Does your garden have a shady corner with little sun? Perhaps your whole garden is enveloped in shade coming from a large tree, or the shadows from the house. Either way knowing the best outdoor shade plants will mean your garden will meet your expectations.
Many plants don’t tolerate long periods of shade or full shade making these areas of the garden problematic to grow plants. The result can be patches where the turf is bare or where the plants die.
The right outdoor shade plants will actually thrive in varying levels of shade. By carefully planting the right plants, you can ensure the shaded areas of your garden are filled with contrasting textures, beautiful foliage, colour and flowers.
Keep reading to discover our top lists of shade plants for turf, screening, ground cover or pots:
Best turf for shade gardens
Sir Walter Soft Leaf Buffalo is more shade tolerant than other varieties because of its broad leaves which photosynthesise well. Among the Buffalo varieties, Sir Walter Soft Leaf Buffalo is among the very best performers in shady areas and can thrive with as little as three hours of sunlight per day.
- Shade tolerant
- Need full sun shade or partial shade
- Requires less water
- Low lawn maintenance
- Held consistently good colour throughout the year
Best Tall Screening Plants for shade
Alocasia (Elephant Ears) and other varieties are great Sydney outdoor shade plants and can survive in filtered sunlight or shade. It’s important to avoid direct sunlight on their leaves in the Sydney summer, as this can cause foliage burn.
- Grows up to 20-90 cm tall
- Avoid both direct sunlight and very dark and Gloomy spots
- Like moist but well drained in partial shade
- Moderate speed growth in summer
- Colorful flowers
Tiger Grass is one of our striking outdoor shade plants from Thailand that looks like bamboo but it’s actually a perennial grass that blooms beautiful purple flowers. It’s great to use as an attractive feature or screening plant and does well in pots as well.
- Grows up to 3-4 metres in height
- Quick growing and can be fully grown within 18 – 24 months
- Low maintenance
- Drought tolerant
Ginger, particularly Thai Ginger, has lovely flowers. When it reaches maturity, it has the potential of reaching from one to two metres tall. You will want to provide enough space between plants to accommodate their height and bushy nature.
- Likes full sun or partial shade
- Blooms in summertime
- Produces cluster of white and pink flower buds that bloom into yellow flowers
- Takes 10 months to mature
Heliconia will form a great backdrop or screen with the large upright leaves and a flower spike similar to Bird of Paradise. Our recommended outdoor shade plants for tropical gardens.
- Grows on aver age 1-2 metres in a garden
- Should be planted in draining soil
- Blooming season once to several times a year
- Flowers come in a variety of lengths and shapes
Best lower growing shade plants
Bromeliad Guzmanias and Bromeliad Alcantarea can be grown in pots, in the garden, on balconies or mounted on a tree or piece of wood. These bromeliads don’t need full sunlight and in fact, grow better in shady spots – that’s why they’re so successful under big trees.
- Grows up to 1.5 metres tall
- Keep out of direct sunlight
- Beautiful foliage
- Blooms only once
Rhoeos, particularly the dwarf and mid-sized versions, are an excellent and fast growing ground cover in the shaded parts of the garden. It is used as an effective edging plant, or even as underplantings and is popular due to their texture and colour.
- Grows up to 30-50 cm tall
- Enjoys partial shade to full shade
- Drought tolerant
- Leaves can die from excessive watering
Liriopes particularly Monroe White and Green Dichondra are great outdoor shade plants for ground cover and is a good alternative to lawn. It produces spikes of violet or white blooms in summer, followed by white or black berries in autumn.
- Grows up to 25-45 cms tall
- Low maintenance
- Drought and frost tolerant
- Tolerant of full sun to heavy shade
- Requires pruning or cutting back once a year if leaves become untidy
Hostas come in many shapes and sizes and add colour with its beautiful foliage, with some being fragrant. This low maintenance plant should be positioned in semi to full shade.
- Grows up to 2.5 metres tall
- Blooms in summer
- Drought tolerant
- Keep soil moist but not wet
Lamium Beacon Silver a low maintenance shade-loving ground cover with white or pink flowers and silver, heart-shaped leaves bordered in mid to deep green. If there is too much sun, the foliage will burn.
- Grows up to 15-20 cm tall
- Partial shade or full shade
- Low maintenance plant
- Flowers from spring to summer
Ajugas – If you are looking for a low maintenance ground cover that offers more than just a bland green mat, consider ajugas. They offer a wide variety of foliage colours, usually rich deep burgundy and sometimes cream and pink edges.
- Grows up to 15-20 cm
- Full sun to part shade
- Blooms in spring to summer
- Prefers medium-moisture and well-drained soils
Best Potted plants for shade
Large leaf Jades are an easy to care for succulent, and can be grown indoors and outdoors, and even as bonsai plants. Fast growing, inexpensive and incredibly resilient, you cannot go wrong with this plant.
- Grows up to 1.5 metres
- Full sun or part shade
- Low maintenance
- Need to be watered more frequently in summer and spring
New Guinea Impatiens are perfect outdoor shade plants for planters and hanging baskets. Their colourful blooms come in bright shades from lavender to orange. They’re easy to care for, as long as you keep them well-watered throughout the hottest parts of the year.
- Grows up to 38cm
- Full sun to part shade
- Low maintenance
- Blooms continuously
- Needs a well-draining soil that holds moisture long enough
Camellias thrive in pots in the shade but require repotting every two or three years. Being evergreen plants, they provide an element of lushness with their foliage and flowers to any courtyard or balcony.
- Grows up to 1.5-3 metres tall
- Dappled light/Part shade or full shade
- Long blooming flowers
- Needs well-drained soil
Philodendron Xanadu is one of the best low maintenance outdoor shade plants with luscious evergreen foliage and decoratively shaped leaves. It will tolerate full sun but is also happy in partial shade. Ideal for use in a larger pot for the perfect feature plant.
- Grows up to 50-80 cm
- Needs to be watered regularly
- Likes moist but not constantly drenched soil
- Poisonous plant – should not be consumed by animals or humans
Monstera deliciosa (also known as a split leaf philodendron) is an easy-to-grow plant that does well in a pot. It is not recommended in the garden as it can get huge. It’s known for its stunning, split leaves which are dark green and glossy.
- Grows up to 3 metres tall
- Full sun to part shade
- Prefer warm climate
- Rarely blooms
Do you need expert advice to select outdoor shade plants?
Selecting the best plants for the shaded areas of your garden, courtyard or balcony can be challenging. However, expert landscape design advice can prevent making choices which result in your plants don’t thrive.
If you need professional assistance, schedule a Mosarte consultation or access our soft landscaping services right away.
