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Adding a perennial shade garden under larger plants or areas that have low light will liven up your landscape. Shade-loving perennials provide lush, multicolored foliage that will flourish in 3-4 hours of sun per day or full-shade.

With arching dark-green leaves with pale-green and white streaks, Japanese Solomon’s Seal is perfect for shaded borders and woodland gardens.
For information on identifying true Solomon’s Seal, click here.

An Oakleaf Hydrangea has stunning white cone-shaped clusters and oak tree-like leaves. In the fall, the foliage turns purple and crimson. There are several varieties including dwarf types and large landscape specimens that can reach 15 feet tall.

Commonly known as coral bells or alumroot, Heuchera comes in many varieties. Bold foliage provides season-long colors of purple, bronze, chartreuse, or silver. Many species have flowers that attract butterflies.

These absolutely beautiful Japanese Painted Ferns have dramatic foliage with dark purple-red that fades at the edges.

Hakonechloa varieties provide texture and color to woodland gardens and areas with shaded borders. Their cascading leaves make a rustling sound when the wind blows.

A favorite among many gardeners, hostas are an easy plant to grow in moderately-shaded areas. There are many types of hostas with a wide range of shapes, colors, and textures. Some sun is recommended for varieties with light or variegated foliage.


The Pink Bleeding Heart has lovely heart-shaped flowers with attractive blue-green foliage. Group them with hostas to fill in gaps while they are dormant.

Use White Nancy Lamium as a ground cover to smother invasive weeds. Their lush heart-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers also make them an excellent addition to boarders.
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