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What can I grow in a dry shady spot?

The choice of plants to grow in dry shade is bigger than you might think, with many perennials happy to fill those shady spaces

The very words ‘dry shade’ can seem intimidating, especially to new gardeners. Fear not, as there are many plants that will grow well in parts of the garden that are lacking in both soil moisture and sunlight.

Tricks to help you get the best results in a dry, shady spot:

  • Dig lots of garden compost or well-rotted farmyard manure into the soil before planting
  • Water the plants really well before and after you plant them
  • Mulch the soil surface with bark chippings to help keep the moisture in
  • Use some variegated, or golden-leafed plants to brighten things up

And of course, choose plants that will grow well in the conditions. Here’s a selection of failsafe plants that will  thrive in dry shade.

Fern friends

Polystichum ferns
Many ferns do well in dry shade. Their intricate leaves (fronds) are beautiful in their own right, and combine well with other plants, especially those with big shiny leaves, or narrow, grassy ones. Look out for shield ferns (Polystichum) and Dryopteris ferns as they are among the best for dry gardens. Water them well while they get established, after which they can be left to get on with it.

Liriope: late-season flowers

Liriope muscari
An unusual plant with a trick up its sleeve, the blue lily-turf (Liriope muscari) spends most of the year looking like a smart little evergreen grass. Then, as summer fades into autumn, it sends up many spikes of lovely mauve-blue flowers which look wonderful against the reds and yellows of fallen leaves. 30cm (1ft).

Alchemilla mollis: frothy filler

Alchemilla mollis makes a really useful edging plant for paths in part shade or sun
Lady’s mantle conjours up interesting images but is a great performer in so many different locations. It copes with sun and part-shade, the lime-green of its flowers shining best in shady situations, and can be used in herbal remedies. It will happily seed itelf around, making it a good filler, but if you want control in your garden make sure you cut it back before it seeds. You may also then get a second flowering later in the summer. It can be easily split to make more plants and does appreciate some moisture for parts of the year but is an easy-going plant.

Elephant’s ears: glossy evergreen

Bergenia will happily grow in shade, but may not flower in deep shade
Bergenia are easy-to-grow, evergreen perennials that will thrive in moist shade but are perfectly happy in dry shade too, creating prominant groups of upright leathery leaves. In winter many of them have glowing red tints, while the flowers are an early bounty for pollinating insects, and can often flower on and off through the year. In deep shade they may not flower but with varieties in a range of green to red shades, they make great groundcover or edging, are tough plants and easy to split and share.

Epimedium: fairytale flowers

Epimedium, or barrenwort, thrives in dry shade, providing interest with fairy-hat flowers
The common name of barrenwort gives you a hint as to what these tough yet dainty plants will cope with, and dry shade is no problem for them. Their pretty heart-shaped leaves are slightly waxy and create a carpet effect, from which elegant, wiry stems topped with cute pixie hats in shades of yellow to red emerge in early spring. The trick is to cut back the old foliage in late winter, to allow fresh new growth and the flowers an easy passage upwards.

Tiarella and Tellima: happy go lucky

Tiarella, such a pretty name, provides a froth of flowers in early summer shade
Tellima has a lovely lime tone to its leaves and flowers, bringing light to dappled shade
Both of these woodland perennials, Tiarella and Tellima, are easy to grow in a wide range of situations but prefer shade and will tolerate dry shade well, sending up pretty spires of frothy flowers. They are easy to divide and create more plants, and generally unfussy. They can either be planted in groups for a carpet effect, or with ferns and other shade-lovers as a matrix of planting.


More plants to try:

Japanese anemone
Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
Geranium macrorrhizum
Wood anemone
Anemanthele lessoniana
 
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