Advice
RHS Help & Advice
Planting solutions for problem shade
However overshadowed, a dull area can be enriched by careful choice from a selection of shade-tolerant plants; combinations of seasonal plants in pots will also add shape and colour
Dry shade
Many gardens have areas of dry shade under the shadow of trees and hedges, which may be difficult to plant. Trees and hedges cast shade and remove soil moisture; areas beneath are often barren, with plants struggling to survive. However, there are plants that grow well in such conditions, although these are few.
Retaining moisture
Mulching improves water retention and combined with autumn planting allows some plants to establish more effectively over winter. Evergreen shade is harder to under-plant than deciduous shade, and acid debris from conifer foliage can compounds this.
Bulb suggestions
With mulch, bulbous plants can thrive under deciduous canopies. Try Anemone blanda, Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley), Cyclamen hederifolium, Galanthus (snowdrops) Hyacinthoides non-scripta (bluebell) (left), and species daffodils (such as Narcissus bulbocodium).
Shade-tolerant shrubs
Shrubs and perennials can both succeed under high, broken or deciduous canopies. Evergreen shrubs to try include Buxus sempervirens and Daphne laureola; Gaultheria shallon, with pink flowers and purple fruits, does well in acid soil.
Mahonia aquifolium has scented yellow flowers in spring and Sarcococca also has highly scented flowers from winter through to early spring. Ruscus aculeatus is another evergreen and will produce showy red fruits when males and females are grown together.
Perennial plants to try
Anemone x hybrida, with pink or white blooms, could be planted with Bergenia, which has pink, red or white flowers and large evergreen leaves, or hostas (left) for their dramatic foliage. Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae forms a spreading green mass with greenish-yellow inflorescences in spring and summer. Alchemilla mollis has attractive leaves and greenish flowers, while Helleborus x hybridus (right) is available in many colours, in both single- or double-flowered plants.
Woodland plantings
Dryopteris felix-mas is a deciduous fern that will grow in dry shade. Luzula sylvatica (woodrush) gives an evergreen, grassy effect, with white flowers in spring and summer, and could be interplanted with Digitalis (foxglove). Epimediums have pretty, heart-shaped leaves and delicate flowers. Lamium (dead nettle) looks pretty next to paths and planted between paving slabs. If all else fails, ivy will usually cover the ground, even under conifers.
Container choices
If conditions are excessively dry, use pots to grow plants in moist, well watered soil. Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (black grass) and ivy work well as underplanting for potted shrubs such as Vinca, Euonymus fortunei or Pachysandra. Enliven pots with a mixture of seasonal bedding such as Impatiens, Begonia, winter-flowering pansy and polyanthus (all reliable in shade). Zantedeschia (arum lily), though often tender, looks dramatic against an evergreen backdrop and can be overwintered under glass.
Maya Albert