Gardening Flowers Perennials 12 Tough Perennials That Grow in Dry Shade Those shady spots in your yard don't have to be boring. These easy-care plants will add color without needing to be watered all the time. By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on January 19, 2023 Reviewed by Sylvia Duax Reviewed by Sylvia Duax Sylvia Duax has over 15 years of experience as a professional Horticulturist with expertise in: sustainable garden maintenance techniques; Southeastern U.S., especially in the mid-Atlantic regional gardening; native plants; wildlife gardening; small space, urban and container gardening and community engagement. Learn about BHG's Gardening Review Board Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: John Reed Forsman A shady spot such as under a large tree can be challenging to work with in your garden, especially if it stays on the dry side. Most common shade plants are native to moist woodland conditions, so they usually need additional watering during a drought. But if you pick the right plants that will tolerate an extended dry spell, you can create a thriving perennial garden, even in a shady spot that receives four hours or less of direct sunlight. Most of the varieties listed here mix and match well together. 01 of 12 Hosta Greg Ryan One of the most tried-and-true shade plants, hostas are low-maintenance with hundreds of varieties to choose from. Because the foliage is so diverse in size, shape, and color, mixing and matching hostas is easy to do. Smaller varieties can also form a pretty garden border or fill in space around the base of a tree. Growing Conditions: Part shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 8 feet wide Zones: 3-9 02 of 12 Lungwort David McDonald Another shade-loving plant that tolerates dry soil is lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.). These perennials have tough leaves, which can be spotted or solid green. In the spring, lungwort produces bright blue, pink, white, or purple flowers. When used as a groundcover, lungwort helps discourage weeds with its dense growth. Some types deal with dry conditions by going dormant, but they'll be back the following spring. Growing Conditions: Part to shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 2-8 (varies by species) 03 of 12 Bleeding Heart Peter Krumhardt If you're aiming for a cottage garden quality in the shade, try bleeding heart (Dicentra sp.). Its heart-shaped blooms appear in spring, then the plant will "play dead" once summer comes. No need to worry, it's just resting and will come back next year. Plant bleeding heart with other colorful plants that can take the stage later in the year. Growing Conditions: Part shade to full shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 3-9 04 of 12 Coral Bells Samantha Hedum Native to rocky cliff settings where water drains easily, coral bells tolerate dry shade gardens well. Though these perennials do bloom, it's the foliage that really stands out. Varieties like 'Marvelous Marble' grow beautiful, multicolor leaves with a marble-looking surface. Other varieties have leaves that almost look spray-painted while some have deep vein colors. Growing Conditions: Part shade to full shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 3-9 05 of 12 Hardy Ferns Lynn Karlin You may think of ferns as plants that you'd find in a rainforest or tropical location. However, plenty of ferns will grow well in dry shade. For example, the Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum, shown here) has beautiful silver and burgundy leaves, while the autumn fern takes on a gorgeous golden red color in fall. Other than the occasional slug, pests tend to leave ferns alone. Growing Conditions: Part shade to full shade in well-drained soil Size: Dependent on variety (Japanese painted fern can grow up to 3 feet tall) Zones: Dependent on variety (Japanese painted fern is hardy in Zones 4-9) 06 of 12 Wild Ginger Ian Adams Low-growing, heart-shaped foliage makes wild ginger (Asarum spp.) a pretty groundcover for shady gardens. These plants spread slowly to form a dense mat that can keep weeds at bay. Native Western wild ginger (A. caudatum) is one of the most drought-tolerant options, and slugs also tend to leave it alone. Other options such as Canadian wild ginger (A. canadense) and European wild ginger (A. europeaum) may need supplemental watering during hot, dry weather. Growing Conditions: Part to full shade in well-drained soil Size: Under 12 inches tall Zones: 3-9 (varies by species) 07 of 12 Bigroot Geranium Denny Schrock One of the very best perennials for dry shade, bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum) has deeply lobed leaves that look like snowflakes. The foliage is a bit fuzzy, making it deer and rabbit resistant. In autumn, the leaves turn beautiful shades of reddish-orange. Over time, bigroot geranium will slowly spread to form a dense carpet of foliage over the ground. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 3-8 08 of 12 Cushion Spurge Matthew Benson Though cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) is often grown in full sun, it does tolerate shade, especially in hot-summer areas. In spring, cushion spurge produces tiny chartreuse flowers surrounded by showy bracts (much like its relative, the poinsettia, it offers showy pink, red, or white bracts around the little flowers). Once it's finished blooming, count on the mound of gray-green foliage to stay attractive through autumn, when it often turns a reddish color. 'Lacy' (shown here) is a variety with variegated foliage for some added interest. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in dry, well-drained soil Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 3-10 09 of 12 Hellebore Carson Downing Sometimes also called Christmas or Lenten rose because of its early bloom season, hellebore (Helleborus spp.) is one of the toughest shade-loving plants around. With thick, almost leathery leaves, it's easy to see why. Hellebores are evergreen perennials in mild-winter climates; in the coldest places they grow, the foliage usually dies back during the winter. Because all parts of this plant are highly poisonous, it's very resistant to deer and rabbits. Hellebore flowers appear in shades of white, cream, yellow, green, red, and purple, and the blooms can be single or double (such as 'Confetti Cake' shown here). Growing Conditions: Part shade to full shade in well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter Size: Up to 3 feet tall Zones: 4-9 10 of 12 Foamflower David McDonald Native to North America, foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) uses runners to spread quickly to form a dense mat of foliage. In spring, it produces little frothy wands of white or pink flowers. Some varieties also have interesting foliage, such as 'Running Tapestry', which features a purple blotch in the center of the leaves, and 'Susquehanna', which has lobed leaves heavily marked in dark purple. Growing Conditions: Part shade to full shade in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 3-9 11 of 12 Barrenwort Marty Baldwin Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) is a low-growing perennial with heart-shaped foliage that can have reddish and/or golden overtones especially when the leaves emerge in spring. In late spring, the plants produce clusters of tiny blooms in shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and white. Barrenworts are very drought-tolerant, deer- and rabbit-resistant, and look good through spring, summer, and fall. A few types are even evergreen so also add some winter interest. Growing Conditions: Part shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to 12 inches tall Zones: 5-10 12 of 12 Golden Hakone Grass Peter Krumhardt The graceful, bamboo-like stems of Hakone grass aka Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) will add a touch of elegance to any shady location. Try planting it along a wall or raised bed where the plant's slender foliage can cascade over the edge. A few varieties offer yellow variegation on the leaves. This slow-growing perennial tolerates dry conditions well, though it prefers consistent moisture. Growing Conditions: Part to full shade in well-drained soil Size: Up to 18 inches tall Zones: 4-9 When you design your shade garden with these plants as a base, you shouldn't have any problem filling up the bed. To help get your plants off to the best start possible, keep them well-watered throughout the first year. After that, they will likely do fine with whatever rainwater they get. Once you master these plants, you can use that confidence to experiment with more varieties. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit