Plants That Thrive Where the "Sun Don't Shine" -- Best Shade Perennials

Years of trial and error in the shadow of giant oaks and towering spruces have bestowed some insight into the hardiest choices for those dappled gardens where sunlight's at a premium.

When we moved to our new home, Bill and I became the custodians of a shady island at the end of our driveway.  Moving from a riverside valley to the top of a sunny hill, the little island became the landing pad for most of the transplants who'd made the trip.


Now the median looks like a test site for Shady Acres.


On Independence Day we decided to free three frazzled blue hostas from a sunny patch atop the hill.

Thirty minutes later the trio had a shady home, anchoring the curved edge of our island garden.




Hosta

Beneath a canopy of leaves and whorls, here's what's shines in the Midwest shade parade:


Shade Borders:

1.   Hosta:     Hosta's easy and low maintenance. With countless varieties the choices are limitless.  The plantain lily adds density and texture to any garden.  Leaves bow gracefully, adapting to the location. Spiked
blooms vary in color from stark white to lavender.  Noninvasive, hostas are best transplanted in the fall allowing the leaves to flow naturally into the new space by spring.  I've scooped out hosta root, tossed the base into a new hole, and covered the hosta with leaves while snowflakes swirled overhead.  Not recommended, but these late transplants survived and thrived, with minimal time to reestablish. 




White Cranesbill Geranium

2.  Geranium cranesbill:  Cranesbill sport lacy leaves and delicate flowers in shades of pink, white and lavender.   Like hosta, they're mounding plants, best suited for the front of the garden.  Sweet scented leaves assist in deterring mosquitos. 

3.  Heuchera:  Coral Bells add burgundy color and fare better in deep shade over newer lime and copper toned varieties.   Generally, the darker the color, the better the survival rate, and the less sun required.



Astilbe

Mid-garden:

1.  Astilbe:   Astilbe reaches two to three feet in height with pointed leaves that offer more movement than other shade plants.  Plume-like flowers in late spring come in pale shades of salmon, ivory, hot pink and dramatic red.  Astilbe needs no cutting back.  They arrive early in the spring and begin die back in late summer.  Astilbe establishes well with regular watering, but once committed resists transplantation.


Monkshood

2.  Monkshood:  The slender curved leaves resemble those of daylilies.  I transplanted some last spring, thinking they were Stella d'Oro.  Then soft purple blooms came as a pleasant surprise in late 

Turtlehead

spring, lasting
through July. 

3.  Turtlehead:  With hot pink or white blooms on medium sized stalks, this fall bloomer is a favorite.  Also called the "lipstick plant" vegetation spreads slowly with little reseeding. 

Liguria / Rayflower

4.  Liguria:   Known as the Rayflower, sunny yellow blossoms emerge from the center of this rounding plant, offering drama in the shade.  Plant tones come in burgundy or green with opposing colors on the downward side of the leaf.  In a slight breeze all eyes are drawn to this underused plant.  Reseeds easily.

Bleeding Heart

5.  Obedient plant:  Thin stemmed with gathered pink or white blooms in early fall. This plant derives its name from the propensity to stay put when a stalk is put into place. 



6.  Bleeding heart:  One of the first spring bloomers, bleeding heart grow up to three feet across but die back to the ground each fall.  After the distended flowers bloom in mid-spring, the bushy plant can be shaped.  In the fall, leaves turn to bright gold.  Reseeds, but noninvasive. 

Fern

7.  Fern:  Feathery fern look fabulous by the second year of planting, but by the fourth year, fern's prolific ability to multiply means the rest of the shade bed is about to succumb, making it a high maintenance choice for a mixed bed.  Fern fares best in a mass planting area or hillside.  An exception is the dainty painted fern which spreads at glacial speed and offers unusual color and textural components.

Petasite

8. Petasite:   A prehistoric looking perennial, dinofood's rarely found in nurseries.  The big-eared show stopper can be a bit pushy, but is easily contained.  Early in the spring, small chartreuse blooms appear atop the soil like psychedelic turtles.  By late spring, large
round leaves atop sturdy stems are the focal point of the garden.  You'll find these lovelies at reclaimed plant sales and garden shops specializing in native woodland plants. 


A shady garden is capable of as much vibrancy and variety as its sunny counterpart, Still, no amount of fertilizer will cause a "full sun" plant to bloom in the shade, The absence of sun means less stress on the plant. 

Unschooled consumers may buy based upon apparent blooms rather than foliage.

It just takes a bit more effort to locate many of these dark lords as retailers tend to focus on higher volume sun lovers and a handful of old standards.

Still, there's nothing like a cooling breeze in the dappled shade on a blistering day. 

Remember, as trees grow taller the sun gets smaller--and shade progresses.

As the Girl Scouts say "be prepared!"

More For Shade Lovers:

Hosta La Vista!

Turtlehead and Other Fall Blooming Plants

Springtime Loves a Bleeding Heart

Best Shade Annuals

WHAT ARE THE TOP ANNUALS FOR SHADE GARDENS?

Annuals are one season showstoppers.

Typically native to warmer climates south of zone eight, annuals flourish in the summer months then die back after the fall frost.

Unlike perennials, which survive the winter months reappearing in late spring, annuals quickly establish, then bloom until frost.

New Guinea Impatiens are disease free

The majority of mass produced annuals require full to partial sunlight. 

Choices are  limited for shade gardeners craving some color, but blooms that thrive in full to partial shade are readily available.

1.  Impatiens:  Fabulous, but risky.  The moldy blight overwinters and could take three to five years before it clears out.  Replanting risks a return to the starting block.  If planting make sure the area is well drained.

2.   Begonia:  Does well in dappled shade.  More disease resistant.  Chose a variety with green leaves
as burgundy and brown stems don't show as well. White pops in the shade.  Pink and red blooms are smaller and do not show as well.  In the fall begonia become a mounding beauty, with a spectacular show before the cold sets in.  Die back in late fall is quick.  Removal is easy as roots are minimal.

2.  Coleus.  Fast becoming a favorite, coleus comes in a plethora of beautiful jewel tones.  Great for the border.

3.  Minimulus/Monkey Flower:  The white blooms are small, ringed in soft purples and pinks and resemble tiny monkey faces.    These rascals require little pruning. 

4.  Pansies:   Deep, stunning and vibrant colors, these are hardy annuals.  Die back occurs during the
hottest summer months.  Cut back and move to a shady location for a second bloom in the fall.  Pansies and violas often survive to spring if sheltered or following a mild winter.

Group in drifts or combinations throughout the yard or in pots.

There's a peacefulness in the shade garden that cannot be measured by the sun.

In early spring, fall-planted bubs will naturalize and flourish before trees bloom.

Observing a shaded garden from a sunny outpost, it appears monotonous.  Not much color is needed, but adding a bit beckons the garden visitor to the coolness under the canopy.

Somewhat Shady:

Best Shade Perennials

Turtlehead and other Fall Bloomers

Busy Lizzie or Bust? Should I Plant Impatiens in 2019?

Is it safe to plant impatiens this year? 

Appearances can be misleading.  If nursery shelves are any indication, then impatiens walleriana seem to be a go this year.  Downy mildew has now plagued this staple of the shade garden for at least a half dozen years.  Sadly, the disease  shows no signs of letting up.

Yet it's tough to pass up those lovely flats of pinks and salmons each spring.  But robust, healthy looking plants may whither before season's end, leaving the garden barren when it should have been poppin'. 

Cautious gardeners following expert advice held back from planting colorful  bizzies for the recommended three years--only to find that the disease had either remained in the soil or the dastardly spores had hitchhiked in on new purchases.  

Thus, in 2019, proceed with caution.  At the shop, inspect the undersides of baby plants for spots or dots.  Plants in drier areas or locations which did not host infected plants in prior years.  Impatiens mildew is a water mold. Irrigate in the morning to avoid moisture clinging to leaves overnight.  

Give it a cautious go if you must, and hope for the best. 

Begonia Shade Border

Impatiens are tropical natives.  The tiny seeds are difficult, but not impossible to start.  The moist environs of a greenhouse makes it a good host for killer spores.

Downy mildew only affects one breed, impatiens walleriana, 

Plan B calls for substitution of colorful alternatives:

Bye Bye Bizzie Lizzies! What to Plant Instead of Impatiens

Begonia are the new Impatiens

Coleus Revisted ~ Should I Plant Coleus instead of Impatiens?

Experiment or adapt.  Versatility is the mainstay of gardening.  

Made for the Shade:

Best Shade Annuals

Plants that Thrive Where the Sun Doesn't Shine ~ Best Shade Perennials

Impatiens Report 2018

Impatiens 2016 ~ The Blight is Back

Bye Bye Busy Lizzies! What to Plant Instead of Impatiens?

Still bad news for impatiens in 2017

Impatiens blight 2013.  Impatiens disease.  Impatiens fungus.  This spring,    impatiens will be be rarer than a five legged frog. Bye bye Busy Lizzies (as impatiens are nicknamed in Great Britain.)  Most stores won't carry them this year.  These easy, breezy, colorful mainstays of the shade garden are on hiatus.  Word has it there'll be few hothouse impatiens offered for at least three years.  Truth is, no one really knows how long impatiens will be off the market.

It was great while it lasted.  Impatiens filled even the shadiest garden from stem to stern with hot pinks, corals, salmon, fuschia and lovely lipstick red.  No plucking nor cutting back, just simply add water.  By August the blooms would merge, creating mounds of deep color, highly visible from anywhere in the yard. Downy mildew or impatient blight changed that. 

Yet, as in life, adaptation is the key to good gardening. 

For deep shade, there truly are no replacements as colorful as impatiens, so it may be time for an interim detour to mainstay perennials like hosta, perhaps layered with spring bulbs. 

Prefer annuals?   Consider these:

White Sunpatiens

1.  Sunpatiens/New Guinea Impatiens:  They bloom better with a bit of sun, but are disease resistant.  Just don't forget to water as they wilt easily in hot temperatures.

2.  Minmulus/Monkey Flower:  With small blooms that resemble a monkey's face, these shade plants can't be found at a big box store, so stick with the local greenhouse.  Block's Market Stand usually carries them, but their homegrown crop is limited.  Monkey flowers will not pack the colorful punch of impatiens, but they'll provide delicate hues.

3.  Coleus:  Eh, unsure.  The gardener looking for the same pop of primary color might not be amenable to the jewel toned rusts, browns, golds and greens of coleus.  Plus, there must be much pinching back to maintain the mounding nature of a true border plant. 

4.  Begonia:  A second cousin of impatiens, begonia colors are more limited. The smaller blooms and
cooler hues create a different effect, but the foliage is more interesting.  My mother loved her red begonias.  Not nearly as pest resistant as impatiens, yet these old girls may have the last laugh!










Sunpatiens and Alyssum as border plants

4.  Alyssum.  This is where I'm placing my bets. Alyssum does well in part shade, mounds nicely as a border plant, and requires little maintenance.  Best of all, sweet alyssum is fragrant, and left alone, reseeds for years.  Purple alyssum reverts to the orginal prehybrid white in the second year. Layered with Sunpatiens, as shown above, the contrast of the fuzzy soft blooms against sharper leaves and bold colors is well balanced. 

Uncovering a scarce flat of impatiens, does one dare take the chance?  Be judicious.  Don't fill the yard with these risky blooms, but perhaps gamble with a flat of locally grown.  Plant in a part shade location that did not host impatiens last year.  Don't oversaturate, and irrigate in the morning to allow drying time.  Avoid crowding and allow air circulation.  Then, cross your fingers. 

Possibly a benefit of the long cold winter may be the death of last year's downy mildew spores.  Time will tell.

Enjoy and experiment with the alternatives.  Ever changing borders are a gardener's happy challenge. 

More Articles of Interest:

Layered Planting -- Should I Cut Back Faded Bulbs?

Impatiens Disease -- Trouble in the Landscape

When Should I Plant Annuals in Michigan?

Impatiens 2015 -- Balsam Blight Update

Is it safe to plant impatiens or balsam in 2015? Are busy lizzies disease free this year? Are touch-me-nots still untouchable? 

It seems the moratorium should nearly be over.  The blight was expected to remain viable for at least three years, so some experimental plantings might prove benign in drier beds.  It would be prudent to plant in limited quantities to avoid re-infection.

Impatiens downy mildew likely began not in the home garden, but the greenhouse.  Still, once the affliction traveled home in flats, spores may have spread to the soil, then overwintered.

Consider the local climate.  Arid or moderate climates are a safer bet.  In areas like the Midwest, heavy snows and wet summers have caused all sorts of molds and spores to thrive.

Purchase flats from an established nursery even if it costs a

In 2017 Impatiens are still  not a "sure bet."

few dollars more.  Most garden sales outlets will guarantee or reimburse within a reasonable timeframe.  If the local flower shop isn't carrying busy lizzies yet, then rely on their research. 

Healthy impatiens are reliable, powerful in color, thrive in the shade and need no pinching back or tending.  Their presence has been missed in the
yard, but their absence caused shade gardeners to experiment with plants like begonia, coleus,
pansies, and new guineas. 

Diversity in nature minimizes the sweeping effects of disease and blight.

Whether or not the local experts have issued an "all clear" to the use of annual impatiens, a moderate mix with fellow shade lovers is best. 

This year there are two new mildew resistant strains, Bounce Pink Flame and SunPatiens Spreading Shell Pink.  Grown from cuttings rather than seeds, these youngsters were presumably bred in response to the downy blight. 

Postscript:  Impatiens downy mildew is still present.  In late summer and early fall of 2015 impatiens a/k/a bizzie lizzies again began to deteriorate after planting.  Sorry to report that impatiens are just not healthy enough to survive the duration of the season.  They're not recommended for the foreseeable future.  
 
See:
2016 Impatiens Update ~~ The Blight is Back

More Articles of Interest:

Begonias are the New Impatiens

Coleus Revisited

Zone Five and a Half: Best Shade Annuals

Zone Five and a Half: Best Shade Annuals: WHAT ARE THE TOP ANNUALS FOR SHADE GARDENS? Annuals are one season showstoppers. Typically native to warmer climates south of zone eigh...

Imara Impatiens Review 2019

Is there a spore or disease resistant strain of impatiens that can beat downy mildew?  

The jury's out.

Since the widespread outbreak of the insidious downy mildew six years ago, impatiens have plummeted in popularity.  Once the top shade annual in most European and U.S. gardens, the resurgence of the disease year after year caused the busy lizzie to fall in popularity.

Introduced in Europe in spring trials for 2018, Imara has now come to the U.S., and is offered in limited quantities.

In Swahili, the term Imara means "strong" or "resolute."

Planning to avoid traditional impatiens this year, I was intrigued by the appearance of a "disease resistant" strain at the county farm market.  After plopping down thirteen bucks for a flat of Imara impatiens let's hope the plants not only thrive--but plant themselves!

Bred from seed, Imara claims to be "The first impatiens walleriana with a high degree of resistance to downy mildew."  The grower also promises Imara will flower earlier and last longer to frost"--but only time will tell.

There is no difference in appearance from the former moldy variety.

Individual plants look healthy and full.  In the ground for a few weeks, there's no sign of disease.
.
So it it time to "take back the shade?"  Unclear, but "stand by" for further updates.

July 2019 update:  Despite a very rainy June and July, there's no sign of downy mildew.

Fingers crossed.


More on impatiens plight (blight:)

Bye Bye Busy Lizzies. What to Plant Instead of Impatiens?

Impatiens Update 2019

Imara going strong August 2019

Turtlehead and other Fall Blooming Flowers



Fall bloomers not only add pastel hues to the jewel tones of the fall yard, they complement the shade garden. Holding back the show until autumn, these subtle blooms are well worth the wait.   

Left to seed, autumn arrivals give impact to the winter garden--robust blooms nabbing snowflakes for interest. 

Turtlehead a/k/a chelone

Sturdy turtlehead is slow to establish, but a reliable perennial that thrives in the shade garden--adding structure and height through September when lipstick pink blooms arrive.  Low maintenance, disease and fungi resistant, these uncommon plants are worth the search. A batch at the base of the driveway always draws comments from passersby and the hardy gals thrive despite the giant oak that interrupts the sweeping spray of the sprinkler system.

Reliable hosta sprouts elongated blooms of frilly purple or white.

Shrubs do the heavy lifting as burning bush and hydrangea reach their peak of color.

Black cohosh, a native plant, sets out white blossoms resembling giant caterpillars.  These blooms droop gently or wave gaily in the chilly breeze. 

Reliable sedum sets out honeycombed blooms of pink, red and burgundy.  Left on the stem through winter, they deepen giving contrast to the white winterscape.  Red flag grass throws out plum colored tassels which capture the wind. 


Fall blooming plants tend not to be delicate. To survive the heat of summer then gracefully transition to the vagrancies of cool fall requires some strength of character and color n'est pas?

It's not all burgundy and bronzes in the October garden, as dramatic monkshood give the yard  a regal blue hue before winter sets in...

Frost on the pumpkin!

Brrrrr.

More Articles of Interest:

Winter Interest -- What NOT to do this Fall!

Fall Garden Clean Up and Pumpkin Patches

Landscape Art -- Garden Ornament or Outdoor Tchotcke?