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
A hand gently holds a Honeymoon® 'Sandy Shores' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) bloom, its creamy pink petals with maroon speckles standing out against a backdrop of lush green shade perennial foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.The Honeymoon® 'Sandy Shores' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features pale cream blooms with deep purple centers, yellow-tipped stamens, and is surrounded by green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Honeymoon® 'Sandy Shores' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of the Honeymoon® 'Spanish Flare' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features pale yellow blooms with broad petals and white-tipped stamens, nestled among green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Cream-colored flowers with dark maroon centers and yellow-green stamens cluster on a dark backdrop, highlighting the unique beauty of Honeymoon® 'Spanish Flare' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Spanish Flare' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

A hand holds a Honeymoon® 'Swiss Alps' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), its white petals with dark maroon centers and creamy yellow stamens contrasted against green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Swiss Alps' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$21.99
$21.99

Honeymoon® 'Tropical Sunset' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) features pale yellow flowers with purple-edged petals and bright yellow stamens - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of Honeymoon® 'Tropical Sunset' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with yellow petals edged in dark red, veined details, and a central cluster of stamens amid green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'Tropical Sunset' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Boulevard® Kitty™ Clematis, a white compact flower with large petals and pale pinkish-purple stamens, set against a blurred green background - Photo Courtesy of Donahue's Clematis

Kitty™ Boulevard® Clematis

FREE
FREE
Close-up of ‘Mouseketeer’ Hosta's large, oval leaves featuring dark green edges and bright yellow-green centers - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A close-up of 'Mouseketeer' Hosta, a slug-resistant shade perennial with large green leaves streaked with yellow, surrounded by grass and foliage. Water droplets glisten on its hardy variegated leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Mouseketeer' Hosta

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of Noble Native' Sedge (Carex)—with dense, long, narrow green leaves edged in white—emerges from the ground amid brown mulch and other shade groundcovers - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Noble Native' Sedge (Carex) features clusters of green, strappy leaves and grass-like foliage in mulched soil, forming a lush shade groundcover with dark purple and green leafy plants providing a striking background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Noble Native Sedge (Carex)

$19.99
$19.99
An Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia) grows tall in a sunny garden with its green fronds on display. A wooden lattice fence stands behind it, and the surrounding ground is covered with bare soil - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A dense cluster of Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia) with feather-like fronds grows behind a low brick border in a garden, set against additional greenery and a brick wall in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of Pink Chablis® Dead Nettle (Lamium), featuring cotton candy pink flowers and green leaves edged and veined in silvery white, with similar blooms and foliage filling the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Pink Chablis® Dead Nettle (Lamium) features clusters of cotton candy pink flowers and dense, textured foliage with silvery-patterned green leaves edged in dark green - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Pink Chablis® Dead Nettle (Lamium)

$17.99
$17.99

A close-up of Prima Belarina® Carnival Primrose (Primula) displays vibrant double yellow blooms with ruffled petals and green centers, surrounded by lush leaves - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.The Prima Belarina® Carnival Primrose (Primula) features ruffled double yellow and red blooms amid green leaves, growing low to the ground in early spring, brightening gardens with vibrant color - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prima Belarina® Carnival Primrose (Primula)

$18.99
$18.99
A Prima Belarina® Spring Sun Primrose (Primula) potted shade perennial displays many bright yellow, ruffled double flowers and green leaves, set against blurred green foliage and hints of purple blooms - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of Prima Belarina® Spring Sun Primrose (Primula) features bright yellow double flowers with layered petals and dark green textured leaves, making it an ideal shade perennial for vibrant spring color - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Prima Belarina® Spring Sun Primrose (Primula)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of two Heuchera types: the top shows vivid pink leaves, while below are ruffled, nearly black Primo® 'Black Pearl' Coral Bells - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Primo® 'Black Pearl' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features dark leaves and tall stems topped with pinkish-white flowers along the garden bed edge, creating striking contrast beside green grass - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Primo® 'Black Pearl' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

Primo® 'Mahogany Monster' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features ruffled, deer-resistant leaves in deep purple and bronze hues, creating a striking perennial display for your garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of overlapping reddish-brown leaves with ruffled edges and visible veins; Primo® 'Mahogany Monster' Coral Bells (Heuchera) creates a dense, textured foliage pattern - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Primo® 'Mahogany Monster' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99
Primo® 'Peachberry Ice' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with ruffled reddish-bronze leaves and delicate white flowers on slender stems, thriving in soil with green foliage as a backdrop - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Primo® 'Peachberry Ice' Coral Bells (Heuchera) with ruffled, lobed red and pink leaves, thriving in mulch-covered soil among pine needles - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Primo® 'Peachberry Ice' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

A vibrant outdoor garden showcases Primo® 'Pistachio Ambrosia' Coral Bells (Heuchera), its lush light green foliage in soil and surrounded by diverse plants with varied leaf shapes and colors - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Primo® 'Pistachio Ambrosia' Coral Bells (Heuchera) features clusters of bright yellow-green, rounded leaves that grow close to the soil, contrasting with surrounding darker foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Primo® 'Pistachio Ambrosia' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99

Primo® 'Wild Rose' Coral Bells (Heuchera) is a striking perennial with deep pink and burgundy leaves featuring visible veins, topped by delicate white flowers on tall stems above the vibrant foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of Primo® 'Wild Rose' Coral Bells (Heuchera) leaves shows vibrant purple and pink shades with ruffled texture and distinct veins. Green and purple foliage from more Coral Bells appears in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.

Primo® 'Wild Rose' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of 'Shade Fanfare' Sedge (Carex) shows long, narrow leaves with yellow-ish variegation and brown tips, growing in soil outdoors. Blurred greenery in the background highlights this striking groundcover - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of Shade Fanfare' Sedge (Carex) with dense, green pointed leaves featuring light yellow stripes - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Shade Fanfare' Sedge (Carex)

$19.99
$19.99
Top-down view of Shadowland® 'Above the Clouds' Hosta showing its large, blue-green broad leaves among ferns, bright green foliage, and plants with reddish, maple-like leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Shadowland® 'Above the Clouds' Hosta features large, textured blue-green leaves and in a shade garden with other foliage and as a striking accent near fences - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Shadowland® 'Above the Clouds' Hosta

$21.99
$21.99

Close-up of a Shadowland® 'Affair to Remember' Hosta's cluster of pale purple and white flowers with water droplets, blooming amid bold green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of Shadowland® 'Affair to Remember' Hosta with large, slightly glossy leaves with bold green edges, bright yellow centers, striking variegation, and dramatic foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Shadowland® 'Affair to Remember' Hosta

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Shadowland® 'Autumn Frost' Hosta features dense clusters of leaves with creamy yellow edges and dark green centers surrounded by mulch and other foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A group of Shadowland® 'Autumn Frost' Hosta, striking shade perennials with broad yellow leaves and green centers, grow in soil covered by pine needles inside a metal border - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Shadowland® 'Autumn Frost' Hosta

$21.99
$21.99

Shadowland® 'Chance Encounter' Hosta features broad, two-tone green leaves with yellow edges and thrives among other leafy plants and pinkish blooms - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Shadowland® 'Chance Encounter' Hosta features large, broad leaves with yellow edges and green centers, striking veins, and a lush overlapping pattern - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Shadowland® 'Chance Encounter' Hosta

$19.99
$19.99
Close-up view of Shadowland® 'Diamond Lake' Hosta features large, overlapping blue-green leaves with prominent ridges, forming dense clumps in natural sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Shadowland® 'Diamond Lake' Hosta features large blue-green leaves with prominent veins and a slightly waxy texture. The overlapping foliage forms a dense shade perennial, with occasional water spots or speckles on its surfaces - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Shadowland® 'Diamond Lake' Hosta

$29.99
$29.99

Shadowland® 'Echo the Sun' Hosta features vibrant yellow foliage, growing in dense clusters within mulch and stone borders - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A close-up of a large, yellowing leaf with pronounced veins and wavy edges, showing stress typical of yellow foliage hostas like Shadowland® 'Echo the Sun' Hosta. Similar leaves are seen in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Shadowland® 'Echo the Sun' Hosta

$21.99
$21.99

Close-up of Shadowland® 'Etched Glass' Hosta features large leaves with vibrant yellow centers and dark green edges. This shade perennial has healthy, lush foliage that stands out beautifully amid brown pine needles - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of Shadowland® 'Etched Glass' Hosta, a shade perennial with large heart-shaped leaves boasting vibrant green edges and bright yellow centers, is surrounded by other leafy foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Shadowland® 'Etched Glass' Hosta

$21.99
$21.99