Shady Characters: Plants For Shade & Part Shade

• Full sun - all day sunshine or a full afternoon of sun.
• Part shade - morning sun and afternoon shade after 12 p.m. Or all-day dappled shade under small-leaved trees, such as honeylocust (Gleditsia) or desert willow (Chilopsis).
• Full shade - no direct sun during the day because of dense overhead foliage or buildings.

• Full sun - 8 or more hours of sun.
• Part shade - up to 4 hours of sun (during any part of the day).
• Full shade - little (morning only) or no direct sun.

Bottom line: study the light in your yard and become familiar with when the sunlight hits the ground and plant accordingly.

• Deadnettle (Lamium)
• Herman's Pride Archangel (Lamiastrum)
• Hardy Plumbago (Ceratostigma)
• Miniature Mat Daisy (Bellium)
• Rocky Mountain Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea)
• Turk's Cap Siberian Lily (Lilium pumulim)
• View All Plants For Shade

• Soapwort (Saponaria)
• Golden Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)
• Little Treasure Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha v. chaplinei)
• Coral Bells (Heuchera)
• Western Wood Lily (Lilium philadelphicum)
• Bluebells (Campanula)
• Siskiyou Blue Festuca Grass (Festuca)
• Red Flowered Lamb's Ear (Stachys coccinea)
• Marion Sampson Scarlet Monardella
• View All Plants For Partial Shade

Variegated Plants - Plants with variegated foliage will always need less sun that the same species with green leaves. So variegated plants will do best in part sun, dappled, or full shade.

Hot Summer Weather - When day temperatures begin to regularly exceed 90◦F, many plants will benefit from afternoon shade.

New Homes - In new housing developments, sunlight conditions will change over time as trees mature. What was once a sunny spot may gradually change to part or full shade conditions. So plant for current sunlight conditions and understand that in five or more years, you may need to change out your plants as conditions become more shady.

Sunny Winters in Cold Areas of The West - During winter, the sun is lower in the sky, and the angle of the sunlight shifts. This can change a sunny location into a shady location. This is an important consideration for broadleaf evergreen plants in cold climates. Too much sun during Western winters can result in burned foliage. High-intensity sunshine combined with frozen soil prevents the foliage from transpiring (losing moisture through the leaves to cool the plant). So be sure to plant your broadleaf evergreens and evergreen perennials, such as Helianthemum (Rock Rose), in a spot where they are more shaded during the winter.