My Top Native Plants for Shade in the Southeast

Do you have a densely shaded area in your yard that you have no idea what to do with? The common misconception is that nothing will grow in the shade and that area will forever be bare. That might be true using non-native plants that come from big box nurseries or hardware stores, but in the native plant world, there is a plethora of shade-loving woodland plants (that aren't Hostas).

I actually enjoy designing shady gardens more than sunny garden just because there is more texture and variety to play with!

I'll break down my favorites I have used in previous designs between shrubs and perennials.

Shrubs

1. Florida Anise (Illicium floridanum)

If you need some evergreen privacy screens in a shady spot in your yard, Florida Anise is your best bet. They do well in full to part shade (the leaves will scorch if in prolonged sun exposure), Zone 6-10 and prefer moist soil, so it would be perfect for a rain garden or wet shaded areas in the yard. The leaves are aromatic and feature maroon flowers in the spring. They can grow up to 10' tall and 8' wide, great for a privacy hedge! There are several different color variations, such as the Sunshine Florida Anise, which features a yellow-green foliage.

2. Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)

Bottlebrush Buckeye is a large, deciduous shrub that can grow to 12ft tall and wide, spreading to form colonies underneath tree canopies. It likes shade to part-shade and prefers rich, well-drained soil, therefore intolerant of drought. It has showy white flowers, looking almost like hydrangea from a distance, that are spectacular to look at. You can grow these as a hedge for privacy in woody areas or in an empty corner where you want to fill with a large shrub. Its flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

3. Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus)

Carolina Allspice is flexible when it comes to light— it can grow in full sun, but also tolerates deep shade in woodlands. It is a deciduous shrub that has beautiful red flowers in spring, which bloom before its leaves emerge and emit a fruity scent. It grows 6-12ft tall and can grow as wide or double that amount, so keep them further spaced apart if planting more than one. It prefers rich, well-drained soil and can take different types of soil. It is also deer resistant.

4. Doghobble (Leucothoe fontanesiana)

For an evergreen shady shrub option, Doghobble is a great addition to a woodland garden, naturally found in very wet areas like ravines and stream banks. It enjoys moist, acidic soil and full and part shade, but will tolerate full sun if it is consistently moist. It features white, bell-shaped flowers (similar to Solomon's Seal) from April to June and grows up to 6ft tall.

5. Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum)

For Rhododendron lovers, the native deciduous Flame Azalea is a great way to add some pops of colors at springtime. Featuring bright yellow to orange flowers, the flowers bloom before its leaves come in and last for 1-2 weeks late spring. After the flowers have died back, new leaves will appear. It prefers full sun to part or deep shade and does not tolerate dense clay, so mix in new soil when planting. It grows to be 4-8ft tall and wide and is great as a specimen plant or as a deciduous hedge.

Perennials

1. Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

This is one of my favorites to use in a woodland garden! It is a native perennial that enjoys part shade to full shade in moist, rich soil. The leaves are evergreen, so great to use as a ground cover, and come spring, beautiful flowers will emerge and create a mat of blue-purple, rose, or purple that gives a lot of color to your garden. They are great to use for shady borders or a rock garden.

2. Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)

This is a native evergreen fern that grows best in part to full shade. While most ferns go dormant, this fern has reliable green fronds throughout the winter! It grows to be 1-2ft wide and is great as a shady border plant or nestled within a rock garden. It thrives best in rich, moist soil and doesn't tolerate soggy clay.

3. Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)

Coral Bells are one of my favorite to incorporate in a shady woodland garden. There are cultivars in a wide variety of colors, such as red, orange, brown, purple, bright green, and yellow! You can easily make a whole Coral Bells garden of different cultivars and colors. I like to use them as border, groundcovers, or in rock gardens. They are evergreen to semi-evergreen depending on your climate, likes full sun to part shade, and prefer moist, acidic soil. They have small flowers that appear in June that pollinators and hummingbirds enjoy. You can prolong the bloom by deadheading them.

4. Plantain Sedge (Carex plantaginea)

Plantain sedge is an evergreen sedge that has broad green leaves and is a great native alternative to Hostas. It grows to be 2ft wide, prefers part to full shade, and likes acidic, moist soil. You can plant them as a groundcover, border, or accent plant.

5. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)

Foamflower is a small flowering perennial found along the eastern coast in moist, shaded woodlands. It features small white flowers that attract pollinators in springtime. They spread by suckers, so it's great to use as a ground cover in part to full shaded areas and it prefers acidic, rich and moist soil. You can plant them as an accent, border, or in a rock or fairy garden!

Sources

North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox