Perennials for Shade

I have a bed that gets almost no sun, and would like to plant some perennials instead of the impatiens I sometimes put there. If I stick to ones that take the heat, how about huecheras?

Below is a picture of the bed, to the left of the path.

Ajuga! I love mixing purple ajuga and purple or iron cross oxalis and creeping Charlie (it's not just for hanging baskets anymore.). If the soil is very rich and composty, you could do some hostas, but you have to pick the right ones. I understand the fragrant varieties do better in Texas.

I looked for a picture of the bed I used to have with lots of ajuga and creeping Charlie, but couldn't find the pics.

I have some ajuga in the front - I've never heard of creeping Charlie.

The creeping charlie I know is also called swedish ivy http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1354/ , but plantfiles so several varieties. I've seen pathos growing outside at my SILs in Sinton, but haven't seen creeping charlie outside. The pathos leaves get much bigger in the ground than in a pot. In Jamaica I saw Pathos with leaves bigger than my head!

By coincidence, Burpees is having a sale on perennials for shade right now. Just got an email from them as I am on their "list". They were advertising hydrangeas, hostas and caladiums as I recall. I wasn't interested as I have all sun or mostly sun.

Ann

Plectranthus (I think I spelled that right) "Mona Lavender" does well in shade. I used some of the new Mosaic King Kong cloeus in shade last year and they did really well. Another good shade bloomer is geraniums. My neighbor has society garlic in shady beds under oaks and it's still does fine. Another has agapantha in dappled shade and they still bloom well, just a little later than those in full sun. Hope this at least gives you a few ideas on choices to choose from.

I would love to do caladiums in the whole bed, but they aren't hardy here. In fact, I didn't think hardy geraniums did either. Might have to test a geranium or two.

I'd love something that bloomed all summer, like impatiens, but I can't think of a perennial (other than Mexican petunia, which I don't want) that would do that. I'm going to look up plectranthus, since I don't know what that is.

I like the plectranthus, but I'm 7b, so it wouldn't work for me.

I have been looking at black elephant ears, but it's so dark in there already I can't decide if that's a good idea or not. At least it wouldn't be green.

We trimmed back the bald cypress that is what blocks a lot of the light at the end of last year, maybe I need to wait until it leafs out and see what the current situation is.

I'm trying to think of something 18" - 24" that isn't green, or is at least variegated, and I could plant something like huechera and ajuga in front of it.

I already have acuba behind that bed, and I don't want any more loropetalum - I don't like it shaped, and it makes me itch to prune it.

Have you thought about Japanese painted fern. It is a perennial , silverwhite and will take a bit of sun.Other option may work is lamb's ear. If the other plants don't need alot of watering, this may grow well even if it is in the shade.

I have a deep shade bed, this is what has worked well. The bed gets a little morning sun and that is it.

ardisia japonica http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60185/
wild woodland strawberry http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/74606/
camellia
oxalis http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1241/
ajuga of all kinds. variegated, metallica crispa, trailing
sweet violets http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1410/

if you are looking on a shade gardening book, I recommend
http://www.amazon.com/American-Horticultural-Society-Practical-Guides/dp/0789441543
http://www.amazon.com/Gardening-Shade-Horticulture-Magazine/dp/1558707204

lithodora has worked "ok" http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53345/

If you want to throw in some cheap annuals for shade, cilantro grows great in cool shade (fall, winter, spring) in Texas. I planted a few packets of Cilantro from Wmart in my shade bed one fall, and had a ton of fresh cilantro. Great for salads to salsas (if you like cilantro) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54/

other perennials for shade
columbine http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/965/
salvia (some varieties do better in shade than others)
mint will grow anywhere (be warned)

I posted on shade plants a while back (I too have a preference for perennials)
will try to find the posts and paste them in

Here is the main post. This post contains links to all the other "shade" posts I contributed to.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/719649/

The painted ferns sound like a good idea, and I hadn't thought about camelias. I don't think I want anything really tall, because they are next to a little pergola/patio, and I don't want to block the breeze. I wish loropetalums weren't such monsters, because I really like the color.

There's quite a few ferns for shade. Things like Turk's Cap, Lyreleaf Sage, Golden Groundsel and Missouri Violet can take shade. American Beautyberry and Pidgeonberry can be in dappled shade.

I'm not sure how dappled the shade is, I need to be here all day some day to check, but probably won't be until tax season is over. I saw a beautyberry at a relatives' in WA state last summer, and was very impressed. I'll have to look up pidgeonberry. She also had a beautiful hebe bush, but I don't think it will take our heat, and probably needs sun as well.

Lynn

Spotted Toad Lilies and Hellebores.