Some of the most beautiful gardens are shade gardens, or gardens that receive dappled light filtered through the canopy of trees. Urban gardens, like San Francisco home gardens are often surrounded by homes and buildings, creating shadows, and shade, which changes throughout the day and seasons. If this is your experience, and you live in a mild winter climate, the 25 Best in Plants for Shade and Part Shade has a number of goodies for you to consider.
The list is only a fraction of what it could be, and my plan is to create a series on shade gardening, so stay tuned! If you have a shady area and you want to put in some plants, choosing ones that will thrive with less light is key. Here’s the list… Enjoy!
1. BEST in SHADE CONIFER!
BEST in SHADE CONIFER! Taxus x media Hicksii – Yew. Wonderful greenery Sea Cliff, San Francisco
2. BEST in NAKED JAPANESE MAPLE!
BEST in NAKED JAPANESE MAPLE! Gorgeous Japanese Maples. Winter. Mill Valley, CA
3. BEST in SPINY VARIEGATED PLANT!
BEST in SPINY VARIEGATED PLANT! Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’ – Sausalito, CA
4. BEST in SPLIT LEAF FOLIAGE!
BEST in SPLIT LEAF FOLIAGE! Philodendron selloum. Home entrance, Sausalito, CA
5. BEST in RED FLOWERS!
BEST in RED FLOWERS! Iochroma fuchsiodes -red iochroma. San Francisco Botanical Gardens
6. BEST IN LONG LEAFED FOLIAGE!
BEST IN LONG LEAFED FOLIAGE! Podocarpus henkelii – sun or shade
7. BEST in CONTAINER PLANT!
BEST in CONTAINER PLANT! White big leaf hydrangea with ferns & needlepoint ivy
8. BEST in FERN-LIKE!
BEST in FERN -LIKE! Asparagus ‘Meyers’ – Foxtail Fern. Berkeley, CA
9. BEST in RHODODENDRON!
BEST in RHODODENDRON! Rhododendron fragrantissimum
10. BEST in AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIAS!
BEST in AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIAS! Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ – San Francisco Botanical Gardens
11. BEST in COMPACT AND MOUNDING!
BEST in COMPACT AND MOUNDING! Abelia ‘Confetti’ – San Francisco Botanical Gardens. Part shade/sun
12. BEST in GLOSSY, HUGE KIDNEY SHAPED LEAVES!
BEST in GLOSSY, HUGE KIDNEY SHAPED LEAVES! Farfugium j giganteum. – Giant Leopard plant
13. BEST IN FRAGRANT VINE!
BEST IN FRAGRANT VINE! Trachylospermum jasminoides vine. Profuse fragrant white flowers late spring, early summer
14. BEST in DRY SHADE!
BEST in DRY SHADE! Crassula multicava groundcover beneath an oak tree. San Diego, CA
15. BEST in OUTDOOR ORCHIDS!
BEST in OUTDOOR ORCHIDS! Cymbidium orchid. San Francisco, CA
16. BEST in PROLIFIC BLOOMER: SPRING AND FALL!
BEST in PROLIFIC BLOOMER: SPRING AND FALL! Fuchsia glaziovana – Flora Grubb Nursery
17. BEST in SMALL SPACE TREE!
BEST in SMALL SPACE TREE! Azara microphylla ‘Variegata’
18. BEST IN PLANT ME UNDER AN OAK TREE!
BEST IN PLANT ME UNDER THE OAK TREE! Correa ‘Ivory Bells’- Australian Fuchsia
19. BEST in FAKE OUTDOOR SCEENING PLANT!
BEST in FAKE OUTDOOR SCEENING PLANT! 28-Arborvitae shrubs are fake. Blackish-green row, left
20. BEST in WINTER FRAGRANT SHRUBS!
BEST in FRAGRANT EVERGREEN SHRUB! Sarcococca -Unbelievable fragrance in winter
21. BEST in SHRUBBY WALL CLIMBER!
BEST IN SHRUBBY WALL CLIMBER! Hydrangea anomala petiolaris -Climbing hydrangea. Presidio Heights, SF
22. BEST in COLORED FOLIAGE!
BEST IN COLORED FOLIAGE! Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ Tallman Hotel, Upper Lake, CA
23. BEST in HYDRANGEAS WITH WAVY LEAVES!
BEST in HYDRANGEAS WITH WAVY LEAVES! Oak Leaf Hydrangea in wine barrel. Lake County, CA
24. BEST in MARBLED FOLIAGE!
BEST in MARBLED FOLIAGE! Fatsia Spider’s Web
25. BEST in RED FRAGRANT PEONY FLOWER CAMELLIA!
BEST in RED FRAGRANT PEONY FLOWER CAMELLIA! Camellia ‘Kramer’s Supreme in Berkeley, CA
Happy Gardening!
Nicole