A few brightly placed blooms in containers can bring life to a neglected area of your backyard. Although most plants can’t thrive without some sunlight, there are many shade-loving flowers that can plant and grow, especially in your container gardens. To create vibrant containers with shade-loving plants, it is important to use contrasts in height, color, brightness, texture, and colors. This comprehensive list contains a variety of shade-loving flowers that will produce beautiful blooms and have eye-catching foliage.
Impatiens
Shade-loving Impatiens thrive in shaded container gardens. You can find them in white, purple, red, and other shades of pink. They also have lush, glossy green leaves. These plants require little maintenance, can brighten low-light areas, and bloom throughout the year.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia)
Creeping Jenny plants are shade-loving perennials and produce lots of delicate yellow flowers and golden-hued foliage for container gardens.
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Coral bells are shade-loving flowers that are highly prized for their unique mounds of colorful leaves and delicate bell-shaped flowers.
Coral Bells Varieties:
- ‘Obsidian’
- ‘Dolce Cherry Truffles’
- ‘Citronelle’
Browallia
Browallia is an abundant flowering annual that can thrive in partial to full sun. It looks great when planted with other shade-loving treasures in low-light areas. Its beautiful sapphire blue, white, and purple flowers are accompanied by bright green leaves that will put on a show in your container garden throughout the growing season.
Lenton Rose (Helleborus)
The double blooms of the lenton rose are a treat for your container garden this season. The colorful petals are delicate and droop with charm and bloom in the late winter and early spring.
Lenton Rose Varieties:
- ‘Stained Glass’
- ‘Wedding Party First Dance’
- ‘Phoebe’
- ‘Ivory Prince’
- ‘Peppermint Ice’
Astilbe
Astilbe, a shade-loving favorite, adds a beautiful woodland touch to your container garden. Astilbe produces bright plumes of flowers on lush mounds of foliage and adds texture to any landscape. These plants are easy to maintain and have flower stems that reach heights up to 24 inches. Their leaves are beautiful, intricate beauty all on their own.
Astilbe Varieties:
- ‘Red Sentinel’
- ‘Younique Lilac’ or ‘Younique Pink’
Begonia
A begonia plant’s rich foliage and roselike flowers add elegance to any container. They can be stand-alone favorites or combined with other plants. These garden treasures come in many colors and varieties.
Begonia Varieties:
- ‘Picotee’
- ‘Vermillion Red’
- ‘Fragrant Falls Peach’
Oxalis
Oxalis plants are a great choice for shaded container gardens. This plant is known for its striking foliage and bold flowers. It comes in many species, including annuals, perennials, and tropicals. Because of its distinctive geometric leaves, it is often called a “shamrock plant.”
Oxalis Varieties:
- ‘Iron Cross’
- ‘Golden Cape’
- ‘Purple Shamrock’
- ‘Candy Cane Sorrel’
Columbine (Aquilegia)
Columbine can add a touch of magic to your container gardens. This short-lived bloomer is said to look like a jester’s cap and comes in many different colors. Its base is full of clover-like leaves that fill empty spaces long after the blooms have died. These flowers are drought-tolerant and can add a touch of woodland magic to your shade gardens.
Columbine Varieties:
- ‘Crimson Star’
- ‘Nana’
- ‘Swan Burgundy’
- ‘Blue Star’
Coleus
Add coleus plants to brighten up your shaded container gardens. Coleus plants belong to the mint family and are robust plants that need little care. Their foliage continuously displays small, colorful flowers and velvety leaves.
Coleus Varieties:
- ‘Brilliancy’
- ‘Mardi Gras’
- ‘Japanese Giant’
Peace Lily
A peace lily is an excellent addition to any shady garden. The peace lily is usually a stand-alone container plant, but it can stand out in the middle of other shade-loving, deep pink and white flowers to make a statement in container gardens. This plant is believed to symbolize purity, peace, innocence, and tranquility.
Fuchsia
Fuschia are shade-loving flowers that can be grown in most container gardens. There are two types of Fuschia cultivars: one with a trailing habit and one with an upright habit. They look great in hanging baskets or cascading over containers. Although they can be temperamental, these plants are prolific bloomers and worth the effort. Blooms come from new growth, so be sure to deadhead old flowers to enjoy a constant supply of fragrant and bright blossoms.
- ‘Swingtime’
- ‘Dollar Princess’
- ‘Seventh Heaven’
- ‘Dark Eyes’
- ‘Shadow Dancer’
