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Flowers That Thrive in the Shade

Love flowers but think your garden doesn't get enough sun? Here are a few flowers that grow happily despite lack of abundant direct sunlight.

By Reader's Digest Editors
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Lily of the Valley

These tiny white flowers grow well in deep shade, emit an enchanting fragrance in late spring and early summer, and brighten up dark corners.

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Alpine Forget-Me-Not

Add clouds of color to your garden with a patch of tiny azure-blue flowers. They thrive in dry shade, conditions that can be particularly difficult.

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Jacob's Ladder

These bell-shaped, purple perennials adapt well to flower gardens and tolerate both shade and sun.

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Solomon's Seal

Gracefully arching stems support clusters of tubular white flowers and long, bright green leaves. A perfect plant for a shady border.

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Anemone Blanda Blue

Also known as the winter windflower, Anemone Blanda Blue thrives in partial shade. Its purply-blue, daisy-like flowers will add a festive touch to your patch.

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Lungwort

These are good groundcover plants for deep shade, with hairy, dark green leaves spotted with white. In early spring, clusters of funnel shaped flowers open pink and then turn blue.

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Viola

Viola is a huge genus of flowering plants including some 400 to 500 species. Leaves of these species are usually heart-shaped and scalloped-shaped, while the five-petaled flowers come in scores of colors.

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Cowslip Primrose

Who needs sunshine when you have a carpet of yellow or red flowers with crinkled bright-green foliage?

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Tuberous Begonias

These flowers are popular for their variety, coming in red, orange, yellow, white, salmon, or pink blooms. Tuberous begonias blossom throughout the summer, thriving in shady spots where few other plants with long bloom periods and showy flowers can grow.

Sources: Localgardener.net, enjoy-your-garden.net, plantcare.com

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Your Comments

  • Dexiegirl1

    what about trees that will live in a bright area but no sun?

  • Rosemariegabriel

    I love flowers, these particularly because my house is surrounded by trees, though we live in the lowlands. Are these flowers available in the Philippines?

  • http://www.66squarefeet.blogspot.com Marie

    A correction: It is Solomon’s Seal, not Solomon’s Shield!