Shade Loving Plants

SHADE LOVING PLANTS - Almost all of us have some dark corners covered by shades from either buildings or big trees, in our gardens. This may seem to be problem area for you. But you can turn this into a lovely shade garden. There are numerous plants that thrive really well in shades. Some of these plants are meant to be grown in full shade and some in partial shade. The tags in the plants will help you in determining the same. The most preferable aspect of these shade loving plants is their striking foliage that brightens up the dark shaded area of any garden. The large leaves can prove an excellent decoration if they are properly altered between various types and colors.

There are numerous foliage plants that are best suited for part to full shade areas and provide a woodsier feel. These plants include hostas, caladiums, pulmonaria, coleus, aspidistra, english ivy, wild ginger, purple wintercreeper and pachysandra. In places where the climate is comparatively warmer, the selection of foliage may be more tropical in nature. Some Tropical plants that can perform well with little or almost no direct sunlight are ferns, elephant ear, dieffenbachia, peace lily, rubber plant, and philodendrons.

Among all shade loving plants, the perennial called, Hostas are the favourite. Also known as plantain lily, hostas usually flowers in early summer. Its leaves are robust pale green and they grow in clumps. Hostas are commonly prone to slug and snail attack. Hence they require adequate care and maintenance. This also goes equally well for all shade loving plants in order to get their best performance. They all need a little care after the plantation process is complete.

If you desire colorful blooms, several flowers are available that can lighten up almost any available shady. Few of them are the pansies, begonias and impatiens which provide adequate seasonal color. Perennials like phlox, azaleas, astilbe, primrose, Virginia bluebell, bleeding heart and foxglove are few exceptional choices if you are looking for flowering plants with somewhat more durability. Using the appropriate combination with flowering plants the dark shady spot in any garden can come alive from the very early spring and during the fall with colors.

If you are looking for fragrance, then also there are several plants that are shade loving and also provide excellent aroma. Such plants include, carolina, honeysuckle shrub, gardenias, viburnum and witch hazel.

Finally, not to leave apart the several shrubs and trees that can give life to any shady area. Amongst these are, Boxwood, which are considered good choices for areas that are partially shaded. The Boxwood plants are evergreen and hence make beautiful backdrops against light blooming plants. Others include, Impatiens, which usually grow to around 12 inches in height and appear in several different bright colors such as red, white, and pink. Yet some more shade loving shrubs are Lady’s mantle, hydrangea, rhododendron and privet, which are amongst the most admired shrubs ideally suited for areas under shade.

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