Little Yellow Wheelbarrow

  • DIY Projects
  • Craft Projects
    • Fiber Projects
    • Wreaths
    • Clay & Cement
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Halloween
    • Christmas Crafts
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Gardening
    • Flower Gardening
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Indoor Gardening
  • Blog
  • Freebie Area
  • Story Archives
Home » Gardening Projects » Flower Gardening » Flowers that Grow in the Shade: The 14 Best Options

By Laura Kennedy Leave a Comment

Flowers that Grow in the Shade: The 14 Best Options

Filed Under: Flower Gardening, Gardening Projects

Looking to add some shade-loving flowers to your garden? Even the darkest spots of your yard can benefit from a splash of colour from these flowers that grow well in the shade.

Many people think that if they have a shady garden they can’t grow flowers. Nothing could be further from the truth! If you have a yard or garden space with less than full sun, you can absolutely have a vibrantly beautiful flower garden.

What are the best flowers to grow in the shade? Keep reading, and I’ll show you all the best ones!


Best Perennial Shade-Loving Flowers

I love having perennial flowers in my garden because I only have to plant them once and they come back year after year. Take a look at this lovely variety of perennial flowers that grow in shade. These beauties will help fill in even your darkest corners with a splash of colour.


Astilbe

These flowers, known for their tall, beautiful bright pink plumes, will burn in full sun. To keep that from happening, plant them in a light to a moderate shady spot.

Zone: 4-9

Light Needs: Part shade to shade

Water Needs: Consistent watering is preferred; slightly drought tolerant

Flower Colours: Pink

Blooms: Mid-summer


A bright pink wispy sprig of Astilbe flower against a bright white background


Bleeding-Heart

These shade-loving flowers appear early in spring and provide quite the ornamental show with pink and white heart-shaped flowers growing on arching stems.

Zone: 3-9

Light Needs: Part shade to shade

Water Needs: Keep soil consistently moist

Flower Colours: Pink and white, white

Blooms: Early spring


Pink heart shaped flowers hanging from a wooden stem.  Bleeding heart plant against a bright white isolated background


Foam Flower

A spring bloomer, these flowers grow well in the shade and are characterized by white fluffy blooms.

Zone: 4-9

Light Needs: Part shade to shade

Water Needs: Keep consistently moist

Flower Colours: White

Blooms: Spring to early summer


Wispy foamflowers against a bright green background.  Flowers blooming in the shade

Forget-Me-Not

Native to the United States, the dainty forget-me-not is a low maintenance addition to many landscapes and looks terrific in garden borders.

Zone: 5-9

Light Needs: Part shade

Water Needs: Prefer to stay moist; thrive in wet, humid areas such as near a body of water

Flower Colours: Blue with yellow centers, pink, white

Blooms: May through October

Bright vibrant corn flower blue forget me not flowers isolated against a bright white background

Hydrangea

A showy shade-loving flower indeed. Hydrangeas are famous for their large, rounded clusters of pink, blue or white flowers. These are non-fussy flowering shrubs that create a great deal of curb appeal. They grow exceptionally well against foundations at the north side of a home.

Zone: 3-9

Light Needs: Part shade

Water Needs: Prefer to stay moist; water deeply as least once a week

Flower Colours: Blue, pink, white

Blooms: Summer to fall


A bright pink Hydrangea flower head with soft green leaves against a bright isolated bright white backgroud

Lily-of-the-Valley

A tiny, delicate-looking flower with a strong, wonderful scent. These shade-loving favourites have adorned gardens and other areas for thousands of years.

There is one crucial thing to know about this flower: it is poisonous and can be fatal to children and pets if ingested. Just two leaves can be a fatal dose. If you have children or pets that frequent your space, I highly recommend steering clear of this one.

Zone: 2-9

Light Needs: Part shade to shade

Water Needs: Keep soil moist

Flower Colours: Pink, white

Blooms: Spring


Up close photo of tiny bell like flowers on a lily of the valley plants against dark green leaves and white blown out background blooming in the shade


Primrose

This early spring bloomer comes in a large variety of sizes and colours and makes an excellent garden or border flower. Also suitable for container gardening, this stunning perennial will add vibrant colours to any landscape.

Zone: 2-8

Light Needs: Part shade, shade

Water Needs: Don’t over-water; prefer well-drained soil and the chance to dry out very slightly between waterings

Flower Colours: Blue, green, orange, red, pink, white, yellow

Blooms: Spring


Vibrantly bright yellow primrose flower against a bright white isolated background

Annual Flowers that Grow in Shade

Annual flowers may not come back year after year, but nothing can beat the blooming power of a splashy annual. Check out this list of the best annual shade-loving flowers.


Impatiens

These cheery, bright beauties can put on quite a colourful display even in full shade. These blooming powerhouses come in a huge variety of colours and will continue to put on a show until the first frost. These flowers look incredible as ground cover, in window boxes, and in patio containers.

Light Needs: Part shade, shade

Water Needs: Keep soil moist; will wilt quickly with a lack of water

Flower Colours: Blue, yellow, purple, orange, red, pink, white

Blooms: Spring, summer, fall


A carpet of pink, red, and white Impatiens flowers with dark green leaves blooming in the shade

Begonias

These showy flowers are a favourite for good reason: begonias are easy to grow and thrive in a variety of conditions. I plant Bada Bing And Bada Boom begonias (see the picture below) every single year in my window boxes at the front of my house, and in containers on my front step. They put on a very beautiful show all summer long.

Light Needs: Part shade, shade

Water Needs: Keep soil moist; well-drained soil

Flower Colours: Yellow, orange, pink, white

Blooms: Spring, summer, fall


Small Bright pink  flowers with lemon yellow centres  against chartreuse green leaves.  Begonias blooming in the shade.

Calendula

With their bright yellow and orange blooms, the calendula (also known as pot marigolds) have long been a favourite in British Cottage gardens. The secret to growing thriving calendula plants is to slightly neglect them.

Light Needs: Part shade

Water Needs: Keep soil moist; well-drained soil

Flower Colours: Yellow, orange

Blooms: Spring, fall


Very bright yellow calendula flowers with orange centers  and dark wax like leaves against a bright white background.

Snapdragons

A bright, mid-sized plant, snapdragons make a terrific bridge between short and tall plants in your garden. Perfect for cut bouquets, this cool-weather bloomer looks right at home among violas and pansies.

Light Needs: Part shade

Water Needs: Prefer well-drained soil; avoid over-watering

Flower Colours: Yellow, orange, white, pink, red

Blooms: Spring, summer, fall


Orange snapdragons against a bright white background

Fuchsia

This delicate, exotic-looking flower has a rather unique shape. Although not particularly fragrant, fuchsia will stun in hanging baskets and attract hummingbirds.

Light Needs: Part shade, shade

Water Needs: Prefer well-drained soil; avoid over-watering

Flower Colours: Purple, orange, white, pink, red

Blooms: Summer, fall


Two soft white fuscia flowers isolated against a bright white background.

Pansy

Part of the viola family, pansies are cool-weather flowers that grow in shade and are among the first colourful blooms you see as winter departs.

Light Needs: Part shade

Water Needs: Prefer well-drained soil; avoid over-watering

Flower Colours: Purple, blue, orange, white, pink, red

Blooms: Spring, fall


Three Purple pansy flowers with lime green stems against a bright white background

Wishbone

The wishbone flower is a delicate, shade-loving flower with plentiful blossoms that grow close to the ground. The bi-colour blooms of the wishbone add a nice splash of colour to garden borders.

Light Needs: Part shade

Water Needs: Keep soil moist; prefer well-drained soil

Flower Colours: Purple, blue, yellow, white, pink

Blooms: Spring, summer, fall


Small soft white cupped blooms of the wishbone flower against a sea of lime green leaves blooming in the shade

Vegetables that Grow in the Shade

Did you know that there are even some vegetables that can grow well without full sun? There are dozens of shade-tolerant options that can provide you with a bountiful harvest! Here are 28 shade-friendly vegetables to try planting.


Flowers that Grow in the Shade: Final Thoughts

With this list of gorgeous flowers that grow in shade, you won’t need to look anywhere else to brighten up those dark spots in your yard. Enjoy all areas of your yard this year – even the shady ones with these shade-loving flowers! Which flower on this list is your favourite?

Looking For More Flower Gardening Ideas?

Cut Flower Garden: The Absolute Best Flowers to Grow For Beautiful Displays

9 Best Flowering Shrubs to Plant for Great Curb Appeal Landscaping

10 Easy Flowers To Grow From Seeds

How to Dry Flowers - We Tested 5 Different Methods to Find the Best!

Previous Post: « Companion Planting Vegetables for Higher Yields and Healthier Gardens
Next Post: DIY Decorative Terracotta Pots With Scalloped Edges »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Connect

  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Stay up to date

Don't miss a single DIY project and get access to our free resource library!

Privacy Policy

Search This Site:

Little Yellow Wheelbarrow is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. See Disclosure Policy.

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Captivating Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in