The majority of our consultations here in Atlanta share a similar story: sunny front yard and shady backyard. This is something we’ve grown accustomed to, living in the “city in the forest.” As thankful as we are for our beautiful tree canopy, it does shape how we design. It means our team always needs to be ready with a long list of shade-tolerant plant options. Shade doesn’t have to be a limitation. It’s an opportunity to lean into a world of beautiful, resilient, and ecologically beneficial plants.
Woodland phlox has a wonderful bloom that you might liken more to a sun-loving perennial. You’ll instead find these in the shade, blooming in the spring and before the canopy totally closes up.
Designing Plant Communities in the Shade
We are always looking to design plant communities—or stable and self-sustaining collections of plants that naturally complement each other. When selected plants occupy a variety of niches (vertical layers, bloom time, growth nature, etc.) it can limit the need for weeding, watering, and fertilizing. And utilizing native species ensures resistance to local pests/diseases and resilience in the face of the unique seasonal changes of your region.
In shady spaces, leaf litter plays a big role—especially if you're like us and love to “leave the leaves.” Some fine-leaved or spreading groundcovers can get smothered, but many shade-tolerant natives are well adapted to this environment. Plants like mayapple, wild ginger, and ferns evolved to push right through layers of forest duff each spring.
Moisture and soil type play a big role in what will thrive. With shaded areas often having slower evaporation and more leaf litter—it’s great for your woodland species that like rich, moist, organic soils like foamflower, crested iris, Solomon’s seal, spicebush, pawpaw, and sweetshrub. If you’ve got compacted or dry soil, focus on species that are tough enough to cope with root competition and lower moisture—plants like Christmas fern, Virginia sweetspire, or oakleaf hydrangea.
Coral Bells (top) and Foamflower (bottom) are two of our favorite shade options. The former tends to thrive in dryer conditions and the latter in wet. If you think they look alike, then you’re on to something! They can be hybridized to make… foamy bells!
Below, we’ve got a cheat sheet of some of the native species you’ll see on our shadier installations. A lot of these can be found at local nurseries and/or the CoFo Nursery!
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Shade-Tolerant Flowers and Groundcovers We Love
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Foamflower (Tiarella spp.) - Low, clumping plant with white spring flowers. Great for moist shade.
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Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata) - Spreads gently. Blue blooms in early spring. Loved by pollinators.
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Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.) - Colorful leaves and tall flower spikes. Hummingbird magnet.
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Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) - Arching stems with bell flowers. Elegant and deer-resistant.
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Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) - Tall with white flower spikes. Prefers moist, rich woods.
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Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) - Clumps of grass-like leaves. Purple flowers in spring.
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Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) - Umbrella leaves. Hidden white flowers. Spreads in colonies.
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Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) - Heart-shaped leaves. Maroon flowers at ground level. Spreads slowly.
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Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) - Soft leaves and pink blooms. Easy and dependable.
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Shade-Tolerant Grasses and Ferns We Love
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River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) - Graceful seed heads. Spreads easily.
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Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium spp.) - Not a true grass, actually! Tiny blue flowers. Good for edges and part shade.
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Native Sedges (Carex spp.) - Huge variety. Great groundcovers. Many love shade and moist soils.
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Glade Fern (Diplazium pycnocarpon) - Delicate, upright fronds. Likes rich, moist woods.
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Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) - Evergreen. Tough and tidy. Grows well in dry or moist shade.
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Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) - Tall, bold fronds with cinnamon-colored spore stalks. Loves wet shade.
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Southern Shield Fern (Thelypteris kunthii) - Fast-growing. Soft texture. Good for naturalized woodland beds.
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Southern Wood Fern (Dryopteris ludoviciana) - Glossy, semi-evergreen. Tall and upright. Handles dry to moist shade.
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River oats are maybe the most versatile plant that we are regularly planting. From dry to wet and from sun to shade, these plants will persist. Be careful they spread! But we love that about them. You can always transplant the spreaders to desired areas or give them away!
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Shade-Tolerant Shrubs We Love
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Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) - Fragrant yellow flowers in early spring. Red berries in fall. Attracts wildlife.
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Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) - Purple berries in fall. Great for wildlife. Deciduous and easy to grow.
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Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) - White flowers in summer. Edible berries for jams and syrups. Attracts pollinators.
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Sweetspire (Itea virginica) - White fragrant flowers in summer. Bright red foliage in fall. Tolerates wet shade.
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Clethra (Clethra alnifolia) - Sweet-smelling white flowers in summer. Prefers moist, shaded areas.
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Oak-leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) - Large oak-like leaves. White blooms in summer. Beautiful fall color.
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Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) - Spicy-sweet scent. Maroon flowers in late spring. Hardy and adaptable.
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Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) - Yellow flowers in fall. Tolerates a range of soil types. Great for naturalistic plantings.
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Shade-Tolerant Trees We Love
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Redbud (Cercis canadensis) - Early spring pink flowers. Beautiful heart-shaped leaves. Small, understory tree.
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Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) - Tropical-tasting fruit. Large, lush leaves. Grows well in shady spots.
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Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) - White flowers in early spring. Sweet, edible berries. Great for wildlife.
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Hazelnut (Corylus americana) - Nut-bearing shrub or small tree. Tolerates light shade. Produces edible nuts.
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American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) - Yellow-orange fruit when ripe. Tolerates shade. Excellent wildlife tree.
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Dogwood (Cornus florida) - Showy white to pink spring blooms. Red berries in fall. Beautiful ornamental tree.
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