladium and elephant ears (not perennial in my zone) and foxglove. I've grown foxglove in both shade and sun, it seems to do better in some sun. Oh and masterwort. It's one of my new favorites, but not easy to find all the time, I've never seen it locally.

 

[derialc]

Thank you so much everyone! - lots of ideas to get me started!

Annageckos - I've never actually planted feverfew but it seems to have blown in from somewhere and is one plant that is doing very well out there! I like the little flowers too!

Firelily - I've tried nasturtiums, heathers, campanulas, verbenas and climbing roses. The roses actually didn't do too badly but they have climbed into the sunnier spots! I'm in Ireland...

Claudine - I can't believe I never thought of primroses! Fingers crossed!

 

[Trellum]

Have you thought of these:

Ajuga... they are quite nice! My n laws planted some of these this year!

Or an old fashioned bleeding heart:

 

[Allison]

I forgot about Primroses!
I love those pictures of the bleeding hearts.
I would suggest impatiens, bleeding hearts, and begonias. Those were the standards.
How about Lily-of-the-Valley or Pulmonaria.

Allison

 

[claudine]

Trellum, wow, these pictures of bleeding hearts are beyond gorgeous! Looking at them makes me want to grow this plant too. I'm sure it would survive in my climate zone, I remember seeing it in my neighbors garden.
Allison - Lilies of the Valley are a great suggestion. They're really lovely and they're doing great in shady areas

 

[annageckos]

Just remembered another one, called chameleon plant. It also goes by other names. I'll have to get a few pics of mine. It has beautiful variegated leaves, they are all different. Some leaves have dark green, light green, pink, cream/white and gold all on the same leaf. Most have a combo of three or four of those colors. The flowers are small and white, nothing compared to the foliage. They will grow anywhere from full shade to full sun.

 

[Pat]

I did not know the name of this plant but it is pretty. The chameleon plant.

 

[annageckos]

I wanted to add but I can't edit my post. They do better in shaded areas then sun, but i do have a few in near full sun. They do look better in shade, and they spread and fill areas in. They are easy to pull too if you don't want them where they spread.

 

[claudine]

Pat, this chameleon plant looks really unique and pretty. It's the first time when I see such colorful leaves, they remind me of a rainbow Can you tell us more about it? In what climate does it grow best?

 

[gata montes]

The Chameleon Plant or Houttuynia Cordata would be one of my favorite choices for a shade garden too -as I think apart from the fact it comes in such a wonderful array of colors its an excellent choice for almost year round ground cover - but saying that - its not a choice I would recommend for planting underneath a tree canopy - mainly because the soil around the base a tree is generally extremely dry which as Houttuynia requires a great deal of moisture in order to thrive - it probably wouldn't do too well apart from that when grown in cooler climates - this plant requires full sun rather than shade.

However although its a little disappointing that Houttuynia Cordata may not be the best choice - there are plenty of other easy care plants that would happily thrive in these conditions and I would agree with annageckos - one of the best choices if looking for something really colorful that is suited to growing under a tree would be the Heuchera variety known as Coral Bells - especially as there is an abundance of choice in terms of both foliage shape and color - like for instance

Silver Scrolls

or just about any other color you desire

Epimediums are also a good choice as they too come in many colors - such this one -Versicolor Sulphureum

Cyclamen Hederifolium with its beautiful flowers and unusual foliage can look stunning around the base of trees

and if you wanted something really different - how about some of the wild gingers - which apart from being excellent ground cover would be a bit of a talking point too

Asarum Magnificum

Asarum Maximum - otherwise known as " Panda Faced Ginger "

 

[annageckos]

I have chameleon plants growing under trees, they do great. They grow better for me in the shade then sun. Every winter they die back completely and come back in the spring. But I tend to plant things people tell me won't do well or will take over and see how they do. I've had plants labeled full sun in part shade do well, and other plants I was told are invasive that didn't take over for me. I like to experiment and see what works best for me.