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The Best Perennials for Shade


Japanese painted fern
 

Japanese Painted Fern

It's tough to imagine a lovelier shade plant than Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum). This beauty offers fronds liberally dappled with silver, burgundy, and green. Plus, it's a low-growing, slow-spreading selection. And, deer and rabbits usually leave it alone. It grows best in Zones 5-8 and gets about 12 inches tall.

Top picks: 'Silver Falls' has especially metallic leaves; 'Burgundy Lace' has lots of rich purple-red tones in the leaves.

Plant it with: 'Burgundy Glow' ajuga or 'Green Spice' coralbells -- all have silvery and purple tones in their foliage.

Learn more about Japanese painted fern.



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