Skip to content

Top Navigation

Better Homes & Gardens
  • Holidays
  • Gardening
  • Recipes and Cooking
  • Decorating
  • Home Improvement Ideas
  • Cleaning and Organizing
  • Shop
  • Rooms
  • News
  • Beauty & Style
  • Health & Family
  • Pets
  • Local Services

Profile Menu

My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Insider
  • BH&G Magazine Archive
Login
Subscribe
Pin

Explore Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 of the Most Common Perennial Garden Mistakes to Avoid

      Are your plants not looking as lush and colorful as you hoped? Make sure you haven't made any of these missteps. Read More Next
    • 6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      A professional organizer offers advice on how to tidy up your home without feeling overwhelmed. Read More Next
    • 5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      Anti-inflammatory smoothies do exist! Instead of blending in boatloads of sugar and artificial ingredients, try these smoothies for inflammation that are stoked with ingredients that may help lower your risk for chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, depression, and more. Read More Next
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays

    This Is Why We Send Paper Valentines on February 14

    The tradition began more than 1,500 years ago.
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Halloween
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Father's Day
  • Gardening

    Gardening

    See All Gardening

    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    Upcycle old newspapers, junk mail, and other waste paper to make these easy, eco-friendly containers you can use to sprout new plants for your garden.
    • Flowers
    • Houseplants
    • Plant Encyclopedia
    • Garden Pests
    • Trees, Shrubs & Vines
    • Caring for Your Yard
    • Edible Gardening
    • Garden Design
    • Gardening By Region
    • Landscaping
  • Recipes and Cooking

    Recipes and Cooking

    See All Recipes and Cooking

    21 Essential Baking Tools Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 That Are Nice to Have)

    If you’re a beginner baker who’s just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking tool must-haves. We’ll help you set up a baking kit for beginners with 21 essential tools. For those who already own these tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflĆ© dish. Building your essential baking toolbox starts here!
    • How to Cook
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Fish Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch
    • Dinner Recipes & Meal Ideas
    • Ethnic Food
  • Decorating

    Decorating

    See All Decorating

    Pantone Predicts the Bold, Happy Colors You'll See Everywhere in Spring 2021

    If these trendy hues are any indication, brighter days are coming. Here's how to use these stunning shades around your home.
    • Choosing Color
    • Expert Decorating Advice
    • Fireplace Design Ideas
    • Do It Yourself Magazine
    • Window Treatments
    • Styles & Decor
    • Interior Painting
    • Home Makeovers
    • Small-Space Decorating
    • Traditional Home
  • Home Improvement Ideas

    Home Improvement Ideas

    See All Home Improvement Ideas

    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular House Styles Explained

    With so many types of house styles, narrowing the list down to your favorite can be overwhelming. We'll show you the top 10 most popular house styles, including Cape Cod, country French, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, cottage, Mediterranean, ranch, and contemporary. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style.
    • Home Exteriors
    • DIY Home Electrical Tips & Guides
    • Outdoor Structures
    • Home Remodeling
    • Plumbing Installations & Repairs
    • Remodeling Advice & Planning
    • Flooring
    • Lighting
    • Decks
    • Porches
  • Cleaning and Organizing

    Cleaning and Organizing

    See All Cleaning and Organizing

    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. Follow these step-by-step instructions for creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule.
    • House Cleaning
    • Laundry & Linens
    • Cleaning Tips
    • Closet Organization
    • Organization Tips
    • Kitchen Storage Organization
  • Shop
  • Rooms

    Rooms

    See All Rooms

    Living Room Furniture Arrangement Ideas

    Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space.
    • Bedroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Bathroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Kitchen Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Living Room Decorating and Design
    • Dining Room
    • Home Office
    • Kid's Rooms
    • Baby Nursery
  • News
  • Beauty & Style

    Beauty & Style

    See All Beauty & Style

    Here's Exactly How to Find Your Perfect Nude Nail Color

    Truth be told, there's no such thing as a universal nude.
    • Anti-Aging
    • Hair
    • Skin Care
    • Makeup
    • Style
    • Nails
  • Health & Family

    Health & Family

    See All Health & Family

    7 Small But Impactful Ways to Fit Self-Care Into Your Day Right Now

    Staying atop of your wellbeing is a must, especially during uncertain, stressful times. These tips will help you make time for self-care for a mental health boost every day.
    • Family Activities
    • Reunions
    • Conditions
    • Parenting Skills
  • Pets

    Pets

    See All Pets

    50 Perfect Calico Cat Names for Your Beautiful Kitty

    Use your pet's unique coat as inspiration on what to call them.
    • Dogs and Puppies
    • Cats
    • Caring for Your Pet
  • Local Services

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Insider
  • BH&G Magazine Archive
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. BHG.com
  2. Gardening
  3. Flowers
  4. Annuals
  5. 12 Gorgeous Annuals That Thrive in the Shade

12 Gorgeous Annuals That Thrive in the Shade

By BH&G Garden Editors
Updated March 02, 2020
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin FB
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Brighten up any dim corner of your garden with these beautiful plants. They'll contribute flowers or colorful leaves from spring to fall, and they thrive in tricky areas of your yard where other plants have trouble growing. While most of these plants are true annuals that only live for a year, a few will come back in Hardiness Zones where it doesn't freeze, which we've listed for those plants.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Fuchsia

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Bring elegance to your garden with fuchsias. These shade plants produce gorgeous pendulous flowers, making them ideal for hanging baskets. The petal-filled blooms appear in a number of shades of red, pink, and purple, and some selections can even have variegated foliage. These beautiful shade flowers will also help bring hummingbirds to your yard.

Light: Shade, part sun, or full sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, consistently moist soil.

Size: Up to 6 feet tall.

Hardiness Zones: 8-10

Buy It: Grand Cape Horn Fuchsia, $14.95, White Flower Farm

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Balsam

Credit: Marty Baldwin

An old-fashioned plant closely related to impatiens, balsam blooms in a wide range of shades. Balsam shade flowers tend to be taller and have more intricate flowers than impatiens. It also self-seeds, so plant it once and you're likely to enjoy the beautiful blooms for years in your shade garden.

Light: Shade or full sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, evenly moist soil.

Size: Up to 3 feet tall.

Buy It: 150 Balsam Seeds, $3.00, Select Seeds and Plants

2 of 12

3 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Lobelia

Credit: Justin Hancock

Add lobelias to shade gardens for rich, true blues. These trailing, colorful shade annuals bloom prolifically in spring and fall, almost covering themselves in flowers. Annual lobelia is a cool-season plant that can tolerate most light conditions, including shade.

Light: Shade, part sun, or full sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, moist soil.

Size: Up to 3 feet tall.

Buy It: 400 Blue Lobelia Seeds, $2.79, Walmart

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Torenia

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Sometimes called wishbone flower, torenia is a pretty shade-loving plant with beautiful trumpet-shaped blooms in a range of shades from blues and purples to pinks and yellows. Versatile torenia is also available in both upright and trailing varieties, so you can grow it in beds, borders, or containers. It's a favorite of hummingbirds too!

Light: Shade or part sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, consistently moist soil.

Size: Up to 12 inches.

Buy It: Summer Wave Large Blue Wishbone Flower, $8.99, Proven Winners

4 of 12

5 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Oxalis

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Golden-leaf selections of oxalis are a stunning complement to browallia; blue and gold always look good together. Oxalis varieties can also have green and purple leaves and are sometimes called shamrocks because of their leaf shape. They also produce pretty pink, white, or yellow flowers. Some varieties of these colorful shade annuals are happy in the sun; others need protection from the sun during the hottest part of the day.

Light: Shade, part sun, or full sun.

Water: Plant in dry, well-drained soil.

Size: Up to 12 inches tall.

Hardiness Zones: 7-11

Buy It: Golden Oxalis, $14.95, Logee's

5 of 12

6 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Impatiens

Credit: Justin Hancock

One of the most popular plants for shady areas, impatiens bloom constantly from spring to fall, offer flowers in just about every color, and couldn't be easier to grow. Look for New Guinea impatiens, which produce larger blossoms and stockier stems; double impatiens, which feature petal-filled, roselike shade flowers; or mini impatiens, which cover themselves in small blooms.

Light: Shade or part sun.

Water: Plant in rich, well-drained soil (impatiens won't survive drought, so give them extra water during dry spells).

Size: Up to 3 feet tall.

Hardiness Zones: 10-11

Buy It: 100 New Guinea Impatiens Seeds, $9.83, Walmart

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Coleus

Credit: Kritsada Panichgul

Grow shade annuals like coleus for its fantastic foliage—there are hundreds of varieties, and they feature leaves splashed, spotted, and streaked with shades of chartreuse, purple, pink, red, black, and green. Make eye-catching combinations by growing a few varieties of coleus together, or complement your favorite flowers with coleuses that have similar leaf colors.

Light: Shade, part sun, or full sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, consistently moist soil.

Size: Most varieties will stay between 18 and 30 inches tall, but some can reach up to 3 feet.

Hardiness Zones: 10-11

Buy It: Proven Winners Wicked Witch Coleus, $29.74, The Home Depot

7 of 12

8 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Browallia

Credit: Marty Baldwin

A surefire pick for adding rich color to shade gardens, browallia has star-shaped flowers in blue, lavender, and white over emerald-green foliage. It's a fast grower that does well in shade or sun. In warm-climate areas it may self-seed, but not to the point of being considered a pest.

Light: Shade or part sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, consistently moist soil.

Size: Up to 3 feet tall.

Buy It: Endless Illumination Browallia, $8.99, Proven Winners

8 of 12

9 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Polka-Dot Plant

Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Add a dose of whimsy to your shade garden with a polka-dot plant. These annuals have pretty, purple-green leaves that, as the name suggests, are decoratively speckled in shades of pink and white. Native to Madagascar, these tropical, colorful shade plants thrive in hot and humid conditions. Adaptable polka-dot plant is also relatively drought-tolerant.

Light: Shade or part sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, consistently moist soil.

Size: Up to 3 feet tall.

Hardiness Zones: 9-11

Buy It: Hippo Red Polka Dot Plant, $8.99, Proven Winners

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sweet Potato Vine

Credit: Marty Baldwin

You can't beat these fast-growing shade plants for bold summer color. Sweet potato vine produces bronze, purple, or chartreuse foliage, depending on the variety, and grows quickly once temperatures heat up. Use it in containers or as a dramatic groundcover.

Light: Shade, part sun, or full sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained soil.

Size: Up to 6 inches tall.

Hardiness Zones: 8-11

Buy It: Sweet Caroline Light Green Sweet Potato Vine, $8.99, Proven Winners

10 of 12

11 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Viola

Credit: Justin Hancock

Like lobelia, violas are cool-season annuals that can take full sun in early spring and fall, but they'll bloom a bit later into the summer if you grow them in the shade, especially in the South. Violas produce flowers in a dizzying range of shades including many wonderful bicolors like the 'Sorbet Coconut Swirl' shown here.

Test Garden Tip: Violas may be short-lived perennials in some areas, though they're often grown as annuals.

Light: Shade, part sun, or full sun.

Water: Plant in well-drained, consistently moist soil.

Size: Up to 12 inches tall.

Hardiness Zones: 7-11

Buy It: 100 Sorbet Series Viola Seeds, $5.36, Walmart

11 of 12

12 of 12

Save Pin FB
Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Beefsteak Plant

Credit: Denny Schrock

Pack a lot of color in a small area with beefsteak plant's bold foliage. Available in shades of purple, pink, lime, and cream, the leaves look as great as coleus. It's easy to grow; in fact, you can even bring containers of beefsteak plant indoors as a houseplant for a bold shot of winter color.

Light: Shade, part sun, or full sun.

Water: Plant in rich, consistently moist, well-drained soil.

Size: Up to 3 feet tall.

Buy It: Beefsteak Plant, $9.99, Steve's Leaves

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By BH&G Garden Editors

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 12 Fuchsia
2 of 12 Balsam
3 of 12 Lobelia
4 of 12 Torenia
5 of 12 Oxalis
6 of 12 Impatiens
7 of 12 Coleus
8 of 12 Browallia
9 of 12 Polka-Dot Plant
10 of 12 Sweet Potato Vine
11 of 12 Viola
12 of 12 Beefsteak Plant

Share options

Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Shop | Better Homes & Gardens

  • Raised Garden Kits
  • Arbors
  • Gazebos
  • Pots & Planters
  • Trellises
  • Gardening Tools
  • Perennials
  • Garden Bridges
  • Rain Barrels
  • Shades & Structures
  • Shop More Next

Better Homes & Gardens may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.

  • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Logo Products at Walmart
  • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Real Estate Real Estate Services
Better Homes & Gardens

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Better Homes & Gardens
  • Help
  • Media Kit
  • Content Licensing
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
BH&G is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.bhg.com

View image

12 Gorgeous Annuals That Thrive in the Shade
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.