20 Flowers That Grow In Shade (With Ease)

Gardening in shady spots can be tricky, but you still have plenty of options for adding color and life. Not all flowers need lots of sunlight to thrive.

You can find many beautiful flowers that do well in the shade, brightening even the darkest corners of your yard. Whether you have a shady backyard or just a spot under a tree, it’s possible to grow a lovely flower garden right where you want it.

1. Hosta

Hostas are a top pick if you want to grow flowers in shady spots. They do well in places where the sun does not shine much. Their leaves come in many shapes and colors, making them look pretty even before they bloom.

You will notice small flower stalks in summer. The flowers are usually white, lavender, or purple and sometimes have a sweet smell. Your garden will look green and full with hostas because they spread out and fill in empty spots.

Hostas do not need a lot of care. Water them often, but do not let the soil get too wet. Slugs can be a problem, so keep an eye out. If you live in a colder area, hostas can survive winter and come back next year.

Try mixing different hosta varieties to get a good mix of leaf colors and flower shapes. They are great for garden borders or around trees.

Popular Varieties

• June: A standout variety with blue-green leaves and golden centers that brighten up shady spots beautifully.
• Patriot: Features striking dark green leaves with crisp white edges, adding elegant contrast to the shade garden.
• Halcyon: Known for its rich blue foliage and dense clumping habit, it’s a reliable choice for cool, shaded areas.
• Sum and Substance: This giant hosta makes a bold statement with its huge, chartreuse leaves that thrive in partial to full shade.
• Francee: A classic variety with deep green leaves and narrow white margins, perfect for a tidy, traditional look.

2. Astilbe

Astilbe is a shade-loving flower with feathery blooms. It stands out in darker corners of your garden where other flowers may not grow well.

You can find Astilbe in shades like pink, red, white, and purple. The leaves are usually fern-like, which gives them a soft look. Astilbe does best when you keep the soil moist. Dry soil can cause the leaves to wilt or fade in color.

This plant doesn’t need a lot of sun. In fact, too much sun can make its flowers fade faster. Astilbe is easy to mix with other shade plants. It grows well with hostas and ferns. If you want long-lasting color in the shade, Astilbe is a nice choice.

Popular Varieties

• Fanal: Features rich, deep red plumes and bronze-green foliage, making it a striking choice for shaded beds.
• Bridal Veil: A graceful variety with creamy white flowers that arch delicately over green foliage.
• Peach Blossom: Soft pink plumes and compact growth make this an excellent front-of-border plant.
• Visions: Known for its vibrant raspberry-pink flowers and dense, compact habit—great for small spaces.
• Deutschland: Offers pure white, upright blooms and dark green foliage, ideal for brightening darker garden corners.

3. Bleeding Heart

Bleeding Heart is a shade-loving plant with unique, heart-shaped flowers. You’ll notice their pink and white blooms that hang down like little charms. It gives shady spots some color in late spring.

These flowers like cool, moist soil. They grow well under trees or along the north side of your house. You won’t need to worry much about pests, and deer usually leave them alone.

Bleeding Heart does best in areas with filtered light. Too much sun can make the leaves turn yellow or wilt. After flowering, the leaves often fade away, so you may want to plant other shade plants nearby for continued interest.

They don’t need much care. You can cut the stems back after the leaves die down. Just water during dry spells and add some mulch to help the roots stay cool.

Popular Varieties

• Luxuriant: A long-blooming variety with deep pink heart-shaped flowers and fern-like foliage that thrives in partial to full shade.
• Alba: Offers elegant white heart-shaped blooms that contrast beautifully against rich green leaves.
• King of Hearts: Compact and vigorous, this variety produces vivid rose-pink flowers and delicate, lacy foliage.

4. Foamflower

Foamflower is a great choice if you need a plant that can handle shade. Its leaves are green or slightly reddish, and the tiny white flowers grow in bunches that look fluffy, kind of like foam.

You can use foamflower as a ground cover for shady spots. It isn’t picky about soil but likes it to be moist and drains well. The flowers usually bloom in late spring.

Deer usually don’t bother this plant, which makes it easy to grow if you have wildlife in your area. Different types offer slightly different leaf shapes and colors, so you have options.

Foamflower only grows about 10 to 12 inches tall. It spreads slowly, so it won’t take over your garden.

Popular Varieties

• Running Tapestry: A spreading variety with soft pink flower spikes and deeply lobed leaves marked with dark veining.
• Sugar and Spice: Known for its fragrant, bottlebrush flowers and glossy green foliage with dramatic purple markings.
• Pink Skyrocket: Offers tall, airy pink flower spikes above dense, textured foliage—ideal for naturalizing in shady areas.
• Spring Symphony: Compact and neat, this variety has pale pink blooms and heavily patterned leaves that form an attractive ground cover.
• Elizabeth Oliver: A charming choice with delicate double white flowers and soft green leaves, perfect for softening shaded edges.

5. Japanese Forest Grass

Japanese Forest Grass, also called Hakone Grass, is a great pick for shady spots in your yard. You’ll love its arching leaves that look soft and flowy. The bright green or golden-yellow color really stands out even when there’s not much sun.

This plant grows in clumps and usually stays pretty low to the ground, making it good for borders or under trees. It does best in moist soil, but it doesn’t like soggy roots.

You don’t have to worry about it spreading too much or taking over other plants. It’s a slow grower and is easy to care for once it’s settled in.

The leaves might get small flower spikes, but people mostly grow it for the pretty foliage. Japanese Forest Grass can help liven up shady corners in your garden.

Popular Varieties

• Aureola: A classic favorite with arching golden-yellow blades streaked with green—perfect for brightening up shady areas.
• All Gold: Features vibrant, solid chartreuse-yellow foliage that glows in the shade and forms a tidy, cascading mound.
• Beni-Kaze: Green in spring and summer, this variety turns stunning shades of red and burgundy in autumn.
• Sun Flare: Starts out chartreuse with red tips and deepens to a rich burgundy in cooler months—great for four-season interest.

6. Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley is a small flowering plant that does well in shady spots. It has tiny, bell-shaped white flowers, and they smell sweet. You might see these flowers pop up in spring.

These plants can spread quickly, so give them a bit of space. They love moist, cool soil. You don’t have to fuss over them much, as they are pretty tough.

Some people plant Lily of the Valley under trees or along shady paths. The bright green leaves and white flowers look nice together.

Keep in mind that all parts of this plant are poisonous if eaten. Make sure kids and pets don’t nibble on them.

Popular Varieties

• Rosea: A unique pink-flowered variety that adds a soft, romantic touch to shady borders and woodland paths.
• Albostriata: Features classic white blooms paired with striking green leaves striped in creamy white.
• Hardwick Hall: Known for its bold, larger-than-average foliage with yellow margins and sweetly scented white flowers.
• Fortin’s Giant: Offers taller stems and larger, more prolific white bells—ideal for a more dramatic ground cover.
• Green Tapestry: A rare variety with lush green foliage and delicate flowers, perfect for naturalized shady spots.

7. Solomon’s Seal

If your yard has shady spots, Solomon’s Seal could be a perfect plant for you. This flower has arching stems with soft, green leaves and small, white, bell-shaped blooms. It grows well under trees or in areas that don’t get much sun.

Solomon’s Seal isn’t fussy about soil, as long as it’s well-drained and keeps some moisture. You might notice that it spreads slowly over time, filling out shady areas nicely.

The flowers hang delicately under the stems in late spring. Deer and rabbits usually leave this plant alone, so you don’t have to worry much about animals eating it.

Popular Varieties

• Variegatum: A classic variety with arching stems, creamy-white edged leaves, and dangling white flowers—excellent for brightening shady spots.
• Prince Charming: Compact and tidy, this variety features deep green leaves and clean white blooms—perfect for smaller gardens or containers.
• Ruby Slippers: Offers striking reddish stems and delicate white flowers, adding a touch of color and contrast in shaded areas.
• Fireworks: A standout with bold gold-striped leaves that provide season-long interest, even after flowering.
• Striatum: Known for its dramatic striped foliage and graceful habit, ideal for adding texture and movement under trees or along shade paths.

8. Ferns

Ferns aren’t flowers in the classic sense, but they still bring a lot of beauty to shady gardens. They’re well-known for their frilly leaves and deep green color.

You’ll find that ferns are easy to care for if you keep their soil damp and give them a cool, shady place. Some types even do well indoors if you don’t have much outdoor space.

Ferns do not bloom like other flowers, so you won’t see bright petals. Instead, you get soft, arching leaves that can fill in empty spots under trees or by fences.

They can handle low light where other plants might not grow well. Some ferns also help with ground cover and stop weeds from taking over.

Popular Varieties

• Japanese Painted Fern: Features silvery fronds with burgundy stems—an eye-catching fern that brightens up dark corners.
• Lady Fern: A classic woodland fern with finely divided, lacy green fronds and a graceful, upright form.
• Autumn Fern: New growth emerges coppery-red and matures to deep green, offering multi-season interest.
• Christmas Fern: Evergreen and hardy, this fern adds year-round structure with its dark, leathery fronds.
• Ostrich Fern: Tall and dramatic with feathery, vase-shaped fronds—great for naturalizing in moist shade.
• Maidenhair Fern: Delicate and airy with wiry black stems and fan-shaped leaflets—perfect for softening shaded areas.
• Cinnamon Fern: Named for its cinnamon-colored fertile fronds, it’s bold and architectural, ideal for damp shade.
• Hart’s Tongue Fern: Offers smooth, tongue-shaped fronds that stand out from more feathery companions.
• Sensitive Fern: A spreading fern with bright green fronds that add bold texture to the shade garden.
• Royal Fern: Features tall, lush fronds and a stately form—excellent for moist, shady spots and larger garden spaces.

9. Heuchera

Heuchera, also called coral bells, is a great flower if your yard has lots of tree cover or shade. The leaves come in many different colors, from green to purple and even silver. These colorful leaves look pretty most of the year.

The flowers are small and pop up on tall, skinny stems in late spring or early summer. They don’t stand out as much as the leaves, but they add a nice touch to your garden.

You can use heuchera along edges, in pots, or under trees. It’s also easy to care for and doesn’t need a lot of work. It grows best in soil that drains well and likes some water but not too much.

If you plant different types, you’ll see lots of leaf colors. Heuchera looks good mixed with ferns or hostas.

Popular Varieties

• Palace Purple: A classic variety with deep burgundy leaves that add rich contrast to shade gardens.
• Obsidian: Features jet-black, glossy foliage that stays striking all season—perfect for dramatic accents.
• Lime Rickey: Bright, lime-green ruffled leaves that light up shady spots and pair beautifully with darker plants.
• Berry Smoothie: Offers vibrant rose-pink foliage that deepens in color as the season progresses.
• Caramel: Soft apricot to amber-toned leaves with a warm glow that looks great in filtered shade.

10. Toad Lily

If you want a shade-loving flower with an unusual look, you might want to try the toad lily. These plants have small, orchid-like blooms that often show purple spots. Their unique flowers can add a surprise to your shady garden corners.

Toad lilies like moist, rich soil. They do best in partial to full shade and don’t mind cool spots. You don’t need to do much once they are settled in—just keep the soil from drying out.

They start to bloom late in the season, which means you get flowers when most other plants fade. The tall, arching stems look nice at the back of a border or along a shady path.

Deer usually leave toad lilies alone, so you don’t have to worry much about pests. They can also handle the cold, which makes them pretty easy to grow in many regions.

Popular Varieties

• Sinonome: Produces elegant white flowers speckled with purple—great for brightening up late-season shade gardens.
• Miyazaki: A compact variety with arching stems and purple-spotted blooms, ideal for borders or woodland edges.
• Empress: Known for its larger-than-average lavender flowers heavily marked with deep purple spots.
• Dark Beauty: Features deep plum-colored blooms with bold spotting—perfect for dramatic late-season color.

11. Lungwort

Lungwort is a colorful flower that does well in shady spots. You’ll notice its leaves—they have white or silver spots, and they stay green most of the year.

This plant blooms in early spring. The flowers start pink, then turn blue or purple as they age. You might see both colors at once on the same plant.

You do not need to do much to keep lungwort healthy. It likes moist soil but doesn’t need a lot of care. Deer and rabbits usually leave it alone.

Lungwort looks nice at the front of garden beds or along shady paths. The broad leaves fill empty spaces under trees.

Popular Varieties

• Raspberry Splash: Features raspberry-pink flowers and silver-spotted green leaves—great for adding early color.
• Diana Clare: Known for its silvery, shimmering foliage and violet-blue blooms that brighten shady beds.
• Trevi Fountain: A vigorous variety with deep blue flowers and heavily spotted leaves—ideal for ground cover.
• Mrs. Moon: A classic heirloom variety with pink-to-blue changing blooms and strikingly mottled foliage.

12. Deadnettle

Deadnettle is a shade-loving plant that’s perfect for areas where the sun barely hits. You’ll notice its leaves have a silvery look, and it produces small flowers in shades of purple, pink, or white. The leaves often stay bright and colorful even when not in bloom.

This plant spreads out like a groundcover, so it helps fill empty or bare spots under trees or next to fences. You don’t have to worry much about deer either, because they usually leave deadnettle alone.

Deadnettle is easy to care for and doesn’t need a lot of water once it’s growing. You just trim it back when it gets too wild. It’s a good pick if you want color under trees or shady corners.

Popular Varieties

• Purple Dragon: Boasts large, deep purple flowers and silvery leaves with green edges—bold and easy to grow.
• Beacon Silver: Features silvery foliage with narrow green margins and soft pink blooms—perfect for brightening dark corners.
• Pink Pewter: Offers light pink flowers and shimmering silver leaves with delicate green edges—great for soft contrast.
• White Nancy: A tidy, low-growing variety with pure white flowers and silvery-white foliage for a clean, bright look.

13. Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger is a great plant if you need something green in shady parts of your yard. It has heart-shaped leaves that grow close to the ground. These leaves stay thick and fresh-looking all summer.

You might not notice the tiny purple-brown flowers at first. They bloom under the leaves and are hidden from view. Even though they are not showy, they add a unique touch.

Wild Ginger spreads slowly, making it a good choice for ground cover. It likes damp, rich soil and doesn’t need a lot of care. Deer and rabbits usually leave it alone, so you don’t have to worry about pests.

You can use Wild Ginger to fill the shaded spaces under trees or along your house. Once it’s settled in, it will keep coming back each year without much work.

Popular Varieties

• Canadian Wild Ginger: Features heart-shaped, velvety green leaves and hidden maroon flowers—ideal for naturalized woodland gardens.
• European Wild Ginger: Known for its glossy, dark green foliage and dense, evergreen ground-hugging habit.
• Asarum ‘Shell Ginger’: Offers striking variegated foliage with green, white, and cream patterns—adds a touch of brightness to shade.
• Asarum splendens: Also called Chinese wild ginger, it has bold, silver-mottled leaves and unusual, dark maroon flowers.
• Asarum caudatum: Commonly called Western wild ginger, it spreads gently with fuzzy leaves and uniquely shaped brown-purple blooms.

14. Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a cool native wildflower you might find in shady woods. Its flower looks a bit like a hood, covering a stalk inside. This makes the plant stand out, even though it’s not super bright or flashy.

You can grow Jack-in-the-Pulpit if you have a spot in deep or part shade. It likes soil that’s moist and has a lot of fallen leaves or other plant material. If you let the ground stay covered with mulch or leaves, you’ll give it a good home.

The plant can get one to two feet tall. Sometimes the flower gets bright red berries in late summer, but don’t eat them—they aren’t safe. Jack-in-the-Pulpit is easy to care for if you keep the soil from drying out.

Popular Varieties

• Arisaema Triphyllum: The classic North American native with a green hooded spathe and purple or brown striping—great for naturalizing in moist shade.
• Black Jack: A dramatic variety with deep purple to nearly black spathes, adding bold contrast to shady beds.
• Green Dragon: Features a long, narrow spathe and tall, slender form with divided leaves—perfect for a more unusual, striking effect.
• Arisaema Sikokianum: Highly prized for its white, club-shaped “jack” emerging from a dark purple, almost black spathe—very ornamental.
• Starburst: Offers variegated foliage with white streaks and traditional striped blooms—adds foliage interest even when not in flower.

15. Sweet Woodruff

Sweet woodruff is a low-growing plant that loves shady spots. Its leaves form little whorls, making a green carpet under trees and shrubs. You’ll also notice its tiny white flowers in the late spring.

This plant spreads easily, so it can quickly fill in empty areas. It smells nice, especially when the leaves are dried. Many gardeners use sweet woodruff as a ground cover because it handles shade so well.

You don’t have to do much to keep sweet woodruff happy. Just give it moist soil and it usually does fine. If the weather gets really dry, a little water helps.

You might see sweet woodruff in older flower beds or cottage gardens. It pairs well with ferns and hostas, adding some charm to the shade.

Popular Varieties

• Galium odoratum: The classic and most widely grown variety, featuring whorled green leaves and tiny, star-shaped white flowers with a sweet, hay-like scent.
• Variegata: A less common form with light green leaves subtly edged in creamy white, adding a touch of brightness to shady areas.
• Alba: An especially floriferous selection of the standard variety, producing an abundance of pure white blooms in spring.
• Compactum: A dwarf version with tighter growth and smaller leaves, ideal for edging shaded paths or underplanting shrubs.
• Snowflake: Known for slightly larger and showier white blooms, offering a soft, airy look during the flowering season.

16. Snowdrops

Snowdrops are tiny, white flowers that pop up early in the spring. You might spot them even when there’s still a bit of snow on the ground. They’re known for their bell-shaped blooms.

You can grow snowdrops in shady spots in your yard. They like cool, moist soil but don’t need a lot of care. Plant the bulbs in the fall, and they’ll come back year after year.

Snowdrops don’t grow very tall, usually only four to six inches high. Their green leaves and white flowers look nice under trees or along the edge of walkways. You might notice their blooms before many other flowers wake up in spring.

These flowers aren’t picky about shade, so they’re a good pick if your garden doesn’t get much sun. You don’t need to water them a lot once they’re settled in.

Popular Varieties

• Flore Pleno: A beautiful double-flowered variety with layered white petals and a lush, full appearance.
• Magnet: Known for its large, graceful flowers that sway on long pedicels—great for naturalizing under trees.
• Atkinsii: Early blooming and elegant, with long, narrow outer petals and a tidy growth habit.
• Viridapice: Distinctive green-tipped outer petals give this variety a unique, eye-catching look.

17. Trillium

Trillium is a woodland wildflower that does best in shady spots. You might also hear it called “wake-robin.” You’ll spot its three leaves and three-petaled blooms in spring.

Trillium is a perennial, so it’ll come back year after year if you keep the area moist and well-mulched. It doesn’t need much care after planting, just make sure not to disturb its roots.

Most trilliums have white, pink, or red flowers, and the plants grow low to the ground. If you want to help them thrive, plant them under trees or along wooded edges.

Deer sometimes eat trillium, so you may want to protect young plants. With the right spot and a little patience, trillium can bring quiet beauty to your shade garden.

Popular Varieties

• Grandiflorum: A classic variety with large, pure white flowers that gradually fade to soft pink—perfect for naturalizing in moist, shaded areas.
• Sessile: Features maroon, upright flowers that sit directly atop mottled leaves—adds a wild, woodland feel.
• Luteum: Known for its bright yellow, lemon-scented blooms and beautifully marbled foliage.
• Erectum: Offers deep red to purple flowers and a strong upright form—great for bold, early-season color.
• Snowbreeze: A cultivated variety of Grandiflorum with especially abundant white blooms—ideal for mass planting under trees.

18. Columbine

Columbine is a unique flower that you can grow in shady spots in your yard. These flowers have interesting, spurred petals that look a bit like a butterfly. You’ll find Columbine in colors like purple, blue, pink, and white.

They’re not too picky about the soil but do best if it’s kept a little moist. You can plant them where they get only a few hours of sunlight a day. Most types will come back every year if winters are not too harsh.

Columbine attracts hummingbirds and bees to your garden. You may see blooms start in late spring and last into early summer. The plants grow about 1 to 2 feet tall, so they fit well in many garden beds.

It’s a good idea to remove spent blooms to help the plant keep flowering. With a bit of care, you can enjoy their delicate look each year.

Popular Varieties

• McKana Giants: A vibrant mix of large, bi-colored blooms in shades of red, yellow, blue, and white—perfect for cottage-style shade gardens.
• Black Barlow: A striking double variety with deep purple-black flowers and no spurs—adds drama to shady borders.
• Songbird Bluebird: Features large, sky-blue petals with white centers, blooming prolifically in dappled shade.

19. Virginia Bluebells

Virginia Bluebells give you cheerful bell-shaped flowers in the spring. You’ll notice clusters of blue blooms that sometimes start out pink before turning blue. These plants grow well under trees or in shady parts of your yard.

You don’t have to worry much about the soil because Virginia Bluebells can handle different types. Just make sure the area is a bit moist and well-drained. These flowers fade away in the summer, so they’re most colorful in spring.

Virginia Bluebells are easy to care for. Deer usually leave them alone, so you won’t have to protect them as much. You can plant them with other shade-loving plants for a nice woodland look.

Popular Varieties

• Mertensia virginica: The classic and most widely grown variety, with clusters of bell-shaped flowers that open pink and mature to a soft, sky blue—perfect for naturalizing in moist, shady areas.
• Pink Bluebells: A less common form with blooms that stay a warm pink instead of turning blue—adds a gentle twist to traditional plantings.
• Alba: A rare white-flowered version of the classic species, offering elegant, luminous blooms that stand out in the shade.
• Valley Blue: A cultivated variety known for more compact growth and intensely blue flowers—great for smaller spaces.
• Select Form: Chosen for its vigorous growth and extra-large, vividly colored blooms—ideal for making a statement in early spring shade gardens.

20. Epimedium

Epimedium is also called barrenwort or bishop’s hat. This plant is known for doing well in shade and bringing color to spots under trees or in woodland gardens.

You’ll notice its heart-shaped leaves, which often have red or bronze edges in the spring. In April or May, small flowers hang on thin stems above the leaves. They can be white, yellow, pink, purple, or red.

Epimedium is pretty easy to take care of. It likes loose, moist soil but can handle some dry shade once it’s established. You don’t need to water it much after the first year.

This flower slowly spreads over time but doesn’t get out of control. It’s good for covering areas where grass doesn’t grow well. Deer and rabbits usually leave it alone.

Popular Varieties

• Amber Queen: Produces showy amber-yellow flowers with long spurs and bronzy new foliage that matures to green—great for adding warmth to shady spots.
• Rubrum: A classic variety with red-tinted spring foliage and dainty pink and white blooms—ideal for soft color under trees.
• Sulphureum: Features cheerful pale yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves that emerge with a reddish tint—excellent for dry shade.