11 Excellent Shade Ground Cover Plants for Gardens
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hosta
Sources
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Creeping Jenny: Creeping Jenny: Plant Care & Growing Guide (thespruce.com)
Japanese Painted Fern: How to Plant and Grow Japanese Painted Fern (bhg.com)
Bleeding Heart: Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis – Wisconsin Horticulture
Coral Bells: Heuchera - Wikipedia
Vinca: Vinca - Wikipedia
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