Top 10 Hardy Perennials For Shade

Brunnera adds interest to shady areas
Image: Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' from Thompson & Morgan

Looking for shade-tolerant plants to fill a gloomy corner or a north-facing garden? Perhaps you have a little area beside the shed, under a tree, or an edge of a patio that ends up feeling neglected and unloved due to a lack of sunlight. From dappled sunlight through to deep shade, there are many plants that positively thrive in lower levels of light. Here are ten of our favourite hardy perennials to brighten up a shady garden.

1. Brunnera 'Jack Frost'

The silver-white foliage of this brunnera makes ideal ground cover
Image: Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' from Thompson & Morgan

Brunnera 'Jack Frost' forms neat clumps of silvery foliage, traced with a pattern of dark green veins. It looks wonderful when planted underneath deciduous trees and shrubs, or equally as good in a container on a shady patio.

Brunneras are hardy perennials with heart-shaped leaves and clustered sprays of small, bright blue flowers in spring.They are happy in shade or dappled shade, making them the perfect addition to a woodland garden or north-facing planting scheme.

2. Geranium sanguineum 'Pink Pouffe'

Closeup of pale pink geranium (cranesbill) flowers

These pale pink blooms make excellent perennial ground cover
Image: Geranium sanguineum 'Pink Pouffe' from Thompson & Morgan/©Darby Nursery Stock Ltd

Geranium sanguineum 'Pink Pouffe' has pale pink flowers with darker pink veins. Growing well in semi-shade or dappled shade, it flowers from June to August. The foliage is a glorious green and forms a loose mound. Removing faded flowers and old foliage early in the summer encourages new growth, keeping your hardy geranium looking fresh and tidy.

Hardy Geraniums, also known as Cranesbills, are wonderful herbaceous perennials which come in a variety of colours. Long-flowering, easy-to-grow and reliable, they form spreading clumps that come back bigger and better each year.

3. Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans

This hosta has beautiful, bell-shaped flowers in summer
Image: Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans from Thompson & Morgan

Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans likes most soils but, if planted in pots, it needs to be watered regularly. The large ribbed leaves are a fantastic backdrop to the white flowers that appear in June and July. Awarded an RHS Award of Garden Merit, it's easy to grow and makes excellent ground cover in a shady spot.

Hostas have grown largely in popularity over the years and they come with a wide variety of different foliage colours, shapes and fragrances. One of the best perennials for shade, they are easy to care for and propagate. Slugs and snails are rather partial to their decorative leaves, but this can be managed with pest control methods or you can grow them in containers or rock gardens.

4. Foxglove 'Excelsior Hybrid Mixed'

collection of pink and white foxglove flowers

Reaching 5ft high, these tall blooms bring the garden to life in early summer
Image: Foxglove 'Excelsior Hybrid Mixed' from Thompson & Morgan

Foxglove 'Excelsior Hybrid Mixed' is a statuesque strain of foxgloves that grows well in shaded areas under shrubs and trees. Pollinators love the tall spikes of flowers with their spotty throats and soft pink, white, yellow and mauve petals. They tolerate almost any soil apart from waterlogged or excessively dry conditions.

Foxgloves are biennial or short-lived perennials that lend height to planting schemes and provide an effortless cottage garden feel. Growing up to 2m tall, they are excellent wildlife-friendly blooms that often self-seed once planted. Simply transplant the seedlings to pots or move them to a bigger space whenever they pop up.

5. Hellebore argutifolius

Flowering from late winter, this zesty hellebore works well with any colour scheme
Image: Hellebore argutifolius from Thompson & Morgan/©Hoogeveen / Visions BV, Netherlands

Reaching an eventual height of 80cm, our new hardy perennial Hellebore argutifolius gets better each year. A 'must have' plant for winter, the sophisticated clusters of pale green blooms combine beautifully with your emerging spring bulbs. Happy in sun or partial shade, it looks especially good when planted in large groups under trees.

Hellebores are a stunning addition to shady borders and also look great in winter containers. WIth glossy evergreen foliage, they deliver all year round interest to any outside space.

6. Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash'

'Raspberry Splash' has a unique tricolour effect
Image: Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' from Thompson & Morgan

Providing fabulous ground cover for shady areas, Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash' is a particularly beautiful variety. With silver spotted foliage and clusters of pink blooms that mature through purple to light mauve every spring, the resulting tricolour effect is striking. A useful perennial plant reaching 30cm high, it can be used in a woodland setting or to brighten up a dark corner of the garden.

Pulmonaria, commonly known as lungwort, is an evergreen perennial that grows well in partial to full shade. Known for its edible, medicinal leaves, the plant is also used to make Vermouth.

7. Dryopteris wallichiana 'Jurassic Gold'

The new fronds of this plant emerge in a striking rose-bronze colour
Image: Dryopteris wallichiana 'Jurassic Gold' from Thompson & Morgan

Dryopteris wallichiana 'Jurassic Gold' produces new rose-bronze fronds in spring that mature to yellow and then green as the summer moves on. Planted in a sheltered position it will remain semi-evergreen, proving to be hardy and low-maintenance. It also looks good as a container plant on the patio.

Ferns are often regarded as woodland plants, growing the dappled light conditions of deciduous tree canopies. There are many different species, but many are particularly well suited to shade. They like to be planted in moist but well-drained soil.

8. Heuchera 'Caramel'

bronze coloured heuchera leaves and white flowers

Richly-coloured coppery foliage make 'Caramel' a popular choice
Image: Heuchera 'Caramel' from Thompson & Morgan

Heuchera 'Caramel' is a real beauty with rich coppery foliage and summer flowers. Perfect for planting in pots, at the front of borders, or in a shady woodland position, this exceptionally pretty cultivar stands out from the crowd. New foliage emerges in red before turning bronze and then gold. But the leaves don't drop, and the autumnal colours are retained all year round.

Heucheras are popular foliage plants that come in a variety of amazing hues. Perfect for brightening up a semi-shady position, the colours are a striking addition to borders and containers.

9. Lily of the Valley

closeup of white lily of the valley flowers

These snow-white, bell-shaped blooms have a powerful fragrance
Image: Lily of the Valley (White) from Thompson & Morgan

Convallaria majalis, or Lily of the Valley, is a tough ground cover plant that likes growing under trees in dappled, or even full shade. Requiring very little maintenance, this hardy perennial grows well in moist, rich and well-drained soils. Its delicate arching stems feature white, bell-shaped blooms that, when cut, make a wonderful addition to a vase.

Lily of the Valley is grown from rhizomes called 'pips'. When planted they quickly develop a strong underground root system and grow into a magical carpet of irresistible scent.

10. Vinca major 'Variegata'

single purple vinca flower amongst green foliage

Vinca major 'Variegata' has bright, evergreen leaves
Image: Vinca major 'Variegata' from Thompson & Morgan

Vinca major 'Variegata' (Variegated Greater Periwinkle) is a great groundcover perennial that thrives in almost any location, from full sun to deep shade. If you have a tricky area of the garden where little else grows, for example a dark slope, it's a great option. The gold-edged variegated leaves are the perfect way to brighten up gloomy spots.

Vinca minor, which boasts delicate blue flowers from May to October, is another good choice. Under trees and in deep shade, both major and minor varieties are easy to keep in check. If you plant them in a better, sunnier spot, they will grow more vigorously.

We hope we've given you some new ideas on how to transform the shady spots in your garden. For more information and advice on growing plants for shade, visit our advice hub.