Perennials For Shade: Shade Tolerant Perennials For Zone 8

Shade Tolerant Plants In The Garden
zone 8 shade
(Image credit: herreid)

Selecting perennials for shade is no easy task, but choices are plentiful for gardeners in moderate climates such as USDA plant hardiness zone 8. Read on for a list of zone 8 shade perennials and learn more about growing zone 8 perennials in shade.

Zone 8 Shade Perennials

When looking for zone 8 shade tolerant plants, you must first consider the type of shade your garden has. Some plants only require a little shade while others need more.

Partial or Dappled Shade Perennials

If you can provide shade for part of the day, or if you have a planting location in dappled shade under a deciduous tree, selecting shade tolerant perennials for zone 8 is relatively easy. Here is a partial list:

  • Bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum) – Colorful foliage; white, pink, or blue flowers
  • Toad lily (Tricyrtis spp.) – Colorful foliage; white or blue, orchid-like flowers
  • Japanese yew (Taxus) – Evergreen shrub
  • Beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.) – Berries in fall
  • Chinese mahonia (Mahonia fortunei) – Fern-like foliage
  • Ajuga (Ajuga spp.) – Burgundy-purple foliage; white, pink, or blue flowers
  • Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) – White, pink, or yellow blooms
  • Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) – Late spring blooms, attractive foliage
  • Sweetspire (Itea virginica) – Fragrant flowers, fall color
  • Pineapple lily (Eucomis spp.) – Tropical-looking leaves, pineapple-like blooms
  • Ferns – Available in a range of varieties and sun-tolerance, including some for full shade

Perennials for Deep Shade

If you’re planting an area in deep shade, selecting zone 8 shade perennials is challenging and the list is shorter, as most plants require at least minimal sunlight. Here are a few suggestions for plants that grow in deep shade:

  • Hosta (Hosta spp.) – Attractive foliage in a range of colors, sizes, and forms
  • Lungwort (Pulmonaria) – Pink, white, or blue flowers
  • Corydalis (Corydalis) – Colorful foliage; white, pink, or blue flowers
  • Heuchera (Heuchera spp.) – Colorful foliage
  • Japanese fatsia (Fatsia japonica) – Attractive foliage, red berries
  • Deadnettle (Lamium) – Colorful foliage; white or pink blooms
  • Barrenwort (Epimedium) – Colorful foliage; red, white, or pink blooms
  • Heartleaf brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla) – Heart-shaped leaves; blue flowers
Mary H. Dyer
Writer

A Credentialed Garden Writer, Mary H. Dyer was with Gardening Know How in the very beginning, publishing articles as early as 2007.