Summer sunshine means soaring temperatures that can scorch even the hardiest plants. But shady spots in your garden don't have to be barren or boring. These 19 shade-loving plants will thrive through the dog days of summer, adding color and texture to those challenging dark corners of your landscape.
Gardens need plants that can handle both heat and reduced light. The perfect shade garden combines reliable performers with unexpected treasures that shine even when the sun doesn't. These selections will transform those problematic shady areas into the most interesting parts of your summer garden.
1. Hosta
Hostas reign supreme in shade gardens for good reason. These hardy perennials come in hundreds of varieties with leaves ranging from tiny to enormous and colors spanning blue-green, chartreuse, variegated, and more. They're virtually indestructible in zones 3-9 and require minimal maintenance beyond regular watering during dry spells.
The gorgeous leaf patterns on hostas provide season-long interest even when they're not flowering. Their lily-like blooms appear on tall stalks in summer, attracting hummingbirds and adding vertical interest to your garden. For maximum impact, try planting several different varieties together to showcase their diverse textures and colors.
2. Astilbe
Astilbe brings feathery, colorful plumes to shady spots when most other shade plants focus mainly on foliage. These elegant perennials produce fluffy flower spikes in shades of pink, red, lavender, and white that rise above fernlike foliage. They prefer consistently moist soil but can handle deeper shade than many flowering plants.
Summer is when astilbe truly shines, with blooms lasting for weeks between June and August depending on the variety. The finely-cut foliage remains attractive all season, adding delicate texture to your shade garden. After flowering, the dried plumes can be left standing for winter interest or cut for dried arrangements.
3. Heuchera (Coral Bells)
Heuchera delivers year-round color with its stunning foliage in shades of purple, caramel, lime green, silver, and nearly black. These compact perennials form tidy mounds that look beautiful along borders or in containers. The leaves retain their vibrant colors even during the hottest summer days, making them ideal for adding constant color to shady areas.
Tiny bell-shaped flowers appear on slender stems above the colorful leaves in late spring through summer. These delicate blooms attract hummingbirds and provide vertical interest. Modern varieties have been bred for heat tolerance and will maintain their brilliant colors even during summer's most challenging days.
4. Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa)
Japanese forest grass cascades like a waterfall of color in shaded spots. This graceful ornamental grass forms arching mounds of slender, bamboo-like foliage that sways with the slightest breeze. The 'Aureola' variety features stunning gold-striped leaves that brighten dark corners, while 'All Gold' glows like sunshine in shade.
The slow-growing nature of Japanese forest grass makes it perfect for containers or as an accent plant. It reaches just 12-18 inches tall but makes a dramatic statement with its distinctive texture and movement. The foliage takes on beautiful reddish tones in fall, extending its seasonal interest beyond summer.
5. Ferns
Ferns bring unmatched texture and prehistoric elegance to shady gardens. Their unfurling fronds create a sense of mystery and woodland charm that few other plants can match. From the bold Japanese painted fern with its silvery-purple fronds to the delicate maidenhair fern, there's a variety for every shade garden.
These ancient plants thrive in the challenging conditions under trees where many other plants struggle. They prefer consistent moisture but established specimens of certain varieties like Christmas fern can handle periodic dry spells. Mixing different fern varieties creates a lush, layered look that mimics natural woodland settings.
6. Toad Lily (Tricyrtis)
Toad lilies deliver exotic-looking blooms in late summer when other shade plants have finished flowering. Their orchid-like flowers speckled with purple or crimson spots appear along arching stems from August through October. The unusual blossoms and extended blooming season make toad lilies a valuable addition to any shade garden.
The attractive lance-shaped foliage of toad lilies provides interest even before the flowers appear. These Asian natives prefer rich, moist soil but can tolerate average garden conditions once established. Plant them where their intricate flowers can be appreciated up close, such as along a shaded path or near a seating area.
7. Brunnera
Brunnera's heart-shaped leaves create a beautiful backdrop in shady gardens. Varieties like 'Jack Frost' feature stunning silver leaves with green veins that illuminate dark corners. These hardy perennials form neat clumps that look attractive from spring through fall, maintaining their good looks even during summer heat.
Clouds of tiny blue flowers resembling forget-me-nots hover above the foliage in spring. While the blooms are spring features, the gorgeous foliage remains the star attraction throughout summer. Brunnera thrives in moist, rich soil but can tolerate dry conditions once established, making it perfect for woodland gardens and shaded borders.
8. Japanese Painted Fern
Japanese painted fern brings an artistic touch to shade gardens with its distinctive silver-pewter fronds highlighted with burgundy stems. This showstopper adds brightness to dark corners and combines beautifully with deep green or purple plants. The metallic appearance of the fronds seems to glow in shady conditions.
Unlike some ferns that spread aggressively, Japanese painted fern forms tidy clumps that slowly expand over time. It reaches just 12-18 inches tall, making it perfect for the front of borders or in woodland settings. The silver coloration is most vibrant in spring but remains attractive throughout summer and into fall.
9. Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
Lungwort features silver-spotted foliage that brightens shady areas throughout the growing season. The leaves of these low-growing perennials often display distinctive spots or splashes of silver that stand out beautifully against the green background. Different varieties offer various patterns, from subtle speckling to almost completely silver leaves.
Pink or blue bell-shaped flowers appear in early spring, but it's the decorative foliage that makes lungwort valuable for summer shade gardens. These tough plants maintain their good looks through heat and humidity when many other perennials fade. They prefer moist, rich soil but can handle dry conditions once established.
10. Hellebore
Hellebores provide elegant, cup-shaped flowers in late winter through spring and handsome foliage all summer long. Their leathery, palm-shaped leaves remain evergreen in most climates, providing structure and substance in shade gardens year-round. The deep green foliage stands up well to summer heat and drought.
Though primarily valued for their early blooms, hellebores earn their keep in summer with their architectural foliage and trouble-free nature. They thrive in conditions that challenge many plants, including dry shade under trees. Modern varieties feature improved foliage that stays attractive throughout the seasons.
11. Columbine (Aquilegia)
Columbine delights with unique spurred flowers that seem to dance above delicate, blue-green foliage. These charming perennials bloom in late spring to early summer in a rainbow of colors including blue, purple, pink, red, yellow, and white. Their distinctive blooms attract hummingbirds and add a touch of whimsy to shady gardens.
After flowering, the lacy foliage of columbine continues to provide textural interest throughout summer. While they appreciate some morning sun, they perform admirably in dappled shade where they're protected from intense afternoon heat. They self-seed readily, creating natural-looking drifts over time without becoming invasive.
12. Foamflower (Tiarella)
Foamflower creates frothy spires of tiny star-shaped blossoms above attractive maple-like leaves. These native woodland plants produce their delicate white or pink flower stalks in spring, but their deeply lobed, often patterned foliage provides interest throughout summer. Some varieties feature dramatic purple veining or centers that intensify as temperatures rise.
The compact growth habit of foamflower makes it perfect for edging shady borders or naturalizing in woodland gardens. It forms slow-spreading clumps that eventually create attractive groundcover in difficult shady areas. Modern varieties offer improved heat tolerance and more distinctive leaf patterns than their wild ancestors.
13. Japanese Anemone
Japanese anemones deliver elegant, poppy-like flowers on tall stems in late summer through fall when many shade gardens have finished blooming. Their pink or white blooms with yellow centers sway gracefully above mounds of maple-like foliage. They add valuable late-season color to areas that receive morning sun and afternoon shade.
These long-lived perennials may take a few years to establish but then bloom reliably for decades with minimal care. They prefer consistent moisture but can handle some drought once established. Their late bloom time makes them perfect companions for early-flowering shade plants, extending the garden's season of interest.
14. Lamium (Dead Nettle)
Lamium offers silvery, patterned foliage that brightens shady spots all season long. This low-growing perennial groundcover spreads to form carpets of silver-splashed or completely silver leaves that illuminate dark corners. Different varieties feature varying amounts of silver, from subtle central stripes to leaves that appear almost entirely metallic.
Small pink, purple, or white flowers appear in spring and often continue sporadically through summer. The real value of lamium, however, lies in its decorative foliage that maintains its good looks even during the hottest months. It thrives in dry shade where many other plants struggle, making it perfect for challenging spots under trees.
15. Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum)
Solomon's seal brings architectural elegance to shade gardens with its arching stems and dangling bell-shaped flowers. The graceful form of this woodland native creates vertical interest in areas where many shade plants remain low to the ground. Small white flowers with green tips hang beneath the stems in spring, followed by bluish-black berries.
The clean, attractive foliage of Solomon's seal remains in good condition throughout summer, turning golden yellow in fall. It spreads slowly via rhizomes to form elegant colonies over time without becoming invasive. Variegated varieties like 'Variegatum' feature cream-edged leaves that brighten shady corners even more effectively.
16. Ligularia
Ligularia makes a bold statement with its massive leaves and bright yellow flowers. Varieties like 'The Rocket' produce tall spikes of yellow daisy-like blooms, while 'Othello' features purple-tinged foliage and flat-topped flower clusters. Their dramatic presence adds tropical flair to shade gardens during the hottest months.
The huge, sometimes serrated or kidney-shaped leaves of ligularia create striking textural contrast with finer-textured shade plants. They prefer consistently moist soil and will wilt dramatically if allowed to dry out, making them perfect indicators of when your garden needs watering. They recover quickly once moisture is restored.
17. Cimicifuga (Bugbane)
Cimicifuga sends up dramatic flower spires that tower above woodland gardens in late summer and fall. Also known as black cohosh or bugbane, these stately natives produce bottlebrush-like racemes of tiny white flowers that can reach 4-6 feet tall. The blooms have a light, sweet fragrance that attracts butterflies and adds vertical drama to shade gardens.
The compound leaves of cimicifuga provide attractive texture throughout the growing season. Dark-leaved varieties like 'Hillside Black Beauty' feature deep purple-black foliage that creates striking contrast in shady areas. These back-of-the-border beauties prefer rich, moist soil but can handle some drought once established.
18. Wild Ginger (Asarum)
Wild ginger creates a lush groundcover with heart-shaped, glossy leaves in the deepest shade. These native woodland plants spread slowly to form dense carpets that suppress weeds and protect soil. Their curious brownish-purple flowers appear at ground level in spring but are often hidden beneath the foliage.
The evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves of wild ginger maintain their good looks throughout summer and into winter in mild climates. European wild ginger (Asarum europaeum) features especially glossy, deep green leaves, while Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) has larger, more heart-shaped foliage. Both thrive in the challenging conditions of dry shade.
19. Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)
Bleeding heart adds romantic charm to shady spots with its distinctive heart-shaped flowers. Traditional varieties bloom in spring, but everblooming types like 'Luxuriant' continue producing their dangling pink or white hearts throughout summer. Their fern-like foliage provides attractive texture even when they're not in bloom.
The arching stems of bleeding heart create graceful movement in shade gardens. Traditional varieties may go dormant during summer heat, so plant them with hostas or other perennials that will fill in the space. Newer everblooming varieties maintain their presence all season, blooming repeatedly from spring through fall.
Creating Your Summer Shade Oasis
Shady garden spots offer unique opportunities to create cool retreats during summer's hottest days. Combining plants with different textures, heights, and bloom times ensures year-round interest. Start with structural elements like hostas, ferns, and heuchera, then add seasonal blooms with astilbe, toad lilies, and Japanese anemones.
Remember that even shade-loving plants need regular water during summer's heat, especially when first establishing. Mulch helps retain moisture and suppress weeds while adding organic matter to the soil. With these 19 shade-garden winners, those challenging dark corners will become your garden's most inviting spaces during the dog days of summer.