Conifer Trees and Shrubs You have to make sure you choose the right shrubs for the conditions. Enjoy our photos. Ground covers. Since the canopies of larger trees and shrubs block as much as 95% of the sunlight that reaches the forest floor, understory plants have evolved to utilize the very little light they do receive to photosynthesize and reproduce. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! See the list below for some of our suggestions on plants to grow in shade. Enjoy our photos. This is one of the most popular shade plants for zone 8 as well as colder zones, and let’s face it – nothing quite beats a stand of hostas in the garden. To add interest, use a variety of different sizes of evergreen shrubs in your shade … This is a full list of shade plants that will survive a Zone 7 hardiness gardening zone. It is a shade tolerant evergreen with leaves that start out red, then change to pink and cream before … Deep shade can even kill your plants unless they are species that naturally grow in shade. Beginners researching shade garden plants for U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 4 to 8 need reassurance that they are not doomed to settle for dark, dreary, dismal, and dull. A much wider range of plants including other cultivars of those listed, can be found at RHS Find a Plant.. For other plants, see our advice page on shade-loving annuals, bulbs and perennials (includes grasses and ferns), climbers and wall shrubs for shade and planting under trees. But the hot afternoon sun will yellow the foliage and weaken the plants. While growing plants in the shade can be tricky, zone 8 is a temperate climate that gives you a lot of options. Yew. Some plants only require a little shade while others need more. Dogwood. Additional Shade plants based on the gardening zone. This list of shady-but-colorful characters should dispel any notion you may harbor that your landscaping is in any way cursed simply because a significant portion of it is not drenched in sunshine all day long. Sign up for our newsletter. Each plant contains two links providing growing information, watering needs, flower color, and when it blooms. Growing Zone: 5 – 8. Stretching from parts of the Pacific Northwest, down to Texas and through the middle of the southeast up to North Carolina, this zone covers a large area of the U.S. Make sure you know the specific needs of each plant you choose and give them the appropriate soil and watering level to help them thrive, even in the shade. The weather and environment in this zone promote fast and tall growth, eventually providing an abundance of shade and … Ostrich Fern Info: Learn More About How To Grow Ostrich Ferns, Growing Creeping Jenny: Growing Information And Care Of Creeping Jenny Ground Cover, Prickly Kale Leaves – Does Kale Have Thorns, Corn Husk Wreath Ideas: How To Make A Corn Husk Wreath, DIY Air Plant Wreaths: Wreath Making With Air Plants, Transplanting A Lemon Tree – Best Time To Transplant Lemon Trees, Zone 8 Japanese Maples: Hot Weather Japanese Maple Varieties, Beet Cercospora Spot – How To Treat Cercospora Spot On Beets, What Are Staghorn Fern Pups: Should I Remove Staghorn Pups, Thanksgiving Tradition: Turning Homegrown Pumpkins Into Pie, Growing Thanksgiving Dinner – Must Have Turkey Side Dishes, Interesting Uses For Pecans: What To Do With Pecans, The Bountiful Garden: Bringing The Garden To Thanksgiving. Suitable plants. There are many good plants that need the protection of shade to look their best. They thrive in the forest with only dappled sunlight filtered through the trees. Many perennials prefer full sun conditions, growing weak and leggy in the shade. Zone: 5 – 8 Bloom Time: Early spring Height: 3′ to 10′ (depending on the variety) Pieris Japonica is the first bush on our list of shade loving shrubs. Hostas. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Shade Gardening for Zone 7 Plants – Partial Shade & Full Shade. Some of the varieties that can grow in zone 8 include royal fern, ostrich fern, and cinnamon fern. Maybe you splurged last year and planted some of the fastest growing shade trees around. Gorgeous Shrubs that Tolerate Shade. A pretty perennial flower, foxglove grows up to four feet tall (1 m.) and produces bell-shaped blooms in pink and white.