Shady Woodland Plants
Shady woodland plants generally require a moist but well-drained environment with some gentle morning sun or dappled sun/shade all day. There are many great woodland plants you can grow easily in Eastern Ontario. To view a larger picture for any of the following plants simply click on the picture and then click “back” to return to this page.
Bergenia - Grows 2′ wide x 1′ high with pink flowers in mid-May. Large fleshy leaves add good structure to the garden after flowering and turn a bronze colour in autumn.
Bleeding Heart - Grows to 2′ high x 2′ wide and does equally well in shady and sunny spots. Cut back when done flowering for new growth and to keep tidy.
Brunnera - Grow 1′ wide x 1′ high with blue flowers like forget-me-nots in early to mid-May. Silvery leaves grow larger when flowers are done and add nice colour and shape in the summer and fall.
Bugleweed -a good spreading groundcover with spiky purple flowers in late May and early June.
Columbine - Grows 1′ wide x 1′ high and sends up spikes of flower in a variety of colours in early June. Tidy easy to grow perennial.
Creeping Jacob’s Ladder - Grows 1′ wide x 1′ high with blue flowers on taller spikes in late May. Delicate variegated foliage is touched with pink to add interest to a shady garden.
Ferns - All ferns will do well in a woodland garden. This one is the Japanese Painted Fern paired with a blue hosta and yellow lamium.
Foamflower - Similar to the coral bells it grows into neat clumps about 1′ wide and 8-10″ tall. White flowers in mid-May.
Hosta - Probably the best known plant for shade, hostas come in a variety of colours, leaf shape and sizes. The deer love them so be prepared to plant some spiky plants around your hostas to deter them. Hostas send up spikes of lavender flowers in mid to late July. A great site for information on hostas is www.hostalibrary.org
Lungwort - A small accent plant (8-10″ wide and high) with silver or spotted leaves. Leaves have a tendency to dry out so it need a good moist environment.
Lamium - A very reliable groundcover, lamium comes in variegated green and white as well as a bright lime yellow. Great accent base in a shady garden.
Solomon’s Seal - A graceful arching plant that grows 2 - 3′ high and has small hanging flowers in mid to late May.
Star of Bethlehem - grassy foliage about 8″ high with white starry flowers in June. Very prolific spreader and hard to control. Definitely for spaces where the dying foliage will not be seen.
Trillium - The provincial flower of Ontario can grow individually or into nice clumps 1′ high x 1′wide. Bright white flowers in mid-May.
Violets - A quickly spreading groundcover, violets provide delicate blue flowers mid to late-May. They will spread by seed but can be easily weeded out or transplanted.
Learn more about these plants by visiting any of a number of gardening websites. One of the best for pictures and information is Heritage Perennials at www.perennials.com
If you have a favourite shade plant you’d like to see profiled just let me know by sending a photo and information to Sheila Sim (The Garden Coach) at shsim@rideau.net.
