Shade Plants

Many shade plants require a small amount of sun each day to do well. The following plants thrive in a wide variety of shady locations, including areas that get morning sun and afternoon shade and those locations with filtered sunlight all day long.

They were suggested by Malee Hsu, owner of Upland Nursery in Orange, and landscape designer Jeff Garton, co-owner of Paradise Designs in Dana Point.

Acanthus mollis: perennial

Bergenia: perennial

Bird of paradise (Strelitzia): perennial

Bleeding heart (Dicentra): perennial

Blue clock (Thunbergia battiscombei): shrub/vine

Blue sky flower (Thunbergia grandiflora): vine

‘Blue Wonder’ (Scaevola): shrubby perennial

Borago: annual flowering herb

Brunfelsia pauciflora (Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow): shrub

Carpet bugle (Ajuga): perennial

Cestrum: shrub

Chinese aster (Aster spathulifolius): perennial

Chinese lantern (Abutilon): vine/shrub

Coleus: perennial treated as annual

False heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia): perennial/small shrub

Fishtail palm (Caryota): palm

Foxglove (Digitalis): perennial

Fuchsia: shrub

Glorybower (Clerodendrum philippinum): shrub/tree

Holy (Ilex): shrub/tree

Japanese anemone: perennial

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum): shrub/tree

Lady palm (Rhapis): palm

Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda): vine

Meadow rue (Thalictrum aquilegifolium): perennial

Night-blooming jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum): shrub

Primrose (Primula): perennial

Pseudopanax: shrub/tree

Red boronia (Boronia heterophylla): shrub

Snowflake (Bacopa): perennial

Star jasmine (Trachelospermum): vine/shrub

Vinca: perennial

Wild ginger (Asarum caudatum): perennial

Dense Shade Plants

A few shade plants thrive in difficult-to-landscape areas that get no sun:

‘Aureo-maculata’ leopard plant (Ligularia tussilaginea): perennial

Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior): perennial

Clivia: perennial

English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus): large shrub

Grape ivy (Cissus rhombifolia): vine

Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis): ground cover

Sarcococca ruscifolia: shrub

Siamese angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia Siamese): shrub