Full Shade Perennials

Full shade perennials form the backbone of gardens that get little to no direct sun. They thrive in spots that receive fewer than four hours of sunlight per day, including dappled shade under trees and areas with gentle morning light. Unlike annuals, perennials come back year after year, so your shady beds improve over time.

At Garden Crossings, we select full shade perennials for strong, reliable performance in low-light conditions. You’ll find options with colorful blooms, bold foliage, and interesting textures that keep your shade garden looking lush all season. These plants grow naturally in shade, so they stay healthy and vibrant even where other plants struggle.

Shadowland hosta with varigated leaves and purple blooms
Close-up of a 'Webmaster' Spiderwort (Tradescantia) flower with three purple petals, yellow stamens, and long green leaves. Other similar perennial flowers and buds appear among the surrounding foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.'Webmaster' Spiderwort (Tradescantia) features slender green leaves and small purple flowers, thriving in mulched garden beds among grass and lush greenery - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Webmaster' Spiderwort (Tradescantia)

$19.99
$19.99
A dense patch of yellow-flowering Woodland Elf' Barrenwort (Epimedium), with delicate blooms and elongated, reddish-green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.'Woodland Elf' Barrenwort (Epimedium) is a bushy groundcover with yellow flowers and long green leaves tinged reddish-brown beside a trellis fences and rocks in a garden bed - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Woodland Elf' Barrenwort (Epimedium)

$21.99
$21.99
A close-up of three pale yellow Bouquet Perfect™ 'Spearmint' Primrose (Primula) with double blooms and ruffled petals, surrounded by bright green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Bouquet Perfect™ 'Spearmint' Primrose (Primula) features creamy white, double ruffled blooms and large green leaves with occasional brown edges - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Bouquet Perfect™ Spearmint Primrose (Primula)

$18.99
$18.99
Bouquet Perfect™ 'Violetta' Primrose (Primula) features vibrant purple double flowers with ruffled petals, lush green foliage, and subtle magenta centers - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A lush cluster of Bouquet Perfect™ 'Violetta' Primrose (Primula) with vibrant purple ruffled petals and green leaves in a dark planter set against blurred foliage and a wooden fence - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Bouquet Perfect™ Violetta Primrose (Primula)

$18.99
$18.99
Bright green, ruffled Dolce® 'Apple Twist' Coral Bells (Heuchera) standout among maroon and tan foliage, creating a vibrant and contrasting display in this close-up of a shade perennial garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Clusters of light green, ruffled Dolce® 'Apple Twist' Coral Bells (Heuchera) grow in a garden bed beside a decorative planter lush with dark green foliage and purple flowers - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Dolce® 'Apple Twist' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Dolce® 'Cherry Truffles' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with ruffled deep burgundy leaves and tall stems featuring dark pink buds, surrounded by green-yellow variegated foliage and ornamental grass - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Dolce® 'Cherry Truffles' Coral Bells (Heuchera) shows ruffled, vibrant red and burgundy leaves. This perennial’s dense foliage creates striking color, pattern, and texture in the garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Dolce® 'Cherry Truffles' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

A potted Dolce® 'Sultry Night' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with ruffled, deep purple leaves and lighter veins sits outdoors among blurred plants - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of Dolce® 'Sultry Night' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with dark purple, textured leaves with magenta hints and striking veins - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Dolce® 'Sultry Night' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$19.99
$19.99
Close-up of Dolce® 'Toffee Tart' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features dense clusters of autumn-hued leaves—gold, orange, and brown—with rounded edges and prominent veins - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of yellow-green, scalloped leaves with visible veins from Dolce® 'Toffee Tart' Coral Bells (Heuchera), a popular shade perennial. Out-of-focus red flowers and similar foliage appear in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Dolce® 'Toffee Tart' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

Dressed Up® 'Ball Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features tall, slender stems with clusters of small white flowers rising above broad green leaves, creating a striking centerpiece in a shady garden bed - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Dressed Up® 'Ball Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99
A Dressed Up® 'Evening Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera) perennial sits on the patio, its dense, glossy ruffled leaves showing dark purple-black coloring with burgundy-edged highlights - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.A large Dressed Up® 'Evening Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with dark, ruffled leaves grows in a gray, ribbed planter outdoors, set against green grass and a stone walkway for an elegant perennial display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Dressed Up® 'Evening Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

Dressed Up® 'Prom Dress' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features ruffled, broad silvery-purple leaves with dark veins and edges, creating a striking pattern. In a black pot - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.A large black pot displays Dressed Up® 'Prom Dress' Coral Bells (Heuchera), a shade perennial with ruffled, silvery-purple leaves veined in burgundy, outdoors on a patio surrounded by greenery - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Dressed Up® 'Prom Dress' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Cordial Canary' Bugleweed (Ajuga) shows vibrant foliage and flower spikes—an eye-catching, evergreen ground cover perfect for shade garden - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.A close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Cordial Canary' Bugleweed (Ajuga) shows dense, glossy green and gold leaves with elongated oval shapes - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Feathered Friends® 'Cordial Canary' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Close-up of glossy, long, narrow reddish-brown leaves of Feathered Friends® 'Fancy Finch' Bugleweed (Ajuga), forming a dense, evergreen ground cover - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A vibrant cluster of Feathered Friends® 'Fancy Finch' Bugleweed (Ajuga) blooms in a rock-bordered garden bed, surrounded by green grass and plants. The evergreen ground cover has some yellowing leaves at its base - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Feathered Friends® 'Fancy Finch' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99

Feathered Friends® 'Fierce Falcon' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features glossy, dark purple crinkled leaves as an attractive evergreen ground cover, with hints of green and yellow foliage - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.Close-up of the dark purple, crinkled leaves of Feathered Friends® 'Fierce Falcon' Bugleweed (Ajuga), highlighting their glossy texture and prominent veins - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Fierce Falcon' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Feathered Friends® 'Flashy Flamingo' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features clusters of pale purple flowers and golden yellow foliage, with dense, delicate spikes—ideal as a shade ground cover. Blurred blue-purple blooms appear in the background - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Flashy Flamingo' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Feathered Friends® 'Noble Nightingale' Bugleweed features dense clusters of narrow, glossy dark green and purplish leaves - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.A close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Noble Nightingale' Bugleweed (Ajuga) in a tray, its dense glossy dark green and purple-tinged evergreen leaves highlighted by sunlight, showcasing unique foliage textures - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Feathered Friends® 'Noble Nightingale' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99

Close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Parrot Paradise' Bugleweed (Ajuga) ground cover, displaying textured, veined green and reddish-brown leaves with natural color variations - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.Feathered Friends® 'Parrot Paradise' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features dense clusters of yellow-green leaves with reddish-brown veins and tips, forming a rounded, evergreen foliage plant - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Parrot Paradise' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Feathered Friends® 'Petite Parakeet' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features gold small leaves that contrast beautifully with bright yellow-green and dark purple foliage, dark greenish-purple foliage is seen in the top of the image - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.A dense cluster of small, yellow-green leaves with light brown edges, typical of Feathered Friends® 'Petite Parakeet' Bugleweed (Ajuga), grows closely together in a tray against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Petite Parakeet' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
A potted Feathered Friends® 'Pink Pelican' Bugleweed (Ajuga), a ground cover perennial with dense clusters of small light purple flowers and green-red leaves, is set against a plain white background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.

Feathered Friends® 'Pink Pelican' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99

Close-up of Feathered Friends® 'Rosy Robin' Bugleweed (Ajuga) flower spikes with densely packed blooms above green and bronze foliage - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. A potted Feathered Friends® 'Rosy Robin' Bugleweed (Ajuga), a hardy perennial with dense spikes of pale purple flowers and reddish-green leaves, is shown against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Garden Solutions. Decorative pot not included.

Feathered Friends® 'Rosy Robin' Bugleweed (Ajuga)

$17.99
$17.99
Close-up of Fun and Games® 'Capture the Flag' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) features yellow-green, star-shaped leaves with dark red veins. Its serrated, textured foliage adds vibrant detail - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Densely clustered yellow-green leaves with red veins form the foreground, while small blue flowers and green foliage highlight Fun and Games® 'Capture the Flag' Foamy Bells (Heucherella), a striking shade perennial, in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Capture the Flag' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99
Yellow-green leaves with dark red veins sit below delicate clusters of light pink flowers on tall stems—this close-up features Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella), a shade perennial with light green leaves, dark veins, and stems topped with delicate pink flowers, thrives beautifully in a lush garden setting - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Eye Spy' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) leaves overlap in red, orange, and brown shades, highlighting jagged edges and textured surfaces - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of autumn-colored leaves in orange, red, and brown, of Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella), glistening with small water droplets - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Fun and Games® 'Hopscotch' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of rusty red leaves of Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) with a cluster of pink and white buds surround the perennial amid lush green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of a cluster of Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) leaves, resembling coral bells, display rich burgundy-red hues grow densely above dark soil - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Red Rover' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$27.99
$27.99