Part-Shade Plants

Partial-shade plants thrive in areas that get about 4 to 6 hours of sun each day, usually morning light or dappled shade under trees. This makes these plants ideal for borders, gardens under tree canopies, spaces along fence lines, hanging baskets, and even containers.

At Garden Crossings, we have a wide selection of perennials, annuals, edibles, and garden shrubs that’ll perform beautifully in your shady spot, each selected for exceptional quality and customer success. Explore our plants.

White part shade flowers with variegated green foliage
Sprengeri Asparagus Fern with feathery green foliage in a round, dark gray ceramic pot—an easy-to-grow annual ideal for pots or hanging baskets, shown here against a white background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.A window box with Sprengeri Asparagus Fern, deep purple foliage, and pink flowers sits below multi-pane windows reflecting trees and warm light - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Sprengeri Asparagus Fern

$10.99
$10.99

Two tall Spring Grove® Arborvitae (Thuja) with dense, conical forms stand side by side on a lawn under a clear sky, creating an appealing evergreen privacy screen with additional trees in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Spring Grove® Arborvitae (Thuja)

$21.99
$39.99 $21.99
A neatly trimmed, round Sprinter® Boxwood (Buxus) with dense foliage grows in a landscaped garden bed, surrounded by mulch and other similar evergreen shrubs in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.A dense, round Sprinter® Boxwood (Buxus) with glossy green leaves grows in a square metal planter near light-colored siding and another potted plant in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Sprinter® Boxwood (Buxus)

$22.99
$22.99

Top-down view of the Squeeze Box® Inkberry Holly (Ilex), an evergreen shrub with dense, dark green, lance-shaped leaves. A softly blurred background suggests fallen leaves and earthy tones in an autumn outdoor setting - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Squeeze Box® Inkberry Holly (Ilex), a leafy evergreen shrub with small, elongated leaves, grows outdoors near a metal building. Sunlight highlights the plant, with pink hydrangea blooms and other greenery visible at the base - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Squeeze Box® Inkberry Holly (Ilex)

$22.99
$22.99
A dense cluster of purple and white daisy-like Stacy Pink' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flowers with yellow centers fills the frame, creating a vibrant and colorful floral pattern - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA close-up of a cluster of vibrant purple and white Stacy Pink' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) flowers with yellow centers, tightly packed together, filling the entire image - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Stacy Pink' Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$12.99
$12.99
Close-up of Stacy™ Dazzling Orange Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum) with vibrant orange and yellow petals. Dewdrops sparkle on the main bloom, making it ideal for fall décor among other blossoms and buds. - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture

Stacy™ Dazzling Orange Garden Mum (Chrysanthemum)

$11.99
$11.99
Close-up of 'Starblast Pink' Euphorbia, an annual featuring delicate pink and white bracts on slender green stems. The image captures the plant’s vibrant, intricate foliage in a striking floral display - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.Starblast Pink' Euphorbia features elongated green leaves mottled with dark and light patches, accented by small pink and white star-shaped flowers plus matching bracts, making it a striking annual for vibrant garden displays - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Starblast Pink' Euphorbia

$10.99
$10.99

Tall green stems topped with vibrant, deep purple Starship™ Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia) blooms thriving amid greenery and mulch - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Close-up of vivid Starship™ Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia) blooms on tall green stems, perfect for attracting hummingbirds, with flower buds and soft-focus foliage in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Starship™ Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia)

$17.99
$17.99

Close up of the Bright pink Starship™ Rose Cardinal Flower (Lobelia) blooms with pointed petals stands before dense white clusters of hydrangea blooms and green foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Bright magenta flowers of the Starship™ Rose Cardinal Flower (Lobelia) blooms on tall stalks, accented by green and burgundy foliage with white and purple flowers in the background of a sunny garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Starship™ Rose Cardinal Flower (Lobelia)

$16.99
$16.99
Tall plants with deep green and purple leaves, including the vibrant Starship™ Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower (Lobelia), bloom in a mulched garden bed with green grass in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Clusters of vibrant red Starship™ Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower (Lobelia) bloom among dark purple-green leaves in a mulched garden bed, with green grass visible in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Starship™ Scarlet Bronze Leaf Cardinal Flower (Lobelia)

$17.99
$17.99

Close-up of Dense clusters of dark green and reddish-purple leaves cover the compact Stay Classy® Cherry (Prunus), showcasing striking dark purple foliage. A soft-focus yellow flower can be seen in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A branch of the Stay Classy® Cherry (Prunus) with deep red leaves and small white flowers with pink centers stands out against a blurred background, highlighting the dark purple foliage of this compact shrub - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Stay Classy® Cherry (Prunus)

$22.99
$40.99 $22.99
Two white Steady As She Goes® Gardenia blooms with glossy green leaves create a fragrant display, standing out against a dark, blurred background. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. A lush, fragrant Steady As She Goes® Gardenia shrub blooms with star-shaped white flowers, thriving in mulch among other deer-resistant greenery. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Steady As She Goes® Gardenia

$22.99
$22.99
Clusters of white flowers and buds with textured green leaves fill the image, showcasing the dense, blooming Steady Eddy® Doublefile (Viburnum) - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc. Close-up of the Steady Eddy® Doublefile (Viburnum), a deer-resistant, flowering shrub with clusters of white blooms and green leaves, is blooming in front of a light gray, horizontally paneled wall. - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Steady Eddy® Doublefile (Viburnum)

$22.99
$22.99

Close-up of a Still Waters™ Clematis bloom with striking dark purple stamens, surrounded by lush green leaves and additional lavender blue flowers from the vigorous Still Waters™ Clematis vines in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A close-up of a Still Waters™ Clematis flower shows its light lavender-blue petals and deep purple stamens, blooming among green leaves in bright sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Still Waters™ Clematis

$22.99
$22.99

A lush garden scene centers on a striking Sting® Arborvitae (Thuja), its tall, narrow form surrounded by leafy green bushes and purple flowers. Sunlight filters through trees, casting dappled light over the foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of dense, vibrant green Sting® Arborvitae (Thuja) branches with overlapping needle-like leaves, creating a lush texture - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Sting® Arborvitae (Thuja)

$22.99
$22.99

A close-up of Stonehenge Dark Druid® Yew (Taxus) shows lush, soft needle-like leaves. The lighter green new growth contrasts with the dark, mature foliage of this evergreen shrub that thrives in sun or shade - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A close-up shows the Stonehenge Dark Druid® Yew (Taxus), a potted evergreen with dense, needle-like green foliage and lighter new growth - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Stonehenge Dark Druid® Yew (Taxus)

$22.99
$22.99

A tall, narrow Stonehenge Skinny® Yew (Taxus), an evergreen shrub with dense, dark green needles, grows in a tidy garden bed bordered by mulch and grass, with other shrubs and trees visible in the background. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA Stonehenge Skinny® Yew (Taxus), an upright, columnar yew with dense needle-like foliage, stands in a mulched garden bed, sunlight illuminating its vibrant green branches. Other plants are softly blurred in the background. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Stonehenge Skinny® Yew (Taxus)

$22.99
$22.99

A tall Stonehenge® Yew (Taxus) evergreen shrubs stands amidst smaller shrubs, landscape fabric visible around its base - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Stonehenge® Yew (Taxus)

$22.99
$22.99

Strong Box® Inkberry Holly (Ilex) is a round, green evergreen shrub with dense, glossy leaves growing in brown mulch under sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCStrong Box® Inkberry Holly (Ilex) is a dense green shrub with small, glossy leaves and few brown fallen leaves on top - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Strong Box® Inkberry Holly (Ilex)

$22.99
$22.99

The Sugar Shack® 2.0 Buttonbush (Cephalanthus) is a pollinator-friendly shrub with glossy green leaves and round, spiky white flower balls - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Closeup of Sugar Shack® 2.0 Buttonbush (Cephalanthus) showing round, spiky white flower heads and green buds amid glossy leaves - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Sugar Shack® 2.0 Buttonbush (Cephalanthus)

$22.99
$22.99

Close-up of Sugar Shack® Buttonbush (Cephalanthus), a compact shrub with round, spiky white flowers and glossy green leaves, set against a blurred background of foliage - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of the Sugar Shack® Buttonbush (Cephalanthus) with white, spherical blooms and radiating yellow-tipped stamens among green leaves, as a bumblebee forages on one of its flowers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Sugar Shack® Buttonbush (Cephalanthus)

$22.99
$22.99

Sugartina® 'Crystalina' Summersweet (Clethra) is a compact shrub with green leaves and clusters of white, bottlebrush-shaped flowers, making it ideal for adding texture and color to lush garden landscapes. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCSugartina® 'Crystalina' Summersweet (Clethra) is a dense shrub with green leaves and clusters of small white flowers, thriving in mulched garden beds bordered by grass and other plants. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Sugartina® 'Crystalina' Summersweet (Clethra)

$22.99
$22.99

Close-up of bright yellow and orange Summer Breeze Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) flowers with dark streaks bloom among green leaves in a garden - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Clusters of Summer Breeze Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) bloom in yellow and orange amid green foliage, with red flowers in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Summer Breeze Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria)

$21.99
$21.99
Summer Heat Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) features bright red blooms with yellow and black-speckled centers on green leafy stems, creating a vibrant and colorful perennial flower display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.The Summer Heat Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) features bright red flowers with yellow centers blooming in lush clusters among green leaves, with a grassy lawn visible in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Summer Heat Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria)

$19.99
$19.99

Part-shade abelia shrub with flowers.

Enjoy Beautiful Blooms and Foliage with Less Shade

Many of the most beautiful flowers and plants thrive in sunny gardens. Others prefer deep shade and will easily burn or scorch in the afternoon sun. But there are also plants that don’t fall comfortably in either category: part-shade plants.

These plants do best in morning sun and afternoon shade, which protects from the harsh midday heat. This gentle sun helps bring out their most vibrant blooms and leaf colors. However, you’ll find that some varieties, like bugleweeds, are very adaptable and grow well in full shade too.

Chokeberry plants for part shade.

Shop Part-Shade Plants and Flowers for Your Growing Conditions

Growing since 2004, Garden Crossings understands first-hand how growing conditions and hardiness zones can influence your plant’s growth. To support your gardening success, we’ve selected partial-shade plants for zones 2 through 9. You’ll also find varieties that meet your growing conditions, from drought-tolerant shrubs to pollinator-friendly perennials. 

Order online for pickup or get your plants delivered.

FAQs

Part shade means your spot gets 4 to 6 hours of sun every day. These plants specifically prefer gentle morning sun and shade in the afternoon for protection from intense midday rays.

Many plants thrive in morning sun and afternoon shade, including begonias, fuchsias, and mums. Flowering shrubs like hydrangeas also often love cool morning light.

Not necessarily. Regional variations can also influence how plants respond to sunlight. For example, afternoon sun in southern states is often much stronger than in northern states like Minnesota. Consider your climate and hardiness zone before planting.