Best Plants for Shade Gardens in the UK

Understanding Shade

Types of shade

Not all shade is the same. The main types are:

• Light shade: under open trees or on the north side of a fence, with some reflected light.
• Partial shade: 3 to 6 hours of direct sun, either morning or afternoon.
• Dappled shade: under deciduous trees, with moving patches of sun and shade.
• Deep shade: under evergreen trees or dense structures, with no direct sun.
• Dry shade: shade combined with dry soil, usually under trees whose roots take all the water.
• Damp shade: shade combined with moisture, often on heavy soil near water or in low lying spots.

Why shade matters

Shade affects plants in two ways: reduced light for photosynthesis, and reduced soil moisture (because trees and hedges take the water). The combination of dry and shade is the hardest to plant for. Damp shade is easier because the moisture supports a wider range of plants.

Assessing your shade

Watch your garden through a day and note where the sun reaches. A spot that gets morning sun until 11am and then shade is very different from a spot that gets sun from 4pm onwards. Both are partial shade but suit different plants.

Also dig a small hole and check the soil. If it is dry and full of tree roots, you have dry shade. If it is damp and rich, you have damp shade. The right plant choice depends on knowing what you have.

Plants for Dry Shade

Dry shade is the toughest gardening challenge. Under large trees, the soil is dry, full of roots, and often poor. But some plants will thrive.

Top plants for dry shade

• Bergenia: evergreen, leathery leaves, pink flowers in spring
• Epimedium: delicate looking but tough, with spring flowers and bronze new leaves
• Hardy geraniums (Geranium macrorrhizum): spreading, drought tolerant, pink or white flowers
• Ferns (Dryopteris, Polystichum): see our fern profile
• Hellebores: see our hellebore profile
• Ajuga: low growing ground cover with blue flowers
• Lamium: silver leaved ground cover
• Vinca (periwinkle): evergreen with blue flowers
• Ivy: the ultimate dry shade ground cover, if you can contain it
• Japanese anemone: late summer flowers, spreads in shade

Bulbs for dry shade

Spring bulbs do well under deciduous trees because they flower before the leaves come out and shade the ground. Try:

• Snowdrops
• Winter aconites
• Daffodils (especially smaller species types)
• Bluebells (English, not Spanish)
• Wood anemones
• Crocuses

Shrubs for dry shade

• Aucuba (spotted laurel)
• Mahonia
• Skimmia
• Sarcococca (sweet box)
• Osmanthus
• Daphne laureola

Plants for Damp Shade

Damp shade is much easier. The moisture supports a wide range of lush foliage plants.

Top plants for damp shade

• Hostas: the classic shade plant, see our hosta profile
• Astilbe: feathery plumes of pink, white or red flowers in summer
• Primulas: candelabra and vulgaris types love damp shade
• Rodgersia: dramatic foliage and pink or white flowers
• Darmera: umbrella like leaves and pink flowers on bare stems in spring
• Ligularia: large leaves and tall yellow flower spikes
• Ferns (all types): especially shuttlecock fern (Matteuccia) and royal fern (Osmunda)
• Solomon's seal: arching stems with white bell flowers
• Lungwort (Pulmonaria): early flowers and spotted leaves
• Brunnera: forget me not like flowers and heart shaped leaves

Shrubs for damp shade

• Hydrangeas: see our hydrangea profile
• Dogwoods (Cornus): grown for winter stem colour
• Willow (Salix): many smaller varieties suit damp shade
• Camellia: needs acid soil but loves shade
• Pieris: needs acid soil
• Fothergilla: needs acid soil, beautiful autumn colour

Plants for Partial Shade

Partial shade opens up a much wider range of plants. Most gardens have some partial shade, and many of the best garden plants prefer it.

Top perennials for partial shade

• Foxgloves: see our foxglove profile
• Delphiniums: tall spires of blue, purple, pink or white
• Dicentra (bleeding heart): arching stems with heart shaped flowers
• Aquilegia: delicate flowers in spring, self seed freely
• Heuchera: evergreen foliage in many colours
• Hellebores: see our hellebore profile
• Pulmonaria: early flowers and spotted leaves
• Japanese anemone: pink or white flowers from August to October
• Hardy geraniums: most varieties tolerate partial shade
• Brunnera: forget me not flowers and variegated leaves

Shrubs for partial shade

• Hydrangeas: all types, see our hydrangea profile
• Pieris: acid soil only
• Camellia: acid soil only
• Daphne: scented flowers in winter and spring
• Viburnum: many varieties, winter and spring flowers
• Skimmia: evergreen with spring berries
• Fatsia: large evergreen leaves
• Aucuba: evergreen, tough, berries on female plants

Climbers for shade

• Ivy: self clings, evergreen
• Hydrangea anomala petiolaris: climbing hydrangea, self clinging
• Clematis (Group 3): late flowering types tolerate shade
• Honeysuckle: native and garden varieties, scented
• Schizophragma: similar to climbing hydrangea, pink or white

Soil Preparation for Shade

Improve before planting

Shade soil is often dry and impoverished, especially under trees. Before planting, dig in plenty of organic matter: garden compost, well rotted manure, or leaf mould. This improves moisture retention and feeds the soil life that helps plants establish.

See our guide to composting for making your own organic matter, and our guide to improving clay soil for heavy soils.

Mulch annually

Shade gardens benefit more from mulching than sunny ones. A 5cm layer of compost or leaf mould each spring retains moisture, suppresses weeds, and feeds the soil. Under trees, mulch also protects the tree roots from compaction and damage.

Water new plants

New plants in shade need watering through the first growing season, even if the spot looks damp. Tree roots compete fiercely for water, and a new plant cannot yet reach the deeper moisture. Water weekly from April to September for the first year.

Choose the right size plants

In dry shade, larger plants establish better than tiny plug plants. A plant in a 2 litre pot has a bigger root system and can compete better with tree roots. Buy larger plants for difficult shade positions.

Designing a Shade Garden

Plant in drifts

Plant in groups of 3, 5 or 7 of the same variety for impact. A single plant in shade gets lost; a drift of the same plant looks deliberate and lush.

Use foliage for colour

In shade, foliage is more reliable than flowers. Use plants with variegated leaves (brunnera, pulmonaria, euonymus), coloured leaves (heuchera, ajuga), or dramatic shapes (ferns, hostas, rodgersia) to create interest.

Add white flowers for light

White flowers light up shady corners. Japanese anemones, astilbe, dicentra, brunnera and foxgloves all have white forms that glow in shade.

Create layers

Mimic a woodland by planting in layers: tall shrubs and small trees at the back, medium perennials in the middle, and low ground cover at the front. This gives a natural look and uses the space efficiently.

Add structure with ferns

Ferns are the backbone of a shade garden. They provide structure when flowering plants are dormant, and their fronds unfurl beautifully in spring. Mix evergreen ferns like polystichum and dryopteris with deciduous types like the shuttlecock fern and the royal fern. See our fern profile for the best varieties.

A shade border with at least 30 percent ferns always looks good. They fill the gaps between flowering perennials, hide the dying foliage of spring bulbs, and provide winter interest when the herbaceous plants have died down. Plant them in groups of three for impact rather than dotting single plants around.

Include spring bulbs

Spring bulbs do well under deciduous trees because they flower before the leaves come out. Snowdrops, winter aconites, daffodils and bluebells give early colour in shade gardens. See our spring checklist for planting times.

Plant bulbs in drifts rather than single rows. A sweep of 50 snowdrops through a shady border looks deliberate and natural; 5 snowdrops dotted around look lost. Plant in autumn, at 2 to 3 times the bulb depth, and mark the spot so you do not accidentally dig them up later in the year.

Plants to Avoid in Shade

Sun loving Mediterranean plants

Lavender, rosemary, thyme and other Mediterranean herbs need full sun and sharp drainage. They will sulk and die in shade. See our lavender profile for what lavender needs.

Most roses

Roses need at least 6 hours of direct sun. In shade they become leggy, diseased and flower poorly. A few varieties like rambling roses tolerate partial shade, but most do not.

Drought loving perennials

Plants like gaura, gypsophila, perovskia and nepeta need sun and well drained soil. They flop and die in shade.

Lawn grass

Turf struggles in shade. Moss takes over. If you have shade, consider replacing the lawn with shade tolerant ground cover or a gravel garden. See our article on why lawns get mossy for what to do.

Costs of Planting a Shade Garden

• Shade perennial in 2 litre pot: 8 to 15 pounds
• Ferns in 2 litre pot: 10 to 20 pounds
• Hosta in 3 litre pot: 12 to 25 pounds
• Hydrangea in 5 litre pot: 20 to 40 pounds
• Compost or soil improver (75 litres): 8 to 15 pounds
• Planting service: 30 to 50 pounds per hour

For a 10 square metre shade border, expect to spend 200 to 500 pounds on plants and compost if you do the work yourself, or 500 to 1,000 pounds with professional planting. See our soft landscaping service for what we cover.

Common Shade Garden Mistakes

Planting sun lovers in shade

This is the most common mistake. Choose plants that thrive in shade, not plants that tolerate it. The RHS has a useful guide to shade plants for further reading.

Not improving the soil

Shade soil is often dry and poor. Add organic matter before planting and mulch annually.

Not watering new plants

New plants in shade need regular watering through the first season. Tree roots take all the water.

Planting too close to tree trunks

The soil directly under a tree is the driest and most root filled. Plant at the edge of the tree canopy, not against the trunk.

Expecting flowers all year

Shade gardens are about foliage, not flowers. Plan for foliage interest and let flowers be a bonus.

Final Thoughts

Shade is not a problem, it is an opportunity. Some of the most beautiful gardens in the UK are shade gardens, with lush foliage, early flowers, and a cool calm atmosphere that sunny gardens cannot match. The trick is to choose the right plants for the type of shade you have, improve the soil, and mulch annually.

If you have a shaded garden that needs planting, the best first step is to assess the shade type and soil moisture, then choose plants that thrive in those conditions. We can advise on plant choices and do the planting for you.

Shade garden planting service

Frequently Asked Questions

Will grass grow under trees?

Rarely successfully. Grass needs sun and moisture, both of which trees take. Replace the grass with shade tolerant ground cover like ivy, vinca, or epimedium, or use a mulch of bark under the tree.

Can I grow vegetables in shade?

Leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, chard and rocket tolerate partial shade. Root vegetables and fruiting vegetables like tomatoes and courgettes need full sun. See our spring checklist for vegetable sowing times.

What grows in deep shade under conifers?

Very little. Conifers make the soil extremely dry and acidic. Try ivy, periwinkle, or a thick mulch of bark. Often the best answer is to remove lower branches to let in light, or accept the bare ground and use containers instead.

Can hydrangeas grow in full shade?

Hydrangeas prefer partial shade but will tolerate deeper shade, with fewer flowers. They need moisture, so make sure the soil does not dry out. See our hydrangea profile for details.

Further Reading

• Composting in the UK
• How to improve clay soil
• Spring garden checklist
• Low-maintenance plants for Chiltern gardens

Relevant local areas

This advice is particularly relevant to gardens in these areas.

• Beaconsfield - Buckinghamshire
• Chalfont St Peter - Buckinghamshire
• Hazlemere - Buckinghamshire
• Iver - Buckinghamshire
• Slough - Berkshire
• Woodley - Berkshire

Sources and citations

This article draws on the following sources. Specific claims are cited inline where relevant.

1. CGM field records (2024-02. Site observations from gardens across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire.
2. Royal Horticultural Society (2024). RHS Gardening Advice and Plant Finder. Available at rhs.org.uk.
3. Met Office (2024). Regional climate averages, South East England. Available at metoffice.gov.uk.
4. British Geological Survey (2024). Soil parent material data for the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Available at bgs.ac.uk.