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
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

Three pale, star-shaped flowers with light purple veins bloom among green leaves. Endless™ Flirtation Bush Violet offers delicate, five-pointed petals - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA close-up of a white browallia with faint purple veins, green leaves, and blurred red flowers in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Endless™ Flirtation Bush Violet (Browallia)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of vibrant Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet flowers with green leaves, accompanied by a few narrow red-orange blooms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA cluster of vibrant purple star-shaped flowers, Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet (Browallia) is a stunning blue-toned annual - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Endless™ Illumination Bush Violet (Browallia)

$10.99
$10.99

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 vibrant purple Feathered Friends® 'Pleasant Pheasant' Bugleweed (Ajuga) flower spikes with green and yellowish-brown leaves. Densely packed blooms give a soft look, making this ajuga an excellent choice for shade gardens - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.Feathered Friends® 'Pleasant Pheasant' Bugleweed (Ajuga) features a dense cluster of small, oval leaves in yellow, orange, and reddish-brown, providing vibrant textured foliage for striking shade garden displays - Photo Courtesy of Chris Hansen.

Feathered Friends® 'Pleasant Pheasant' 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
Clusters of fragrant, bottlebrush-shaped white blooms grow on green leafy stems of the shade-tolerant Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea), surrounded by broad, textured green leaves. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClusters of fragrant white blooms rise above green leaves in a dense, sunlit garden. Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea)’s small flowers are packed tightly along upright stems, creating texture in these shade-tolerant shrubs. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fizzy Mizzy® Sweetspire (Itea)

$22.99
$22.99
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
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)

$18.99
$18.99

Fun and Games® 'Shadow Tag' Foamy Bells (Heucherella) displays light green, ruffled leaves with dark veins - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A cluster of scalloped, green-and-silver veined Heucherella leaves fills the frame, showcasing lush texture - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Fun and Games® 'Shadow Tag' Foamy Bells (Heucherella)

$18.99
$18.99

Close-up of dense, vibrant green foliage on Glow Pop® Japanese Holly (Ilex). This compact shrub features healthy, oval-shaped broadleaf evergreen leaves in a striking mix of light and dark green shades. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCGlow Pop® Japanese Holly (Ilex) is a dense, compact shrub with bright yellow-green leaves, thriving on black landscaping fabric amid green grass and plants; this broadleaf evergreen offers year-round garden interest. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Glow Pop® Japanese Holly (Ilex)

$22.99
$22.99

A close-up of a neatly trimmed, upright Glow Stick® Japanese Holly (Ilex) shrub with small leaves, surrounded by mulch and similar compact evergreen shrubs in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A single Glow Stick® Japanese Holly (Ilex), an upright compact evergreen with golden foliage, grows through black weed-control fabric amid grass, with other evenly spaced shrubs visible in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Glow Stick® Japanese Holly (Ilex)

$22.99
$22.99

Gold Splash® Wintercreeper (Euonymus) features dense clusters of oval green leaves with yellow edges, creating vibrant texture. This low-maintenance ground cover boasts healthy, overlapping foliage and bright variegation - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A close-up of the Gold Splash® Wintercreeper (Euonymus), a low maintenance variegated evergreen shrub with dense foliage and striking yellow-edged green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Gold Splash® Wintercreeper (Euonymus)

$21.99
$21.99

Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium features lush leaves with green edges, creamy centers, and pink-red veins - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC. Decorative pot not included. A cluster of Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium with large, heart-shaped leaves—bright pink centers and green edges—thrives by a stone border in sun or shade, surrounded by mulch - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Heart to Heart® 'Bold 'N Beautiful' Caladium

$24.99
$24.99