Made for the Shade: Well Adapted Plants for Shady Areas

Annuals& Perennials | Shrubs
| Small Trees | Vines
| Ground Cover |

Annuals & Perennials

• Ajuga (Ajuga reptans) — 3-6″,purple leaves, blooms,
  mesic. Nematodes can be a problem.
• aspidistra (aspidistra elatior) — Rightly called “Cast
  Iron Plant”, mesic, grows slowly, evergreen.
• Chamomile (Chamaemelum spp.) — Annual herb, mesic,
  pm shade, bloom used for tea
• Columbine (Aquilegia spp.) – Part sun to shade, 15-18
  inches. The yellow blooming Texas Gold and the red and yellow Aquilegia
  canadensis perform well here. xeric, dormant in summer
  if not watered. Prone to leafminers, use Neem oil to treat.
• Coral Bells (Huechera sanguinea) — mesic,
  blooms, PM shade, green or purple leaves
• Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum bungei) — Deciduous perennial,
  3-6 ft. Large, showy pink flowers in summer. Good hummingbird plant.
  Spreads aggressively by underground suckers.
• Elephant Ears (Colocasia esculenta) — Perennial bulb,
  dies back in winter, grows to 6 ft. with large, dramatic leaves. Mulch
  to protect from freezing. mesic.
• Foxtail Fern – related to asparagus fern, soft bushy stems,
  mesic. Tops may freeze.
• Frog Fruit (Phyla nodiflora) — Low growing ground cover
  3’4″, xeric, blooms
• Hoja Santa (Piper auritum) — 4-6 ft., invasive, mesic,
  used for cooking
• Hollyfern (Cytomium falcatum) — evergreen, mesic.
  Good for containers.
• Horsetail Reed (Equisetum hyemale) — Bogs, wet shade,
  invasive
• Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) — Perennial
  native grass. Good for erosion control. Wet or dry, sun or shade, this
  is a hardy plant. Remove seeds to control spread.
• Lamium (Lamium maculatum) — many varieties, blooms,
  low growing with variegated foliage.
• Liriope
  (Liriope muscari) — mesic, blooms, cut to 4
  inches in Spring to revive.
• Monkeygrass or Mondograss (Ophiopogon japonicus) —
  xeric, low-growing groundcover. Avoid the dwarf form,
  not adapted to alkaline soils.
• Nolina or Beargrass (Nolina nelsonii) — Grass like
  foliage, xeric, OK in deep shade, good for slopes,
  erosion control
• Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) — Blooms,
  mesic , good soil and drainage.
• Oxalis, Wood Sorrel (Oxalis spp.) — Blooms,
  xeric or mesic, invasive.
• Pigeonberry (Rivina humilis) — Blooms, xeric,
  berries for wildlife.
• Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala) — Blooms, self-sows
  freely, xeric.
• Ruellia, Mexican Petunia (Ruellia spp.) — Best are
  Katie and Bonita dwarf forms and taller Chi-Chi pink. mesic
  or xeric, invasive.
• Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeana and J. tomentosa)
  – xeric, blooms, very hardy. Deer
  resistant.
• Spiderlily (Hymenocallis spp.) — Afternoon shade, blooms,
  mesic.
• Spiderwort (Tradescantia andersoniana) — Purple blooms,
  xeric
• Sweet violets (Viola odorata) — Spring blooms edible,
  mesic.
• Texas Aster (Aster texanus) — Fall blooms, tall when
  blooming, xeric. Cut blooms to control seeds.
• Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea) — part shade, coral
  blooms, one of my favorites
• Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea) — red, white, pink
  or coral, freely self-sows. xeric.
• Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) — 4-5 ft. Blooms,
  seeds for wildlife. Deciduous.
• Umbrella Plant (Cyperus alternafolius) — Bog or wet areas,
  tops may freeze. Invasive.
• Wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) — Colorful foliage,
  blooms. mesic.
• Wood Fern (Dryopteris spp.) — Deciduous, mesic

Shrubs

• Aralia (Aralia japonica) — Needs good soil, drainage.
  May freeze.
• Aucuba (Aucuba japonica) — Evergreen shrub, 4-6 ft.
  tall, mottled yellow color on leaves. Leaves will blacken if exposed
  to sun. Prone to spider mites when stressed. mesic
• Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) — Deciduous, mesic,
  blooms, magenta or white berries.
• Mexican Buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa)
  — xeric, blooms, drops leaves in summer.
• Snowball Bush Viburnum (Viburnum spp.) — also, Spring
  Bouquet (Viburnum caricephalum) — Blooms, xeric,
  good for wildlife
• White Boneset (Eupatorium havanense) — Fall blooms,
  deciduous, xeric.

Small Trees

• Texas Buckeye (Aesculus glabra) — usually 10-20 ft.
  tall. Yellow or red flowers, seeds are poisonous. Loses leaves in summer.
  xeric
• Rough Leaved Dogwood (Cornus drummondii) — xeric,
  blooms, invasive
• Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum rufidulum) — xeric,
  blooms, fall color

Vines

• Confederate Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) —
  xeric, fragrant blooms

Ground Cover

• Asian Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) — can freeze,
  xeric
• English Ivy (Hedera helix) — mesic,
  invasive, keep off of trees
• Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis) — evergreen groundcover
  6-8 in., yellow blooms. May be used as a lawn in deep shade. xeric,
  tolerates moderate traffic.

*Mesic are plants which require well prepared
soil, good drainage and moderate to high levels of moisture.

**Xeric plants are adapted to poor soils and lower
levels of water.