Shade Tolerant Landscape With Bulbs

Winter

• Gardeners in warm climates can get off to an early start with winter-flowering bulbs. Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) bears white, pink, red, violet and lavender flowers from November through March in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, or in pots indoors in cooler climates. Growing 6 to 9 inches tall, cyclamen also bears attractive dark green and silver foliage. Bush lily (Veltheimia bracteata) flowers from December through March in USDA zones 9 and 10. Bearing spikes of tubular, pinkish-purple, drooping flowers, bush lilies grow in clumps of straplike, wavy-edged foliage 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 to 18 inches wide. Both bulbs prefer partial shade.

Spring

• Spring is the traditional time for bulbs, and that can include bulbs for shady sites. Shade-tolerant Chinese ground orchid (Bletilla striata) is suitable for USDA zones 5 through 9, and grows 12 to 18 inches tall and 6 to 12 inches wide. In late spring it bears 1 1/2-inch pinkish-purple flowers in clusters 18 inches high. Giant snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii) is a pretty, early spring bloomer. Its nodding white flowers are borne on clumps of foliage 4 inches tall and wide. Suitable for USDA zones 3 through 9, giant snowdrop grows in partial shade and full sun.

Summer

• Escape the heat of the summer sun in shady spots filled with blooming bulbs. Orienpet lily (Lilium henryi × Lilium speciosum var. rubrum) grows up to 8 feet tall and bears prolific pink, red, white or yellow blooms from July to mid-August. Suitable for USDA zones 3 through 7, Orienpet lily prefers a well-drained, moist site in partial shade. For the dedicated gardener, giant lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense) is a challenging plant that rewards your efforts with 6-inch creamy-white, lilylike flowers on plants 6 to 8 feet tall. Giant lily grows best in deep, fertile, organically-rich soil on partial shade sites in USDA zones 7 through 9.

Fall

• Shorter, cooler days as summer draws to a close don't have to signal the end of flowering displays. Hybrid tuberous begonia (Begonia tuberosa group) is a traditional shady border plant for late summer and early fall. Hardy throughout the year in USDA zones 9 through 11, in colder climates it can be grown as an annual. Tuberous begonias bear blooms in a range of colors on plants 12 to 18 inches tall and wide. Shade-tolerant autumn crocus "Waterlily" (Colchicum "Waterlily") provides fall flowers in USDA zones 4 through 7. Its lilac-pink flowers appear on naked stems 4 to 6 inches tall. Plants grow clumps of foliage in spring that die down in late summer.