Nancy Lewis

Baltimore County Master Gardener

Interesting plants for shade gardens

What constitutes shade?

Observe your garden throughout the day –determine how much shade you have

Full Shade

Dappled Shade

Light Shade

Light Shade Deep Shade

Dappled shade

Important points

Soil

Type of shade

Moisture level

Hours of sunlight

Afternoon or morning sun

Plant selection overview

Lady Fern Hosta Warwick Comet

Plants listed in order of season

Latin name

Common name

Light requirement

Native

Key points

Helleborus x ballardiae

Lenten Rose

4 season interest

Dappled shade

Tolerates more sun than most hellebores

Leaves veined with white and pink

Hillside of Hellebores at Longwood Gardens

Mertensia virginica

Virginia Bluebells

Spring

Light/dappled shade

Native

Moist soil

Choose companions as it dies away in summer

Trillium species

Trillium sessile Trillium erectum

Trillium species

Trillium luteum Trillium grandiflorum

Trillium species

Trillium Lancelot Trillium cernuum

Asperula odorata

Sweet Woodruff

Spring

Dappled/full shade

Groundcover

Will grow under pines

Fragrant

Formerly called gallium

Syneilesis aconitifolia

Shredded umbrella plant

Two season interest

Dappled shade

Flowers in summer but are often removed

Spreads slowly

Deer and drought tolerant

Shredded umbrella plant

Arisaema triphyllum

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Spring flowering

Dappled to full shade

Moist woodland soil

Seeds freely

Deer resistant

Epimedium species

Barrenwort

Partial shade

10-12”

Deer an drought resistant

Slow growing but worth the wait

Will grow under pines

Polemonium Stairway to Heaven

Creeping Jacob’s Ladder

Spring and fall interest

Dappled to full shade

Average to moist soil

Spring and fall leaves tinged with lavender

Deer resistant

Tiarella species

Foamflower

Spring flowers

Foliage three season interest

Dappled/full shade

Native cultivars/drought tolerant

Deer resistant

Brunnera Jack Frost

Small blue flowers in spring

Dappled/full shade

Medium height 18”

Clump expands slowly

Deer resistant

Performs best when moist

Hosta Komodo Dragon

Very large Hosta 28” tall

Vase shaped

Rapid grower

Adds structure

Medium Hosta in foreground is Abby

Hosta Sagae

Hosta of the Year 2000

Excellent sun tolerance

Partial shade

24” tall and to 60” wide

Hosta Cameo

Miniature Hosta

Partial shade for best coloring

6” tall

Osmunda regalis

Royal Fern

Part to full shade

Native plant

2-3 feet tall

Vase shaped

Deer resistant

Adiantum pedatum

Maidenhair Fern

Part to full shade

12-30” tall

Moist soil

Deer resistant

Native

Aruncus dioicus

Goatsbeard

Part shade to full sun

4-6’ Moist Soil

Native plant

Structure at back of beds

Matteuccia struthiopteris

Ostrich fern

Part shade to full shade

Prefers moist environment

3-5’ spreads by rhizomes

Native

Highly deer resistant

Heuchera americana Dale’s Strain

Coral Bells

1-2’ tall

Pink blooms in June

Partial shade to sun

Native cultivar

Heucherella Yellowstone Falls

Trailing Heucherella

Hybrid of Heuchera and Tiarella

Part to full shade

Container plant

Groundcover

3’ trailing habit

Astilbe chinensis Amber Moon

Part shade to shade

Moisture loving

Long lived tough plant

Pink flowers in early summer

Carex siderosticha variegata

Sedge

Part to full shade

Moisture loving

Spreads by rhizomes

8” tall insignificant flower

Deer resistant

Kirengeshoma palmata

Korean wax bells

Part to full shade

3-4’ tall moderate spread

August/September bloom

Late season color

Actea simplex Brunette

Bugbane

Part to full shade

3-5’ tall

Fragrant bottle brush flowers

Tricyrtis Miyazaki

Toad Lily

Part to full shade

18-24” tall

Arching plant

Orchid like blooms in late summer

Likes moisture

Dryopteris erythrosora Brilliance

Japanese Shield fern

Part to full shade

1-2’ tall

Lovely color throughout the seasons

Lasts until very hard freezes

Want to know more?

http://bcmastergardeners.weebly.com/

Presentation will be added to website in the education tab at top

Plant Sale – Saturday May 9th