11 Perennials for Extreme Shade: Plants That Bloom Where Others Give Up

Deep shade can be a tough zone for many flowering perennials, as blooms often require the energy of sunnier positions. Sun exposure depends on variables like how the sun moves through a space and the shade from trees and buildings. It also relates to growing area and distance from the equator, being more direct in hot, southern climes. Exposure changes seasonally as the sun’s angle and daylight hours vary.

Full shade relates to areas that receive four or fewer hours of sunlight daily. In deep shade, plants receive even less. Those adapted to full shade are often woodland species that grow in the understory beneath a canopy of trees. They may receive open shade if the canopy is high, or dappled, filtered light as the sun shines through the leaves.

All plants need light to photosynthesize, but those for shade have special adaptations like large, deep green leaves that require less light to fulfill normal processes. Adding to the growing challenge, shady spots can also be dry situations from the overhead trees and their extensive roots.

The woodland floor or deeply shaded area is a prime spot to bring in selections with dynamic foliage, from color to shape, form, and texture. Plant them in groups for impact, and let the best performers colonize. For blooms in extreme shade, rely on perennials that tolerate low light and even dry conditions.

Those that prefer light shade may still perform in heavier shade situations, though expect slower growth and fewer flowers. These durable perennials bloom in extreme shade and are low-maintenance performers that need little tending to grow.

Epimedium

	botanical name Epimedium spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-24”
	hardiness zones 5-8

Epimediums are low-growing and compact with all-season color, texture, and form. Their winged foliage and detailed flowers belie the perennial’s ability to grow and bloom in difficult situations like extreme, dry shade. A collector’s plant, its leaves feature dramatic mottling, blotching, and venation. Ornamental flowers with delicate spurs emerge in summer.

Also called barrenwort and fairy wings, epimediums are low-maintenance and add unique interest in groups with other shade-loving perennials like ferns, hellebore, wild ginger, columbine, and bleeding heart. To add to their merits is deer resistance.

‘Pretty in Pink’ has rose and pale pink flowers and bronzey-pink and green heart-shaped leaves. ‘Pink Champagne’ has blushing blooms and foliage and is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient.

Tiarella

	botanical name Tiarella spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Tiarella is a tidy native woodlander with rich foliage and delicate floral sprays. Its deeply lobed leaves in colorful patterns offer texture and contrast. This low-maintenance perennial will bloom all season in extreme shade. They’re evergreen in areas with mild climates and semi-evergreen or deciduous in colder regions, depending on winter conditions.

In addition to foamflower’s unique leaves are tiny starry flowers that emerge in spring and early summer. Dark pink buds open to blooms that last for six weeks or longer, with some cultivars blooming for months. Wiry stems rise above the mounding foliage, packed with flowers in white, coral, pink, and lavender. The petite blooms attract butterflies and other pollinators as a nectar source.

Tiarella, Greek for “little crown,” is a princess that isn’t high maintenance. As a bonus, it resists deer, rabbits, and most pests and diseases.

Hellebore

	botanical name Helleborus orientalis
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 18”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Hellebore delights in late winter with nodding, cupped blooms. Handsome palmate leaves in dark green are attractive year-round. Hellebores colonize slowly to form groundcover, thriving in well-drained soils.

Adding to their merits is a long bloom time and diverse colors of single or double flowers. They’re mostly problem-free, making them easy to grow in woodland situations.

Hellebores depend on winter sun to flower and for full, leafy crowns. A deciduous canopy is optimal; in winter, they receive necessary sunlight. In the warm months, overhead shade protects them from direct sun and heat. Hellebores tolerate deep shade, though growth may be slower and flowers fewer. Stemmed species like Corsican, whose blooms rise above the foliage, may flop in too much shade.

Brunnera

	botanical name Brunnera macrophylla
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-1.5’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Brunnera brightens as a leafy groundcover with heart-shaped foliage and blue springtime flowers. The Siberian native features silver, gray, and dark green foliage with heavy venation and patterning. This beautiful perennial will bloom in extreme shade, too.

Cold-hardy and shade-loving, they’re easy to grow and boast good pest and disease resistance. Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ is a Perennial Plant Association’s Perennial of the Year winner and a top selection for extreme shade. ‘Jack Frost’ has large, silvery leaves with rich veins for high visual interest in texture and color.

Hardy Cyclamen

	botanical name Cyclamen coum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3-6”
	hardiness zones 4-8

Hardy cyclamen is another low-growing specimen with distinct foliage in addition to nodding blooms. Leaves are dark green and heart-shaped, and blooms rise in a bunch from fall to spring, depending on the species.

Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum are common hardy species and are smaller relatives of the florist’s cyclamen, C. persicum. C. hederifolium is the most robust and easiest to grow, with fragrant pink blooms from late summer to November. C. coum blooms mid-to-late winter and into spring with a profusion of rosy pink-purple flowers. 

Both hardy species spread through tubers and reseed to form colonies, and both hold Award of Garden Merit status. These perennials bloom reliably even in extreme shade.

The diminutive perennials are native primarily to the Mediterranean region and adapt to various climates and degrees of shade in well-draining soils. They enter summer dormancy as temperatures warm and reemerge in the fall. 

Dwarf Crested Iris

	botanical name Iris cristata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-9”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Dwarf crested iris is a compact, ornamental native iris that forms an attractive ground layer of green, sword-shaped leaves. Little iris flowers appear in spring and early summer, with watery blue and purple blooms. The painterly petals have white and yellow markings.

Dwarf crested iris is an easygoing understory selection. Rhizomes spread with little maintenance in loamy soils. Use them in drifts to maximize impact, and divide them every few years to expand the colony.

Woodland Phlox

	botanical name Phlox divaricata
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-2’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Woodland phlox is an eastern North American native and RHS Award of Garden Merit recipient. It grows in open woodlands, dappled meadows, and along streams. It has a loose, informal habit with spreading and mounding stems. Slender leaves are dark green along the gently arching stems and remain semi-evergreen in winter.

Periwinkle blossoms emerge in April and May. They’ll be more prevalent in increased dappled light, but withstand deep shade. ‘Blue Moon’ is a dense variety with a blanket of reliable blooms. ‘May Breeze’ brings pale blue, nearly white flowers to its arching stems.

Cut woodland phlox back after it finishes flowering to promote reblooming. It prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils, but grows in varying types. P. divaricata is drought-tolerant once established, an ideal perennial to bloom in extreme, dry shade

Bleeding Heart

	botanical name Dicentra spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 9-18”
	hardiness zones 3-8

Bleeding heart is a late spring showoff with delicate, heart-shaped blooms in white, pale pink, and fuchsia. The little puffs suspend from arching stems before the perennial enters summer dormancy with warming temperatures.

Dicentra eximia is a North American wild bleeding heart with dangling pink, or sometimes white, hearts. The woodland wildflower has finely cut foliage that is ferny and feathery. It withstands moderately dry conditions once established. 

Hosta

	botanical name Hosta spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 4”-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Hostas are a quintessential shade plant with lush leaves in a range of shapes, sizes, and hues. From blue to chartreuse and variegated, the foliage may be broad, cupped, strappy, curly, or miniature. They also bear tall flower scapes in early summer, when white or lavender flowers rise above the leafy base and attract hummingbirds.

Hostas typically enjoy partial shade or woodland edges (especially with morning sun) over extreme shade, but the perennials are adaptable. You may find fewer flowers as shade levels increase. Stick to solid green or blue-leaved varieties for the best success in heavier shade. Bright or variegated varieties need more sunlight to retain their color and vibrance.

Solomon’s Seal

	botanical name Polygonatum spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-6’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Solomon’s seal develops scaffolding, zig-zagging foliage along upright, slightly arching stems. Leaves are soft mint green or with milky white variegation, lightening up darker understories. Greenish-white bell blooms suspend the length of the stems in spring.

Native species include P. biflorum, smooth Solomon’s seal, and P. pubescens, hairy Solomon’s seal, both indigenous to eastern North America, with a wide range. They withstand a variety of challenging situations, from full shade to tree roots to dry conditions.

False Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum) is another tough native with starry ivory flowers on the tips of the stems. Their light fragrance attracts pollinators, and the berries that follow support wildlife.

Green and Gold

	botanical name Chrysogonum virginianum
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 1-2”
	hardiness zones 5-9

Green and gold is a woodland native in the eastern U.S. with glossy green leaves and yellow, star-shaped flowers in spring and early summer. It’s a great perennial that will bloom in extreme shade, handling tough conditions well.