What Are Shade Plants?
Gardening in the shade doesn’t have to be difficult. At Breck’s we understand that choosing the right plants for your fully shaded or partially shaded garden can be challenging and is important. That’s why we analyzed and gathered data so that you can find the best shade flowers quickly and efficiently. Read on to learn more about the most popular shade plants for every U.S. state according to Google Trends data and the best types of plants for partial shade or fully shaded gardens.
A common conundrum for the avid gardener remains: which plants will thrive in my shaded yard? When your yard falls under a canopy of trees and other dense vegetation, there’s still hope! Plenty of plants, both flowering and non-flowering, can call your yard home under full or partial shade. Shade-loving plants with rich foliage and vibrant blooms like hostas, hellebores, or toad lilies offer the best of both worlds – a cool shaded yard with a lush, flourishing garden.
The Breck’s team along with countless U.S. gardeners whose yards contain minimal direct sunlight are big fans of these shade plants and perennials–but which shade-loving varieties are the most popular? Our team was determined to find out. We analyzed Google Trends search volume of 35 different shade plant types over the past twelve months to determine the most popular shade plant in every state.
Read on to see which plant is most searched in your state!
The Most Popular Shade Plant in Every State, According to Google Trends
Coleus is the most popular shade plant across the U.S. as a whole, according to Google search volume. Top searched in seven states, this colorful variety flourishes in partial shade and well-drained soil. They’re known for their head-turning hues, featuring color combinations of green, yellow, pink, red, and maroon.
Ferns came in second place, top searched in six states including New York, the Carolinas, & Washington D.C. A Breck’s favorite is the lady fern, a hardy plant with fluffy fronds that grow up to 24” tall. The long-lived, lady fern makes a lush addition to landscaping, shaded borders, or a woodland garden.
Other popular shade plants dominating the map include foxglove, spurge, and caladium. Nothing sparks joy like a collection of whimsical foxgloves, whose bell-shaped blooms attract butterflies and make beautiful cut flowers. Not to mention foxglove is extremely low maintenance. They will thrive in a variety of soil and shade types. When leaving foxgloves in the yard, their fading flowers will self-sow to supply you with a bounty of new foxgloves next year.
Full Shade vs. Partial Shade
The amount of shade these plants can tolerate certainly varies. Some grow best in half-sun half-shade, while others can tolerate full shade with dappled light here and there. Here’s a quick list of plants that will thrive in full shade and plants that grow best in partial shade.
Best Shade Plants for Partial Shade
- Coleus – The coleus plant boasts strikingly vibrant leaf colors ranging from a deep red to a bright green. The coleus thrives in partially shaded gardens and if cared for properly, can strike up a beautiful, tiny coleus flower during the summer months.
- Bleeding Hearts – Dicentra or bleeding heart flowers are one of the best shade plants to grow in your garden. Not only are bleeding hearts low-maintenance, but they fill your garden with romantic colors like white, pink, and red.
- Sea Holly – The sea holly is one of the best plants for partial shade gardening since it is easy to grow and requires minimal upkeep. These marvelous plants have spiny-toothed leaves, gorgeous clustered blooms in hues of blue, green, violet, and white, and attract butterflies and birds to your shady garden.
- Lily of the Valley – Convallaria majalis or the lily of the valley is a stunning shade plant that has very long-lasting blooms. The lily of the valley is one of the best shade plants to grow in your partially shaded garden because it produces adorable flowers that have strong and sweet scents. These shade flowers also can grow to about 6 to 8 inches tall.
- Fern – You can add these gorgeous partially-shaded fern plants to your garden and choose from flowering and non-flowering varieties. These lacy plants love shady and moist environments and are often found in forests.
- Spurge – Spurge plants like the Ascot Rainbow Spurge are large and very diverse flowering plants that can do well in either full shade or partially shaded gardens from spring to fall seasons. These shade flowers can add a bit of oomph to any patio pot or garden as they are highly tolerant of drought and hot weather.
- Torenia – Torenias or wishbone flowers prefer partially sunny gardens where they can keep a long bloom period. These types of flowers are also known to attract lovely hummingbirds especially when planted inside baskets or window boxes.
Best Shade Plants for Full Shade
- Astilbe– Astilbe shade flowers are popular for fully shaded gardens and are best known for their vibrant and colorful flower plumes. These bold full shade flowers add interesting textures and colors to any garden including hot pink, pale pink, white, and red.
- Toad Lily – If you’re looking for lively full shade flowers to brighten and energize your garden, toad lilies are the perfect choice. These gorgeous flowers bloom from late summer into early fall and thrive in fully shaded environments.
- Siberian Bugloss – From Alexander’s Great Siberian Bugloss and Silver Heart to Sea Heart and Silver Wings, siberian bugloss are one of the most popular plants to add to a fully-shaded garden. This shade-loving plant is perfect for borders, naturalized areas, or alongside ponds and streams.
- Hosta – The hosta plant is best known as a foliage plant, but they’re perfect for full-shaded gardens and moist soil. These plants can also range in size from mini plants to large sizes of more than four feet tall.
- Foxglove – Foxglove shade plants attract wonderful butterflies and are low-maintenance flowers that love partially shaded or fully shaded environments. Their versatility and excellent cut flowers add vertical interest to any garden.
- Caladium – These stunning, heart-shaped full sun plants are perennial in warmer climates but can also do well indoors during the winter season as a houseplant. Shop Breck’s tropical caladium collection to add vibrant caladium plants for partial shade to your home or garden.
That wraps up our study on shade plant preferences in each state. Shop our full collection of shade perennials and other shade plants to fill the dark corners of your yard in need of extra love.
