Flowering Plants that Need Mostly Shade

Bleeding Heart

• Bleeding hearts are perennials that grow well in shade. These plants usually grow to about 2 feet tall in rounded clumps. The flowers resemble a pink or white heart that has drops of blood hanging from it. The foliage is bluish-green and the leaves are small. The flowers bloom in late spring or early summer and will last until the first frost. Bleeding hearts will tolerate sun if the soil is moist enough, but they do best in shade with a moist, well-drained soil. Most people use bleeding hearts as borders in a flower garden and in rock gardens.

Impatiens

• Impatiens are one of the most popular garden plants because of their ease of growing, according to the FloriData website. This evergreen perennial grows in mounds up to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Flower colors include salmon, white, orange, pink, red, striped, speckled and two-toned. The foliage is bright green and the leaves are small. Plant these flowers in well-drained, moist soil in the shade. These plants will also do okay in part sun, but full sun will burn the flowers. Impatiens will die at the first sign of frost.

Periwinkle

• Periwinkle plants grow well in the shade and are used for ground cover. The plant forms a long, thick green mat, and is extremely hardy; it will grow in almost any type of soil. The foliage is a bluish-green color and the plant will reach a height of about 6 inches tall. Periwinkles produce small purple flowers in the spring. These plants grow well in the shade and in moist soil. The flowers can handle some sun, but a lot of sun will burn the flowers. The plants also grow well in sandy soil and rock gardens. However, due to their invasive nature, periwinkles may not be legal in your state.

Hosta

• Hostas are easy-to-grow and shade-tolerant plants. The plants have beautiful foliage, which ranges in color, texture, size and shape. The colors of the foliage are gold, white, blue and green. The blue-leafed hostas prefer more shade than any of the other varieties of hostas. Most hostas grow in a rounded shape and some can reach up to 8 feet in width. The white, fragrant flowers grow in 6-inch clusters and bloom in the summer. These plants grow best in a rich, well-drained soil.