Plants for Shade & Woodland


Plants that thrive out of direct sun, for shady borders, north-facing beds and woodland corners.

7 products

    7 products
    Cyathea cooperi Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Cyathea cooperi

    £15.99
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    Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern

    £12.99
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    Cyathea tomentosissima Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
    Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

    Cyathea tomentosissima

    £16.99
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    Polystichum lepidocaulon Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Polystichum lepidocaulon

    £15.99 £25.99
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    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola'

    £4.99
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    Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web' 12cm Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web'

    £15.99
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    Arachniodes simplicior Variegata Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    East Indian Holly Fern

    Arachniodes simplicior Variegata

    £68.99
    1

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Ferns, tree ferns and many bold foliage plants thrive in shade, along with shade-tolerant grasses and ground cover. The plants in this collection are all chosen to do well out of direct sun, from damp shade to drier, deeper shade.

    Shade-loving plants in pots are ideal. Ferns, foliage plants and tree ferns bring lush greenery to a north-facing balcony, patio or courtyard, exactly the spots where sun-lovers struggle. Use a moisture-retentive compost and keep pots watered in summer.

    The toughest ferns, such as Dryopteris and Polystichum, cope best with deep or dry shade once established. Improving the soil with organic matter and watering well in the first year helps them settle in where little else will grow.

    While establishing, yes, keep the soil consistently moist. After that, most shade plants in the ground are fairly self-sufficient except in dry spells, while plants in pots dry out faster and need regular summer watering.

    Many are. Evergreen ferns and foliage plants keep a shady spot furnished all year, which is especially useful in a courtyard or balcony you see every day. A mix of evergreen and deciduous gives winter cover and fresh spring growth.

    Plants that thrive in shade

    A shady corner is not a problem, it is an opportunity. The right plants turn the dim, north-facing spots where little seems to grow into the lushest, greenest part of a garden. This collection brings together hardy, shade-loving exotics, from ferns and tree ferns to bold-leaved foliage, all happy out of direct sun.

    Shade plants for patios, balconies and courtyards

    Shade is the rule, not the exception, in many city gardens, on a north-facing balcony or in a basement courtyard. Happily, shade plants are some of the best for these spots. Grown in pots they bring cool, leafy greenery to a space the sun never reaches, and many ferns and foliage plants positively prefer the shelter.

    Filling a shady border

    In a larger garden, layer shade plants for a woodland feel: tree ferns and tall foliage for height, shield ferns and broad leaves for the middle, and ground-covering plants to carpet the soil. Mixing leaf shapes and textures is what makes shade planting feel rich rather than flat.

    Caring for shade plants

    Most shade plants enjoy a soil improved with organic matter that holds moisture without waterlogging. Water well while they establish, mulch in spring, and they largely look after themselves. Deep, dry shade is the trickiest, so improve the soil and choose tougher ferns for those spots.