Plants That Grow in Full Shade

Autumn Fern

• Also known as the pink shield fern, autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) does best when planted in full shade. This plant's fronds emerge in the spring as a shade of copper-red, turn bronze and finally change to a shade of shiny, dark green, according to finegardening.com. In midsummer, the autumn fern is light green. To add further interest to this plant, the upright growing fronds have a lacy appearance. This deciduous plant grows 1 to 3 feet tall and spreads 1 to 3 feet wide. Plant them in partial to full shade and damp soil. This plant is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8.

Fuchsia

• The fuchsia plant (Fuchsia triphylla) is prized for its showy flowers. These plants can either grow upright as shrubs, or as trailing plants that are ideal for use in hanging baskets. They can grow 1 to 4 feet tall. The flowers hang suspended from the plant in a tear drop shape, and come in an array of colors, including white and red, purple and pink, or orange and yellow. This deciduous plant also produces green leaves. Full shade, moist soil and temperatures of 75 degrees Fahrenheit are the prime growing conditions for this plant, according to the gardenhelper.com. Fuchsia is hardy in zones 9 and10.

Coral Bells

• The flowers of this shade-loving plant are what inspired its name, coral bells (Heuchera species), as they are small and bell-shaped. The blooms come in shades of pink, lavender and red, and grow on shoots that rise from the top of the foliage. Colorado State University Extension notes that the flowers are just an added bonus to the showy foliage. The leaves grow in mounds in a number of colors, including copper, black, chartreuse and purple. Coral bells are hardy in zones 3 through 9.

Periwinkle

• Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is ideal for use as a groundcover in a shady area where grass won't grow. The plant grows approximately 4 to 6 inches high and has shiny leathery green leaves that are about an inch long. It is known for the small star shaped flowers it produces that range in color from violet-blue, pink or white, says the Colorado State University Extension. Though this shade-loving plant has attractive qualities, it does become invasive in many parts of the United States. As such, take care when you plant it to ensure that it doesn't overrun your garden. Periwinkle is hardy in zones 3 through 8.