What Are the Plants That Can Have Full Shade?

Perennials

• Among perennials, hostas hold a special place in terms of the number of cultivars that handle full shade. 'Patriot,' 'Revolution,' 'Shade Fanfare' and 'Shining Tot' are among those that grow in full shade to partial shade, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Other shade-savvy perennials include hybrids of such plants as pigsqueak, astilbe, bugbane, wood asters, hellebore, leopard plant, lungwort and foam flower. The size range includes violets as small as 6 inches high to bugbane species taller than a person.

Trees

• Few trees grow well when planted in full shade, but the Canadian hemlock is not one of those sun-loving types, developing in the shade provided by larger trees and eventually growing between 40 and 70 feet. The hornbeams also grow in full shade, reaching between 20 and 35 feet high. American hornbeam, hornbeam and Japanese hornbeam all are suitable trees for the very shady spots that commonly occur long the edges of woodlands.

Annuals

• Annuals and full shade usually fail to go hand in hand, but two types are possibilities for a shady area. One is the wishbone plant, a species that produces violet flowers from June through the first frost. Wishbone flowers grow to 12 inches and are candidates for window boxes that get little sunlight due to their placement. Jewelweed, a kind of impatiens, has shade tolerance and ability to mature in damp soils. Jewelweed works near water, blooms for most of the summer and grows as tall as 5 feet.

Ferns

• Do not overlook the value of ferns in the landscape; they withstand heavy shade and grow to varied heights, depending upon the species. Some survive only in warm climates, including the bird's nest fern, Japanese lady fern and a type known as cretan brake. Other ferns have less restriction on where they grow, with an ability to take hold in climates as cold as USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 3. These include royal ferns, Christmas ferns, wood ferns and ostrich ferns. The log fern is a typical of the species, growing 4 feet high and appropriate for woodland edges, shade gardens and the shadiest spots in a border.