Award-Winning Plants for Shade
Every plant here holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and tolerates partial or full shade — reliable choices for the tricky darker corners of a garden.
perennialAlpine Primrose
Primula alpicolaHardy H6
shrubAngular jasmine
Jasminum angulareHardy H2
perennialAnise-scented sage
Salvia guaraniticaHardy H3
shrubApothecary's Rose
Rosa gallicaHardy H7
perennialautumn crocus
Colchicum autumnaleHardy H5
perennialAvens
Geum
perennialBamboo Iris
Iris confusaHardy H4
succulentBarbados aloe
Aloe veraHardy H1
shrubBarberry
Berberis
succulentBaum's Pincushion Cactus
Mammillaria baumiiHardy H2
treebay tree
Laurus nobilisHardy H4
perennialBear's Ear
Primula auriculaHardy H5
perennialBees' primrose
Primula beesianaHardy H6
perennialbeet
Beta vulgarisHardy H7
perennialbellflowers
Campanula
shrubBig-leaf Rhododendron
Rhododendron calophytumHardy H5
shrubbigleaf hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophyllaHardy H5
perennialBirch-leaved bellflower
Campanula betulifoliaHardy H4
perennialBlack Iris
Iris chrysographesHardy H6
perennialBlood Iris
Iris sanguineaHardy H6
bulbBlue Garlic
Allium caesiumHardy H5
shrubBodnant viburnum
Viburnum bodnantenseHardy H6
fernBoston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltataHardy H1b
shrubBoxwood
Buxus sempervirensHardy H6
perennialBristle-pointed Iris
Iris setosaHardy H7
perennialBugle
Ajuga reptansHardy H7
shrubbutterfly-bush
Buddleja davidiiHardy H6
perennialButtonhead primrose
Primula capitataHardy H7
bulbByzantine Crocus
Crocus banaticusHardy H6
perennialCalathea
Calathea makoyanaHardy H1a
perennialCandelabra Sage
Salvia candelabrumHardy H3
treeCappadocian maple
Acer cappadocicumHardy H6
perennialCast Iron Plant
Aspidistra elatiorHardy H3
perennialCatmint
Nepeta
shrubChenille Plant
Acalypha hispidaHardy H1b
perennialChinese peony
Paeonia lactifloraHardy H6
perennialChinese primrose
Primula chionanthaHardy H6
climberChinese wisteria
Wisteria sinensisHardy H6
perennialClustered bellflower
Campanula glomerataHardy H7
perennialCockburn's primrose
Primula cockburnianaHardy H6
treeCommon Beech
Fagus sylvaticaHardy H6
shrubCommon Hazel
Corylus avellanaHardy H6
perennialConeflower
Echinacea purpureaHardy H5
perennialCopper Iris
Iris fulvaHardy H5
perennialCoral Bells
HeucheraHardy H6
shrubCorrugated Sage
Salvia corrugataHardy H3
perennialCowslip
Primula verisHardy H5
perennialCrocosmia
Crocosmia crocosmiifloraHardy H4
perennialDalmatian cranesbill
Geranium dalmaticumHardy H5
shrubDaphne Rhododendron
Rhododendron campylogynumHardy H5
shrubdaurian rhododendron
Rhododendron dauricumHardy H6
shrubDavidson's Rhododendron
Rhododendron davidsonianumHardy H5
perennialDaylily
HemerocallisHardy H6
shrubDog Rose
Rosa rugosaHardy H6
shrubDogwood
Cornus
perennialDruce's cranesbill
Geranium × oxonianumHardy H7
perennialDrumstick primula
Primula denticulataHardy H6
fernDryopteris affinis
Dryopteris affinisHardy H5
shrubEdgeworth's Rhododendron
Rhododendron edgeworthiiHardy H3
shrubElder
Sambucus nigraHardy H6
perennialFairy primrose
Primula malacoidesHardy H2
shrubfalse-gold-flower rhododendron
Rhododendron pseudochrysanthumHardy H6
shrubFarges willow
Salix fargesiiHardy H6
fernFern
Dryopteris filix-masHardy H7
shrubFern-leaved Begonia
Begonia foliosa
treeFiddle Leaf Fig
Ficus lyrataHardy H1b
shrubFire Heath
Erica cerinthoidesHardy H2
shrubFlaky Juniper
Juniperus squamataHardy H7
perennialFlorentine Iris
Iris florentina
perennialFormosan lady's slipper orchid
Cypripedium formosanumHardy H5
shrubFortune's Rhododendron
Rhododendron fortuneiHardy H5
biennialfoxglove
Digitalis purpureaHardy H7
shrubFragrant snowball
Viburnum × carlcephalumHardy H6
treeFreeman Maple
Acer freemaniiHardy H6
perennialFringed Iris
Iris japonicaHardy H4
shrubfuchsias
Fuchsia
treeFuji cherry
Prunus incisaHardy H6
shrubFulvous Rhododendron
Rhododendron fulvumHardy H5
biennialGiant herb robert
Geranium maderenseHardy H3
perennialGrass-Leaved Flag
Iris gramineaHardy H7
shrubGreat White Rhododendron
Rhododendron decorumHardy H6
shrubGuelder Rose
Viburnum opulusHardy H6
shrubGum Rock Rhododendron
Rhododendron calostrotumHardy H5
shrubHairy Grey Heather
Erica canaliculataHardy H3
shrubHance's Rhododendron
Rhododendron hanceanumHardy H5
perennialHardy begonia
Begonia grandis
perennialHardy Geranium
GeraniumHardy H7
shrubHeather
Calluna vulgarisHardy H7
perennialHellebore
Helleborus
shrubholly
Ilex aquifoliumHardy H6
climberhoneysuckle
Lonicera periclymenumHardy H6
climberHoneysuckle
Lonicera
treeHornbeam
Carpinus betulusHardy H7
perennialhorned spurge
Euphorbia cornigeraHardy H5
perennialHorned Spurge
Euphorbia ceratocarpaHardy H4
shrubHypericum dummeri
Hypericum × dummeri
perennialI. fulvala
Iris × fulvalaHardy H5
Award-Winning Plants for ShadeImperial begonia
Begonia imperialis
shrubJapanese Barberry
Berberis thunbergiiHardy H7
perennialJapanese Primrose
Primula japonicaHardy H6
shrubJapanese Spiraea
Spiraea japonicaHardy H6
treeking rhododendron
Rhododendron rexHardy H5
treeKomine Maple
Acer micranthumHardy H6
treeKorean Fir
Abies koreanaHardy H7
bulbKotschy's Crocus
Crocus kotschyanusHardy H6
perennialLarge Speedwell
Veronica austriaca
perennialLazistan Iris
Iris lazicaHardy H5
perennialLeaf-ring begonia
Begonia annulataHardy H1
perennialLily of the Valley
Convallaria majalisHardy H7
perennialLindavicum cranesbill
Geranium × lindavicum
perenniallong-scape iris
Iris delavayiHardy H6
treeMagnolia denudata
Magnolia denudataHardy H6
shrubMakino's Rhododendron
Rhododendron makinoiHardy H5
perennialmaple leaf begonia
Begonia dregeiHardy H1b
shrubMartin's Spurge
Euphorbia martiniHardy H5
shrubMcCabe's Rhododendron
Rhododendron macabeanumHardy H4
succulentmexican-giant
Echeveria colorataHardy H2
perennialMichaelmas daisy
Symphyotrichum novi-belgiiHardy H6
climberMonstera
Monstera deliciosaHardy H1b
shrubMountain-loving Rhododendron
Rhododendron oreotrephesHardy H5
shrubNakahara's Rhododendron
Rhododendron nakaharaeHardy H5
shrubNinebark
Physocarpus opulifoliusHardy H7
treeNordmann Fir
Abies nordmannianaHardy H7
perennialNorthern phlox
Phlox adsurgensHardy H5
shrubNotable Rhododendron
Rhododendron insigneHardy H6
treeoaks
QuercusHardy H7
treeOchre Rhododendron
Rhododendron ochraceumHardy H5
shrubOven Wattle
Acacia pravissimaHardy H3
perennialPalm-leaf begonia
Begonia carolineifoliaHardy H1b
shrubPanicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculataHardy H5
treePaperbark Maple
Acer griseumHardy H5
perennialPeace Lily
Spathiphyllum wallisiiHardy H1b
annualPetunia
Petunia × atkinsiana
perennialPilea
Pilea peperomioidesHardy H1c
perennialPlantain lily
HostaHardy H7
perennialPolyanthus primrose
Primula danovaHardy H5
annualPot Marigold
Calendula officinalisHardy H5
climberPothos
Epipremnum aureumHardy H1b
perennialPrimrose
Primula vulgarisHardy H7
shrubPrimrose-flowered Rhododendron
Rhododendron primuliflorum
perennialPrimroses
PrimulaHardy H7
shrubPrunus cistena
Prunus × cistenaHardy H6
perennialPurple cranesbill
Geranium × magnificumHardy H7
shrubPurplish-blue rhododendron
Rhododendron russatumHardy H6
shrubRacemose rhododendron
Rhododendron racemosumHardy H6
annualRadish
Raphanus sativusHardy H3
shrubRed Currant
Ribes rubrumHardy H6
shrubRed-barked dogwood
Cornus albaHardy H7
perennialRock Crane's-bill
Geranium macrorrhizumHardy H7
shrubrose
RosaHardy H6
perennialroseleaf sage
Salvia involucrataHardy H3
shrubRosy Rhododendron
Rhododendron oreodoxa
shrubRound-leaved Rhododendron
Rhododendron orbiculareHardy H5
treeRowans and Mountain Ashes
Sorbus
treeRubber Plant
Ficus elasticaHardy H1b
perennialRudbeckia
Rudbeckia fulgidaHardy H6
perennialsage
Salvia officinalisHardy H5
shrubScarlet-plume
Euphorbia fulgensHardy H1b
succulentSea Milkball
Euphorbia flanaganiiHardy H2
shrubSmooth Azalea
Rhododendron arborescensHardy H6
succulentSnake Plant
Dracaena trifasciataHardy H1c
bulbSnowdrop
Galanthus nivalisHardy H5
shrubSnowy Rhododendron
Rhododendron niveumHardy H5
perennialSpider Plant
Chlorophytum comosumHardy H2
bulbStar of Persia
Allium cristophiiHardy H5
perennialStinking Iris
Iris foetidissimaHardy H6
treeStrawberry Tree
Arbutus unedoHardy H5
succulentString of Pearls
Curio rowleyanusHardy H2
shrubStriped begonia
Begonia listada
shrubThick-flowered Rhododendron
Rhododendron pachysanthumHardy H5
perennialTibetan Cowslip
Primula florindaeHardy H7
shrubTree Rhododendron
Rhododendron arboreumHardy H4
perennialtussock bellflower
Campanula carpaticaHardy H5
perennialVerbena
Verbena bonariensisHardy H4
shrubviburnums
Viburnum
shrubWall Speedwell
Veronica albicansHardy H4
shrubWeigela
Weigela floridaHardy H6
treeWhitebeam
Sorbus ariaHardy H6
shrubWinter heath
Erica carneaHardy H6
perennialWood Anemone
Anemone nemorosaHardy H5
perennialwood spurge
Euphorbia amygdaloidesHardy H6
perennialWoodrush
Luzula sylvaticaHardy H7
perennialYarrow
Achillea millefoliumHardy H7
perennialYellow Crocus Iris
Iris croceaHardy H6
treeYew
Taxus baccataHardy H7
perennialYunnan iris
Iris forrestiiHardy H6
perennial