Most people think that shaded spots in their landscaping can be difficult areas to grow plants — but some perennials thrive even without sunshine. Many of these shade-loving perennials produce bright, colorful flowers while others have rich, green foliage. Below are five perennials that can liven up your shady garden.    

5 Perennials Perfect for Your Landscaping

1. Bleeding Heart

Named for its unusual shape, bleeding heart is a perennial favorite for its lovely colors of pink or white. It produces heart-shaped flowers trailing from its bowed stems from late spring to early summer, and turns yellow come midsummer. Another kind of the bleeding heart is the fern-leaf type variety that yields dainty clusters of pink, red, or white blooms from spring to fall.    

2. Astilbe

A low-maintenance shade perennial, astilbe produces feathery blooms in burgundy, red, pink, lavender, white, and salmon. Its bright, graceful plumes — that come out from mid-spring to early summer — perfectly complement its fern-like, airy foliage. For astible to thrive in the shaded portion of your landscaping, it needs moisture-rich, well-drained soil.  

3. Hellebore

Also known as Christmas rose, hellebore is an early bloomer among shade perennials. Its nodding, cup-shaped blossoms in cream, white, pink, rose, maroon, and green come out as early as late winter. After it loses its spring colors, its intense, deep green leaves remain beautiful throughout the year. Aside from Christmas rose, Lenten rose is another species of hellebore that’s just as beautiful and resilient.

4. Fern

If you want lush, evergreen foliage as ground cover, you can never go wrong with ferns. They are slow-spreading plants that are excellent for minimizing erosion — particularly on sloped, shaded areas. The fronds of Japanese painted ferns are speckled with hues of silver and burgundy, while Christmas ferns look stunning with their evergreen foliage.

5. Hosta

Another easy to maintain plant, hosta is an excellent perennial for lush foliage landscaping. With their wide variety of cultivars, hostas come in all sizes — from inch-wide miniatures to giants spanning more than six feet wide. Its leaves have lovely shades of white, green, chartreuse, blue, and gold, while others yield fragrant blooms in lavender and white.

Fill the shaded areas of your yard with perennials from Glynn Young’s Landscaping & Nursery Center in Lexington, KY. They also carry an extensive range of trees, evergreens, and flowering shrubs that are perfect for every type of garden or landscape. Call (859) 881-8111 to discuss your landscaping needs or visit their website for more information.