The best crops to grow in shade

Growing your own food is one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening, but for those of us with shady gardens, it can sometimes feel out of reach. While heat-loving fruiting veg like tomatoes and aubergines can struggle on without all-day sun, many other crops thrive in part shade, opening up growing opportunities in even the most compact spaces.

In fact, some plants prefer shadier spots, where they are less likely to bolt. Others even taste better when grown in shade, such as spinach and lettuce, which can become bitter if grown in sun and heat.

Experts pick their top foods to grow in shade

The growing food author, Lucy Chamberlain

Lucy is a professional gardener based in Essex, and author of RHS Grow Food Anywhere, a new publication that explains how to choose the right crops for the right spots

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Perpetual spinach

Perpetual spinach is an invaluable crop that just keeps on giving

Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. cicla ‘Perpetual Spinach’ is a hardy leaf crop that’s incredibly productive on my plot – I wouldn’t be without it. A direct spring sowing made in shade will be lush, leafy and more tolerant of dry spells than transplanted

Moving a plant from one growing position to another, often from a pot to its final spot in the garden.

seedlings

A seedling is a young plant grown from seed.

. Harvest by shearing down sections, or by picking individual mature leaves. Another sowing in July or early August will bulk up quickly and keep cropping from autumn right through until late March or early April – it can often behave like a short-lived perennial

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

. H&S 50cm.

Chilean guava

Ugni molinae originates from the shady understorey of a rainforest

Chilean guava (Ugni molinae) can be grown as a low hedge or, if space is limited, wall-trained as an informal fan. Originating from the shady understorey of South American temperate rainforests, this evergreen shrub is hardy in all but the harshest of UK winters, especially as it matures. Being self-fertile, only one plant is needed for berries, which ripen from late summer onwards and are a tasty blend of strawberry and pineapple. Young plants can be pot-grown to overwinter in shelter and it’s best to mulch

Mulch is a layer of material, at least 5cm (2in) thick, applied to the soil surface in late autumn to late winter (Nov-Feb). It is used to provide frost protection, improve plant growth by adding nutrients or increasing organic matter content, reducing water loss from the soil, for decorative purposes and suppressing weeds. Examples include well-rotted garden compost and manure, chipped bark, gravel, grit and slate chippings.

established plants

Established plants have been in their current location for two or three years and so have well-developed root systems able to support strong growth with healthy foliage and flowers.

in autumn with chipped bark

Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants.

, to help retain moisture in summer. H&S 1m.

Tayberry

Tayberries are a vigorous cross between a raspberry and a blackberry

Tayberry (Rubus Tayberry Group) is a vigorous cane

A cane is a slender, straight, length of woody plant material, usually bamboo. Canes are primarily used as plant supports. The fruiting stems of blackberries, raspberries and hybrid berries (such as loganberries and tayberries) are also known as canes, so these crops are often referred to as cane fruit.

fruit that is a hybrid

A plant produced by crossing two distinct parents, often different species, to produce offspring that combine the characteristics of both. Hybrids can occur naturally, but crosses are often made deliberately by plant breeders to produce plants with better yield, improved flowering or vigour, or improved disease resistance.

between a raspberry and a blackberry. It’s useful for drier, shady areas as its strong roots seek out any moisture. The plant will naturally scramble for the light, but the long arching canes can be tied into fences or wires to create, for example, space-saving spirals, which also look extremely attractive, especially when in full bloom. Wait for the large fruits to turn their deepest red before harvesting for maximum sweetness; they're delicious either raw or cooked. H&S 2m.

The garden writer, Martyn Cox

Martyn is a gardening columnist, presenter and author of 11 gardening books. He has a small, north-facing city garden in Portsmouth.

Visit Martyn’s website

Alpine strawberries

Alpine strawberrry. Look out for ‘Golden Alexandra,’ which is happy on shady edges

Alpine strawberry ‘Golden Alexandra’ (Fragaria vesca) is a striking form of woodland strawberry with small, aromatic, bright red fruit strikingly displayed against chartreuse foliage. In contrast to sun-demanding, larger fruited garden strawberries, this will cope with partial shade and provide a steady flow of fruit from June until early autumn. Plant it alongside paths, into gaps at the front of shady beds and borders, or in containers such as hanging baskets and window boxes. H&S 20cm.

Japanese wineberry

Rubus phoenicolasius berries suit walls and fences in partial shade

Japanese wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius) forms a thicket of bristly stems that terminate in clusters of sweet and sticky, dark red fruit that are ready for harvesting in late summer. It likes partial shade and can be grown in the open ground, although in my opinion, its long arching canes make it better suited for training against walls and fences. In early summer, plants bear attractive white flowers, and their red canes add interest in winter. H 2m, S 4m.

Redcurrant ‘Rovada’

Frank P. Matthews

Ribes rubrum can be trained on north-facing walls and fences

Redcurrant ‘Rovada’ (Ribes rubrum) is a popular variety of redcurrant carrying long strings of glistening berries in July and August. It will thrive in a sheltered, semi-shaded spot, and with care, has the potential to produce a large crop for a decade or more. Plants are often grown as free-standing bushes but can be trained as fans and espaliers against north-facing walls and fences. I’ve also grown ‘Rovada’ successfully as a cordon

A plant that is restricted by pruning to usually one main stem, either upright or at a 45 degree angle, with short fruiting side-shoots (spurs). Apples, pears, gooseberries, tomatoes, redcurrants and whitecurrants are often grown as cordons, especially where space is limited. Sweet peas can be grown as cordons to produce large flowers for exhibition.

in a large container. H&S 1.5m.

The ecological grower, Poppy Okotcha

Poppy is an ecological grower who co-runs a community garden in Devon with the aim of inspiring reconnection with nature. Her debut book, A Wilder Way, is out on April 24th.

Discover more about Poppy

Rhubarb

Rhubarb suits lightly shaded areas

Rhubarb (Rheum × hybridum). When we first saw our garden, there were a couple of old rhubarb plants growing unhappily in the deep shade of four elderly apple trees. Their crowns touched, blocking out most of the light when in leaf. Rhubarb can sulk in deep shade but as a woodland edge plant, it tolerates partial shade well and will reward with a better crop. I love how pretty the plants look in lightly shaded areas - their reflective, saucer-shaped leaves offering a Jurassic feel. H&S 1.5m.

Sweet cicely

Sweet cicley paints a pretty picture in the dappled shade of trees

Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata). I once visited a garden in May filled with swathes of fragrant sweet cicely, growing in the dappled shade beneath apple trees. Their creamy white umbels glowed in the soft light that reached them through the fresh spring leaves of the fruit trees above. I’m now establishing a patch below my own apple trees where I can enjoy their delicate, feathery leaves. This medicinal plant has a delicious, sweet aniseed flavour and the fresh, green seed pods can be used to naturally sweeten rhubarb so that less sugar is required. It’s also excellent in salads and drinks, and a tasty early snack for pollinators too. H 1.5m, S 1m.

Coriander

Coriander is a lesser-known herb, perfect with ripe tomatoes

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum). I have often struggled to grow coriander in the summer months without it bolting

When a vegetable plant starts flowering and forming seeds, often prematurely, making the crop unusable – salad leaves may turn bitter and root crops fail to swell. Adverse weather or changes in day length can cause bolting in a wide range of vegetables, including lettuces, onions, carrots and other root crops.

( going to seed

Going to seed • When a plant starts forming seeds after flowering. • Also used to mean bolting: when a vegetable plants starts flowering and forming seeds, often prematurely, making the crop unusable – salad leaves may turn bitter and root crops fail to swell. Adverse weather or changes in day length can cause bolting in a wide range of vegetables, including lettuces, onions and carrots.

prematurely). As a cool-loving herb that is shy of harsh sunshine, I now sow it in the cooling, humid shade of other plants, where it thrives. A combination that seems to work well is sowing a dense row beneath a line of runner beans, sown in stages along the whole row every few weeks, to produce a succession of tasty leaves. H&S 50cm.

The RHS horticulturist, Liz Mooney

Liz is a horticulturist on the Edibles Team at RHS Garden Wisley where she looks after part of the World Food Garden, focusing on annual vegetables.

Discover The World Food Garden at RHS Wisley

Swiss chard ‘Bright Yellow’

The yellow stems of Swiss chard glow in light shade

Swiss chard ‘Bright Yellow’ (Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. flavescens) is a stunning crop with bright stems that shine when the sun is on them. It is an edimental (edible ornamental) that wouldn’t look amiss in an herbaceous border and will grow happily in light shade. It is one of the most rewarding crops to grow in terms of time - in the right conditions, a single sowing can give you harvests for 10-12 months. H&S 50cm.

Spinach

Spinacia oleracea will benefit from the cool of some shade

Spinach ‘Giant Winter’ (Spinacia oleracea) produces large, tasty leaves that are great for adding to multiple dishes. I have seen this come through a solid week below freezing, getting down to -9*C without suffering, making it a reliable choice for overwintering. Other cultivars, including ‘Mikado’, will also overwinter, while spinach sown in spring for summer harvests will actually benefit from some shade as it will keep the plants cooler, delaying flowering in favour of leaf production. H&S 50cm.

Brussels Sprout ‘Igor’

Brussels sprouts will grow through winter in partial shade

Brussels Sprout ‘Igor’ (Brassica oleracea (Gemmifera Group) is a classic green cultivar

Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.

that produces a heavy crop of large, tight sprouts that have a mild hint of nutty sweetness. This cultivar is quite tall, meaning plants may need staking if you wish to keep them uniform, but they stand well through the winter and can be picked fresh for your Sunday roasts. While deep shade should be avoided, they will happily grow in partial or light shade. H&S 1m.