11 Excellent Shade Ground Cover Plants for Gardens

By Calin Oancea and Florin Gabriel

4/15/20247 min read

After our experts have grown a bunch of shade ground cover plants we found that they are absolutely essential for bringing life and beauty to the areas of your garden where the sun rarely reaches.

These plants thrive in shaded conditions and help reduce soil erosion, suppress weeds, and add texture and color.

This article will reveal 11 excellent ground covers for shade multiple of which we have grown in our garden so we have experience with the plants. We will also go through their benefits for your garden and uniquefeatures.

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a leafy shade plant growing close to the ground
a leafy shade plant growing close to the ground
a white-green shade round cover plant
a white-green shade round cover plant

Japanese Painted Fern

Japanese Painted Ferns thrive in moist, well-drained soil and partial shade and we saw that they offer a more outstanding option than the normal Fern. This plant adds a splash of color and texture to shaded areas, ideal for ground cover or alongside other shade-loving perennials. It reaches about 30-45 cm (12-18 in) and is known for its striking silver and burgundy variegated fronds.

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a shade bush called bleeding Heart with Pink flowers
a shade bush called bleeding Heart with Pink flowers

Bleeding Heart

Bleeding Heart, reaching 60-90 cm (2-3 ft), prefers moist, well-drained soil in partial to full shade. Its heart-shaped pink or white flowers make it one of the best outdoor shade garden plants for pots or planters, adding a touch of pink to darker gardens. This plant is a classic choice for cottage-style shade gardens.

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a small drought tolerant Ajuga bush with flowers
a small drought tolerant Ajuga bush with flowers

Ajuga

Ajuga, growing to about 15-20 cm (6-8 in), is a low-growing ground cover that we saw prefers well-drained soil and can tolerate partial shade similar to Ferns or Coral Bells. Its dense foliage and spikes of purple flowers make it a popular choice for dry, shaded areas, including in woodland gardens or in containers.

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pink Coral Bell flowers in a dry shaded space
pink Coral Bell flowers in a dry shaded space

Coral Bells

The pink flowering ground covers named Coral Bells are one of the best colorful plants for shade reaching 25-50 cm (10-20 in) and are known for their colorful foliage and delicate flowers. They thrive in well-drained soil and partial shade, making them ideal for drought-tolerant shade gardens. Coral Bells are also great for landscaping, offering a variety of leaf colors from red and pink to green.

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climbing English Ivy plants in almost full shade
climbing English Ivy plants in almost full shade

English Ivy

English Ivy, with its ability to climb up to 20-30 m (65-100 ft), is a classic choice for vertical gardens or as a low-maintenance shade ground cover. It prefers partial to full shade and well-drained soil. The climbing shade plant has a dark green leafy foliage, which provides year-round greenery making it ideal for vertical gardens or covering spaces and walls.

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multiple green Fern stems with a bunch of tiny leaves
multiple green Fern stems with a bunch of tiny leaves

Ferns

Ferns, ranging widely in size, prefer shady areas and consistently moist soil. After growing this plant we concluded that they're excellent for woodland gardens similar to Hostas and Ajugas and are good for air-purifying. Fern plants add a nice appearance to any shady spot in your green space but are also nice as hanging basket shade plants.

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a ground cover with purple blooms and green leaves
a ground cover with purple blooms and green leaves

Vinca

This ground cover plant is valued for its evergreen foliage and star-shaped, blue flowers that appear in spring. Vinca plant is an excellent choice for covering large shaded areas, offering a low-maintenance solution for underplanting trees or shrubs. Vinca, also known as Periwinkle, grows to about 10-20 cm (4-8 in) tall. It prefers well-drained soil and can tolerate full to partial shade.

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multiple Lamium ground cover plants white-green leaves
multiple Lamium ground cover plants white-green leaves

Lamium

Lamium, growing to about 20-25 cm (8-10 in), is a shade-tolerant plant that prefers well-drained soil. It's recognized for its silver-variegated foliage and clusters of pink or purple flowers. This ground cover is perfect for brightening up dark corners of the garden and is particularly effective in shaded containers.

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small leaved Sweet Jenny plants in partial shade
small leaved Sweet Jenny plants in partial shade

Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny has outstanding light green leaves that reach lengths of 5-10 cm (2-4 in). We saw that it prefers partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. This fast-growing ground cover plant adds a pop of color and contrasts beautifully with other shade-loving plants in hanging baskets or other planters. It is a good choice for planting under trees or shaded areas.

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green Pachysandra plants in a shady space
green Pachysandra plants in a shady space

Pachysandra

Pachysandra, reaching about 20-30 cm (8-12 in), is a shade-loving evergreen. It thrives in well-drained soil and is ideal for covering large shaded areas. Pachysandra is a leafy garden plant and ground cover that provides a dense carpet of green this helps to suppress weeds and protect the soil.

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a Hosta plant with big light green leaves
a Hosta plant with big light green leaves

Hostas are small evergreen shade garden plants with big green leaves that vary in size from 30 cm to 1 m (1-3 ft) and thrive in partial to full shade and moist, well-drained soil. Known for their lush foliage, they're perfect for ground cover and adding texture. Hostas are great for cooling the soil and providing habitats for small wildlife.

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Hosta

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
Green Box
Green Box

Article By:

Calin has been in the garden industry for 5 years and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He owns this website and is responsible for most of the content.

Reviewed By:

Florin, a more technical guy, is responsible for the design, reviewing the articles and making improvements, and optimizing for SEO so that everything we publish looks deam good.