Plants for East-Facing Gardens

Q: What grows well in an east-facing garden?

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Plants that like good light without fierce afternoon heat: many flowering perennials, ferns and foliage plants do well. The bright morning sun and cooler afternoon suit a wide, forgiving range."}]}]}

Q: Is morning or afternoon sun better for plants?

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"It depends on the plant, but morning sun is gentler. It dries dew and warms plants without the scorching intensity of afternoon sun, so an east aspect suits plants that want light but not heat."}]}]}

Q: What should I avoid in an east-facing garden?

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Be careful with very early spring flowers on a cold east wall. Fast morning thawing after a frost can damage frozen buds, so save the most tender early-bloomers for a gentler spot."}]}]}

Q: Does an east-facing garden get enough sun?

{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Yes, for most plants. A good few hours of direct morning light is plenty for many flowering perennials and foliage plants, and the cooler afternoon means less watering than a hot south or west aspect."}]}]}

Plants for an east-facing garden enjoy bright morning sun and a cooler, shadier afternoon. It is a gentle aspect that suits a surprisingly wide range of plants.

142 products

Sort

Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

Sale

Purple False Shamrock (Mijke)

Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke'

£10.99 £12.99

1

Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis Vulcan Pink

£9.99

1

Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis Sunset Yellow

£9.99

1

Cyathea cooperi

£15.99

1

Persian Shield

Strobilanthes auriculata var. dyeriana

£13.99 £29.99

Notify Me When Available

Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern

£12.99

1

Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis Vulcan Gold

£11.99

Notify Me When Available

Palm-leaf Begonia

Begonia luxurians

£45.99

Notify Me When Available

Sale

Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web'

£13.99 £14.49

1

Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

Cyathea tomentosissima

£16.99

1

Firefern 'Nordlys' (Molten Lava Sorrel)

Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys'

£8.99

1

Siberian Bugloss 'Silver Heart'

Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart'

£14.99

1

Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola'

£4.99

1

Coleus

Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road'

£9.99

1

Polystichum lepidocaulon

£15.99 £25.99

Notify Me When Available

Creeping Wire Vine (Variegated)

Muehlenbeckia Axillaris variegated

£6.99

Notify Me When Available

Wagner's Windmill Palm (Miniature Chusan Palm)

Trachycarpus wagnerianus

£39.99

1

Begonia 'Darkside of the Moon'

£21.99

Notify Me When Available

Cider Gum 'Azura'

Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura'

£27.99

1

Pineapple Lily

Eucomis comosa | Pineapple Lily

£14.99

Notify Me When Available

Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

Muehlenbeckia complexa

£6.99

1

Purple False Shamrock (Love Plant)

Oxalis triangularis

£9.99

Notify Me When Available

Rooper's Red Hot Poker

Kniphofia rooperi

£14.99

1

Dwarf Kowhai, Little Baby

Sophora Little Baby

£9.99

1

Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

£17.99

1

Coleus 'Main Street Bourbon Street' (Painted Nettle)

Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Bourbon Street'

£9.99

1

Coleus 'Main Street Spacecake' (Painted Nettle)

Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Spacecake'

£8.99

1

Mountain blechnum

Blechnum tabulare

£37.99

1

Dryopteris koidzumiana

£10.99

1

Toad Lily

Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge'

£8.99

1

Dwarf Pampas Grass

Cortaderia selloana Pumila

£12.99

1

Chinese Fringe Flower, Fire Dance

Loropetalum Fire Dance

£6.99

1

Chinese Fringe Flower, Black Pearl

Loropetalum Black Pearl

£33.99

1

Black Lace Elder 'Eva' PBR

Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'

£16.99

1

Yellow Montbretia 'George Davidson'

Crocosmia 'George Davidson'

£19.99

Notify Me When Available

Black Japanese Maple 'Black Lace'

Acer palmatum 'Black Lace'

£42.99

1

Dutchman's Pipe

Aristolochia macrophylla

£28.99

1

Japanese Spurge

Pachysandra terminalis

£5.59

1

Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

Matteuccia struthiopteris

£8.99

1

1 2 3 4 Next

Planting an east-facing garden

An east-facing garden catches the sun in the morning and falls into shade by the afternoon. The light is bright but never as fierce as a south or west aspect, and the ground stays cooler and a little more moist. That middle ground suits a lot of plants that want good light without the heat of full afternoon sun.

The one thing to watch is the fast morning warm-up in winter and early spring. On a frosty night, early sun thaws frozen buds too quickly, which can damage some early flowers, so it pays to avoid the most tender early-bloomers on a cold east wall. Beyond that, an east aspect is easy and forgiving, good for a mix of flowering perennials and foliage plants that appreciate a break from the afternoon sun.

All grown for UK gardens and sent out well rooted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What grows well in an east-facing garden?

Plants that like good light without fierce afternoon heat: many flowering perennials, ferns and foliage plants do well. The bright morning sun and cooler afternoon suit a wide, forgiving range.

Is morning or afternoon sun better for plants?

It depends on the plant, but morning sun is gentler. It dries dew and warms plants without the scorching intensity of afternoon sun, so an east aspect suits plants that want light but not heat.

What should I avoid in an east-facing garden?

Be careful with very early spring flowers on a cold east wall. Fast morning thawing after a frost can damage frozen buds, so save the most tender early-bloomers for a gentler spot.

Does an east-facing garden get enough sun?

Yes, for most plants. A good few hours of direct morning light is plenty for many flowering perennials and foliage plants, and the cooler afternoon means less watering than a hot south or west aspect.