Perennials for Dry Shade

There are few really good perennials for dry shade that grow well in dry full shade or even part shade.

I get asked all the time about growing a plant in these conditions and the my best bit of advice is that the plants below will survive in dry shade but in order for a garden or plants to thrive in dry shade, you have to water.

What Happens in Nature

Think about what happens in nature. If you walk in a mature pine forest, there are very few plants living in the shade of these beautiful trees. The trees outcompete the understory plants and kill them off.

That's what evergreen trees do. They provide dense shade where plants have a hard time getting light

On the other hand many plants survive under deciduous trees because they spring up and get their light before the leaves come out) and the fibrous root systems suck all available moisture from the ground.

So, when gardeners ask what to grow in these conditions, my advice is to grow a watering hose. :-)

Plant List

Having said that, here's a list of perennial plants that will survive in dry shade once established. You do have to water them to get them established. And note that they will never grow quickly or give you a massive flower show.

Surviving under evergreens isn’t thriving.

Aegopodium

Carex
Convallaria

Epimedium

Eupatorium

Euphorbia

Euonymus

Gaultheria

Geranium

Hellebore

Heuchera

Hedera

Hypericum

Lamiastrum

Lamium

Liriope

Luzula

Pachysandra

Salvia

Sedum

Symphytum

Vinca



If you want to suggest some perennials for dry shade conditions, please do it here



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