Top 10 Dry Shade Plants

Lady Fern

• The lady fern (Anthyrium angustum) is prized for its lovely, delicate green fronds. This woodland fern grows up to 2 feet tall and can be planted in a bed or border alongside hostas or coral bells. Lady ferns can grow in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 7 and can withstand temperatures as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Columbine

• Growing 1 to 3 feet in height, columbines (Aquilegia canadensis) are self-seeding plants that have attractive, bluish-green foliage. Columbines bloom in yellow and red and have nodding, drooping and bell-shaped flowers. These perennial plants grow erect and branching. Columbines prefer alkaline, sandy, well-draining and not too fertile soils. Columbines can grow in nearly any climate and attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Periwinkle

• The myrtle periwinkle (Vinca minor) blooms in blue flowers during spring and bears evergreen foliage throughout the year. Growing only 6 to 12 inches tall, the myrtle periwinkle has a groundcover form. The vinca periwinkle (Catharanthus rosea) is another good low-growing choice, with leathery leaves and showy flowers. The myrtle periwinkle grows best in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8 and can survive winter temperatures down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit, while the vinca periwinkle can grow in only zones 9 through 11 and tolerates temperatures down to 20 degrees.

Lily of the Valley

• Growing to just 1 foot in height with a spreading groundcover habit, lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) blooms in early summer with fragrant, bell-shaped white flowers. This perennial plant prefers climates with summer that aren't extremely hot, growing best in USDA zones 4 through 7.

Bergenia

• Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia) blooms in pink flowers during spring and grows 1 to 1 ½ feet tall. The bergenia's thick, shiny, cabbagelike leaves turn reddish to burgundy in autumn. Bergenias are perennial plants that thrive in zones 4 through 7 and attract butterflies, bees and some birds.

Wild Ginger

• The groundcover plant wild ginger (Asarum canadense) has round leaves with tiny, often hidden maroon flowers that bloom in late winter to mid-spring. Wild ginger is a perennial plant and grows up to only 1 foot tall. Wild ginger plants are fragrant and can grow in nearly all soil types and climates.

Virgin's Bower

• The virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana) is a vine that grows up to 15 feet tall and blooms in extremely fragrant, small white flowers during mid- to late summer. This herbaceous perennial vine can grow in zones 4 through 8 and attracts butterflies.

Glory-of-the-Snow

• Glory-of-the-snow (Chiondoxa luciliae) blooms in early spring with flowers that are bluish-violet with yellow centers. This is another groundcover-type plant that grows to only 6 inches in height. Grown from bulbs, glory-of-the-snow thrives in zones 4 through 8.

Snowdrops

• Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) received their name due to their bell-shaped, nodding white flowers that tend to bloom when snow is on the ground. Snowdrops grow just 4 to 8 inches in height and have bluish-green foliage. Also grown from bulbs, snowdrops can grow well in nearly any nontropical region and tolerate winter temperatures down to -40 degrees.

Cranesbill Geranium

• Reaching a height of 1 to 1½ feet, cranesbill geraniums (Geranium sp.) have a wide range of foliage shapes and flower colors to choose from. Nearly all geranium species are suitable for growing in dry, shaded sites and can grow in almost every type of climatic region. Cranesbill geraniums bloom in late spring and summer.