Plants for Shady Yards

Need plants for your shady yard? There are all types of shade – afternoon, morning, noon, that caused by trees, caused by shrubs, caused by other buildings. What type and how much do you have? This is the key to making sure your plants survive. The other important key to survival is water.

The type of shade and what causes the shade is a huge survival clue. A plant under tree or shrub shade means that plant has competition: a tree drinks a lot. It is a big bully in the landscape with it’s deep roots and it’s large frame to satisfy. Give each plant the space it needs without having to resort to fights.

Do you have a building creating a shady yard for plants? Does the building get sun, but the plants are in the shade? That building draws in heat during the day and then releases it at night. This causes stress to a shady yard plants. While you may think the shade is protecting them, they might be cooking!

You buy a plant that is ‘very hardy’ in your planting zone and site situation, and assume it can live without mulch. Wrong! Even your shady yard plants need mulch to keep the ground temperatures and moisture levels more even.

And, as always, if your plants are newly installed, they need water, even in the shade.

I get asked all the time, ‘I have too much shade! There are no plants that survive without sun.’ Watch and learn your site situation, add irrigation and move plants around if they aren’t happy. It might take some time, but all great gardens do take planning and time. You can have a shady yard with marvelous plants you will enjoy for years.