Groundcovers for Shady Areas

Shade gardens can be challenging places to cultivate plants. Many flowering perennials and ornamental grasses need several hours of direct sunlight per day to thrive. However, with the right selection of shade-tolerant groundcovers, you can create an inviting garden oasis even in densely shaded spots. This article provides tips for choosing the best groundcovers to brighten up those challenging shady areas.

What Are Groundcovers?

Before diving into specific plant recommendations, let’s review what exactly groundcover plants are and how they differ from other landscape vegetation.

Groundcovers are low-growing plants that spread out to form a dense mat, covering the ground. They are useful for:

Controlling soil erosion on slopes, hills, or bare patches
Suppressing weeds
Replacing turfgrass in difficult-to-mow areas
Adding year-round greenery to gardens and yards

Unlike turfgrass, most groundcovers only grow a few inches tall. They spread via roots, stolons, rhizomes, or creeping stems rather than forming upright growth. Popular examples include ivy, vinca, sedum, lilyturf, and pachysandra.

Key Benefits of Groundcovers

Groundcover plants offer a range of advantages:

Low maintenance: Require minimal trimming or mowing once established.
Curb appeal: Provide year-round greenery and visual interest.
Erosion control: Hold soil in place on slopes, preventing washouts.
Weed suppression: Spread to form a dense mat that blocks light from reaching weed seeds.
Versatility: Useful for beds, borders, around trees/foundations, and as lawn substitutes.
Wildlife habitat: Can provide food and shelter for pollinators and other beneficial fauna.

Choosing the right groundcovers allows you to tackle problem areas like shady zones, steep slopes, or neglected spaces in your landscape.

Best Groundcovers for Shade

While no plants thrive in extremely dense shade, certain hardy, versatile groundcovers will flourish in partly shaded areas with just a few hours of filtered sunlight per day. Here are some top options:

Periwinkle (Vinca minor)

This popular shade-loving groundcover offers year-round evergreen foliage and pretty blue or white flowers that appear in spring. There are many cultivated varieties available.

![Periwinkle groundcover with blue flowers]

Key features:

Tolerates full shade
Grows 4-6 inches tall
Spreads 12-18 inches wide
Does well under trees and shrubs
Deer resistant and drought tolerant once established

Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)

Sometimes called spotted nettle, this perennial groundcover blooms in a variety of pinks, whites, and purples from spring to early summer. The attractive silver-marked leaves remain green through winter.

![Deadnettle with purple flowers]

Key features:

Handles partial to full shade
Grows 6-12 inches tall
Spreads up to 3 feet wide
Does well around trees and foundations
Deer and rabbit resistant

Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)

A classic shade plant with whorls of lance-shaped leaves and tiny white springtime flowers, sweet woodruff makes a refined groundcover for shady borders and rock gardens.

![Sweet woodruff in bloom with white flowers]

Key features:

Tolerates dense shade
Grows 6-12 inches tall
Spreads 1-2 feet wide via rhizomes
Fragrant leaves and flowers
Combines well with ferns and hostas

Lilyturf (Liriope spicata)

An attractive grass-like ornamental with arching tufts of strappy foliage. It bears spikes of lilac flowers in late summer followed by dark berry-like fruit.

![Lilyturf foliage and flowers]

Key features:

Handles full shade to partial sun
Grows 6-12 inches tall
Clumping growth 12-18 inches wide
Tolerates drought, heat, pests, and poor soils
Evergreen in warmer zones

Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra terminalis)

A shade garden classic, Japanese spurge has glossy evergreen foliage and inconspicuous white blooms in spring. It spreads via underground rhizomes to form a lush carpet.

![Japanese spurge as lush green groundcover]

Key features:

Thrives in deep shade
Grows 8-12 inches tall
Spreads steadily to 2 feet wide or more
Tolerates clay soil, drought, pests, and neglect
Deer resistant

Hosta Varieties

Hostas are treasured for their bold leaf colors and patterns. While most thrive in part shade, some varieties tolerate dense shade. Look for these shade-loving types:

Hosta plantaginea – Large glossy leaves with fragrant white blooms
Hosta sieboldiana – Blue-green leaves, good slug resistance
Hosta ‘Fortunei Aureomarginata’ – Green leaves edged in gold
Hosta ‘Stained Glass’ – Yellow leaves with green margins

Design Tips for Shady Groundcovers

When planning and planting groundcovers in shaded areas, follow these tips:

Choose Appropriate Sites

Focus on planting beds near structures, under tree canopies, along north-facing foundations, and in other partially shaded zones. Most shade plants need 2-4 hours of dappled sunlight.

Improve Soil Quality

Many sites with dense shade tend to have dry, nutrient-poor soil. Before planting, mix in 2-3 inches of compost or leaf mold to improve moisture retention and nutrition.

Space Plants Properly

Refer to the expected spread size for each variety and space plants accordingly to allow for future growth. Planting too densely causes overcrowding.

Use Layers for Visual Depth

Combine lower groundcovers with mid-level ferns or shrubs and taller shade perennials like hostas. This creates a layered look with year-round interest.

Edge with Contrasting Color

Outline groundcover beds with mulch, gravel, or evergreen shrubs. This helps define the space and makes the greenery pop.

Remove Dead Foliage and Flowers

Promptly cut back any spent flowers, yellowing leaves, or collapsed stems to maintain a tidy appearance year round.

Be Patient

Groundcovers spread naturally over time. Allow 1-3 growing seasons for full establishment before judging coverage. Temporary bare patches fill in.

Properly selected and cared for, shade-loving groundcovers can bring life to the most challenging dimly lit areas of your landscape. Try combining several complementary varieties for beautiful, low-maintenance groundcover gardens.

More Groundcover Options for Shade

While this article has highlighted some of the best shade-tolerant groundcovers, many other varieties also perform well in partial shade locations. Here are a few more options to consider:

Bugleweed (Ajuga) – Carpets of pretty blue flower spikes in spring above dark green foliage. Grows 4-8 inches tall.
Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) – Heart-shaped leaves with reddish-brown blooms. Grows 6-8 inches tall. Spreads slowly.
Foamflowers (Tiarella) – Delicate white flowers on mounds of thick green foliage. Grows 8-12 inches tall.
Epimedium – Wide range of species and cultivars with sprays of open flowers in spring and heart-shaped leaves. Grows 8-15 inches tall.
Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) – Evergreen vining groundcover with small leaves. Grows up to 2 feet tall. Can be invasive, so keep contained.
Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) – Trailing stems with green leaves edged in white. Tiny flowers. Grows 6 inches tall.