Five Favorite Perennials for Dry Shade Gardens

August 26, 2015 | By webadmin

Shady areas that are also dry can sometimes be a little tricky to deal with. If you feel limited by the shaded and dry areas of your landscape, we are here to assure you that shade doesn’t have to be drab. Shade gardens can be just as vibrant as sunny gardens. Plus, shade gardens offer a wonderful opportunity for saving water in the landscape. There are plant varieties we love that are full of colorful blooms and foliage texture, but don’t need a lot of sun or moisture.

Here are a few of our favorites for your shade  garden.

Turk’s Cap, Malvaviscus arboreus, is one of those versatile perennials that can settle in just about anywhere. Planted in either full sun or shade, you’ll still be rewarded with blooms spring through fall. Varieties are available with red, pink or white flowers. Plants can grow anywhere from 5-tall to 15-feet tall, depending on their location. Plants tend to grow taller in shadier spots. Hummingbirds love the flowers.

Bear's Breech, Acanthus mollis, is a showy shade perennial known for its dense clumps of large shiny leaves and tall spikes of blooms in shades of lavender or white. In addition to tolerating our tough summers, it also tolerates our heavy clay soils. Grows to 3’ tall and wide - 5’ tall when in bloom.

Columbine ‘Texas Gold’, Aquilegia chrysantha, is one of the first blooms you’ll see in spring. Its soft foliage and bright yellow blooms are a welcome sight after a hard winter. Columbines are excellent re-seeders and grow quickly. Plant in groups of three for a natural, woodland effect. Grows to 24” tall. Another hummingbird magnet!

Lenten Rose, Hellebore, Helleborus sp. love shade and once established, tolerate our Texas summers very well. Fall through early spring, you’ll enjoy unique blooms in a wide array of colors. While traditional varieties have downturned blooms, the new breeds sit more upright. Hellebore are evergreen perennials with wonderful deep-green foliage. Grows 12” -16” tall.

Leopard Plant, Farfugium sp., is a fantastic perennial best loved for it’s bright green foliage featuring cheery yellow spots, hence the name Leopard Plant. In spring, spikes of yellow blooms grow to 3-ft tall.

Do you have a shady garden that needs a face-lift? Fall is a great time to plant, which means now is the time to plan.