Tucson Shade Plants

Beautiful Mint

• The beautiful mint plant, or Calamintha grandiflora, is a perennial herb plant that can thrive in slightly shaded and full sun areas. It produces bright tubular flowers in the summer and fall. This plant also produces an aromatic, herbal fragrance that attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

Lady's Mantle

• This perennial desert shade plant thrives in up to 7,000-foot altitudes. The lady's mantle, or Alchemilla mollis, produces yellowish green blooms in the late summer. Many gardeners use it as a ground covering plant, and it needs well-drained soil.

Bearberry

• The bearberry, or Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, produces small white blooms in the early springtime. It is an evergreen shade plant that grows well in gravel or sandy soil. This plant should be planted in very shady areas, as it does not thrive in direct sunlight.

Forget-Me-Not

• Also called Siberian bugloss, the forget-me-not, or Brunnera macrophylla, is often used as a border plant or ground cover plant. It is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows well in partly shaded areas. It produces sky blue flowers with yellow centers. It does not thrive well in soils with excessive moisture or dampness.

Mount Lemmon Marigold

• The Mount Lemmon marigold, or Tagetes lemmonii, is native to southern Arizona and produces yellow, daisy-like flowers in the late autumn and winter months. It is a perennial shrub that can grow in rocky soil, but prefers well-drained, fertile soil. It needs partial shade coverage.

Mexican Honeysuckle

• The Mexican honeysuckle plant, or Justicia spicigera, produces bright orange tubular flower clusters. It is drought tolerant and fairly low maintenance. This shrub can grow well in shade with only partial sun. Its fragrant blooms are known to attract hummingbirds.

Autumn Sage

• The autumn sage, or Salvia greggii, produces brightly colored blooms in the spring and fall. The small evergreen shrub is available in a wide variety of flower colors, so it can go with many types of landscaping designs. It attracts hummingbirds and can grow well in partial shade.