Plants for Full Shade Gardens

Plants for full shade thrive in spots that get fewer than four hours of direct sun per day. Whether you're working under a tree canopy, along a north-facing bed, or in a cool shaded corner, the right plants make all the difference. They transform those shadowy spots into standout garden features. Full shade doesn't mean a boring garden, it means a lush, layered landscape full of color and texture.

Our full shade plant collection spans annuals, perennials, and shrubs. We hand-pick every variety for reliable performance in low-light conditions. You'll find options with vibrant blooms, bold foliage, and interesting form. That means you can design a shade garden that looks great from spring through fall.

Purple leaved heuchera in a mulched garden bed
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

A close-up of an Illumination® Apricot Shades Tuberous Begonia in full bloom, its yellow and peach petals framed by serrated green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA close-up of Illumination® Apricot Shades Tuberous Begonia in full bloom shows its pale yellow and peach petals with pink edges, layered in a circular pattern - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Illumination® Apricot Shades Tuberous Begonia

$10.99
$10.99
A lush garden bed with vibrant green Kimberly Queen Queen Ferns (Nephrolepis), pink begonias, small white flowers, and dark broad-leaf plants bordered by stones - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A Kimberly Queen Fern (Nephrolepis) hangs lush and green, accented by yellow and purple flowers in front of a tan stone wall - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included.

Kimberly Queen Queen Fern (Nephrolepis)

$17.99
$17.99

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 vibrant Kodiak® Orange Diervilla leaves in red, pink, and pale yellow shades. This shrub features pointed tips and prominent veins, creating striking and colorful foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A drought-tolerant shrub with slender branches and pink, yellow, and light green leaves, Kodiak® Orange Diervilla adds early autumn color to garden beds mulched beside logs - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Kodiak® Orange Diervilla

$22.99
$22.99

Red and orange autumn leaves densely cover the drought-tolerant Kodiak® Red 2.0 Diervilla, revealing hints of yellow and green beneath for a vibrant, colorful foliage display - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Top-down view of the Kodiak® Red 2.0 Diervilla shrub, with reddish-brown narrow leaves, grows in a sunlit mulched bed alongside other plants and mulch in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Kodiak® Red 2.0 Diervilla

$22.99
$22.99

La Campanella Fuchsia features purple and white flowers with long petals and stamens, accented by green leaves with water droplets. This trailing plant displays both open blooms and buds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe La Campanella Fuchsia is a trailing plant with hanging purple and white flowers, pink stamens, and dewy green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

La Campanella Fuchsia

$10.99
$10.99
Long, slender spikes of small white flowers extend from leafy green stems as the dense Little Henry® Sweetspire (Itea) grows over a stone border in the garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of overlapping reddish-brown, pink, and green leaves with prominent veins and glossy texture on the compact Little Henry® Sweetspire (Itea) shrub. Leaves grow from the central stem - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Little Henry® Sweetspire (Itea)

$21.99
$21.99

Close-up of Majestic Giants Blue White Blotch Pansy (Viola), featuring vivid white petals with deep purple blotches and lush green leaves. The soft-focus background enhances the striking early spring colors and unique patterns - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

Majestic Giants II Blue And White with Blotch Pansy (Viola)

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of a Majestic Giants Marina Shades Blotch Pansy (Viola) shows vibrant purple, yellow, and cream petals with a dark purple center. Lush green leaves surround this early-blooming perennial, with another pansy softly blurred in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A close-up of a Majestic Giants Marina Shades Blotch Pansy (Viola), an early-blooming perennial with purple, yellow, and creamy white petals featuring a bold dark purple center and small yellow spot, surrounded by green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Majestic Giants II Marina with Blotch Pansy (Viola)

$10.99
$10.99
A close-up of a 'Majestic Giants White Blotch' Pansy (Viola) reveals its large white flowers with striking purple blotches and a yellow center, framed by green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.A close-up of Majestic Giants White Blotch' Pansy (Viola) shows its large white petals with deep purple blotches around a yellow center, set against green leaves and early-blooming perennials in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Majestic Giants II White with Blotch Pansy (Viola)

$10.99
$10.99

A close-up of a Majestic Giants Yellow Blotch Pansy (Viola) displays its extra-large yellow flowers with bold maroon centers, framed by green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.A close-up of a Majestic Giants Yellow Blotch Pansy (Viola) shows its extra-large yellow blooms with dark maroon center markings, surrounded by green leaves and a nearby small flower bud - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Majestic Giants II Yellow with Blotch Pansy (Viola)

$10.99
$10.99

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 a neatly trimmed Neatball® Boxwood (Buxus) with dense, round form and small, glossy leaves. This evergreen shrub sits in an outdoor garden, surrounded by other greenery - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Top-down view of a small Neatball® Boxwood (Buxus), a compact, evergreen shrub with oval leaves, thriving in sunny, mulched beds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Neatball® Boxwood (Buxus)

$22.99
$22.99

A Newgen Freedom® Boxwood (Buxus), neatly trimmed and round with dense foliage, grows in a mulched garden bed outdoors, serving as an attractive evergreen foundation plant against greenery and a house - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A Newgen Freedom® Boxwood (Buxus), with dense green leaves, is planted in mulch in front of a light blue house with a screened porch, serving as an attractive evergreen foundation shrub - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Newgen Freedom® Boxwood (Buxus)

$22.99
$22.99
Rounded, blight-resistant Newgen Independence® Boxwood shrubs and white hydrangea flowers thrive in a mulched garden bed bordered by a white wooden fence - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A neatly trimmed Newgen Independence® Boxwood (Buxus) with dense leaves grows in a garden bed, surrounded by other greenery and white flowers near a building - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Newgen Independence® Boxwood (Buxus)

$22.99
$22.99

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)

$11.99
$19.99 $11.99

Bright orange and yellow blooms with ruffled petals top green, serrated leaves in a dark round planter - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Nonstop® Fire Tuberous Begonia

$10.99
$10.99

The Nonstop® Mocca Scarlet Tuberous Begonia features double scarlet-red blooms and dark green, slightly fuzzy, wavy-edged leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA close-up of a vibrant red rose-like bloom, with velvety petals and rich hues, surrounded by jagged-edged dark green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Nonstop® Mocca Scarlet Tuberous Begonia

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of vibrant Nonstop® Mocca Yellow Tuberous Begonia blooms with double petals, set against dark green, textured leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA vibrant Nonstop® Mocca Yellow Tuberous Begonia blooms amid dark green leaves, with a pinkish-yellow bud nearby - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Nonstop® Mocca Yellow Tuberous Begonia

$10.99
$10.99
The Nonstop® Orange Tuberous Begonia, featuring vibrant ruffled petals, is in full bloom amid lush green leaves and budding flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe Nonstop® Orange Tuberous Begonia features vibrant orange, multi-layered blooms set against broad, green, ruffled leaves, highlighting the beauty of this remarkable begonia - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Nonstop® Orange Tuberous Begonia

$10.99
$10.99

FAQs

Hosta, Japanese Painted Fern, Foamflower (Tiarella), Rex Begonia, and Japanese Forest Grass all perform well in low-light beds and borders. These varieties earn their place through textured, colorful foliage as much as through flowers, which is what keeps a shade garden interesting all season. Most also handle the moist, cooler soil typically found in shaded spots.

Rex Begonias lead the way with bold leaf patterns in deep purples, silvers, and pinks that read as vividly as any flower. Hosta offers blue, gold, and variegated options in every size from miniature to statement piece, while Japanese Forest Grass brings bright chartreuse and gold to darker corners. For flowers specifically, Astilbe adds feathery plumes in white, pink, and red above finely cut foliage.

Hellebore, Bugleweed, and Sedge (Carex) handle drier shade better than most, and Autumn Fern is more forgiving than Lady Fern or Japanese Painted Fern once established. Dry shade is common under mature trees, where roots pull moisture from the soil before other plants can reach it. Checking each plant's water needs before buying helps match your selection to the actual conditions in your bed or border.

Full shade means a planting area gets zero to four hours of direct sun, while part-shade areas receive four to six hours. Plants suited for full shade, like Hosta and Lady Fern, tolerate low light better than part-shade varieties, which often need some morning or filtered sun to perform well.

Yes, low-growing options like Bugleweed spread readily and work well as groundcover beneath trees where grass struggles. These plants tolerate root competition and low light while filling in bare spots with dense foliage, making them a practical choice for shaded areas under mature trees and shrubs.