Shade can sometimes feel like the enemy of the gardener. Most flowering plants and shrubs like lots of sun, and while some will still flower without lots of it, they usually have brighter and bigger flowers with more of it! But shade has some major benefits. DC-based Casey Trees has been studying temperature differences between sunny and shady spots and note that shade provided by trees save District residents and businesses $3.5 million annually in energy costs.
The enormous magnolia, silver maple, and black cherry trees in my yard provide great housing for birds, squirrels, and the occasional delightful raccoon family. And while they provide lots of beneficial shade, they also forced me into developing an affection for shade-loving plants. Below are my top three must-have plants for shady spots. I hope you’ll give them a chance and that you grow to appreciate their unique characteristics as much as I have.
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides). I’ve never been a “fern person” until I grudgingly brought two of these home to tuck under a tree in our front yard about five years ago. I now count them as one of my favorite plants. These ferns are tough, and mine remain evergreen throughout the winter providing a very nice groundcover yearround. Other equally successful shade-loving ferns are the hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) and the big beautiful cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), which also provides habitat for wildlife.
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). This plant made it into my top three just two years ago. Remarkably colorful bluish-purple flowers start popping up as early as March and the entire plant will be long gone (from above ground) by June. This shade-lover spreads rapidly and is terrific for early-spring color that also allows for other plants to use the same space as spring moves on and summer approaches. Flowers can range from pink to white based on soil acidity.
Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea). This is my favorite of these three must-haves. I tested golden ragwort out along my fenceline three years ago to not only see how it would work with the sun and (terrible) soil quality, but also the incessant delivery of dog pee (curb your dog, people, please!). The golden ragwort quickly proved its mettle and won out over some grasses and even plants that I was assured by a garden center could “handle anything.” Golden ragwort spreads nicely without overtaking and can be used very successfully as a “green mulch” to crowd out weeds and invasive plant species.
These shade-lovers are just the tip of the less-than-sunny iceberg of great plants! My favorite tool for finding plants for shady spots (whether you purchase there or not) is www. izelplants.com. I hope you’ll give the shady ones a chance to thrive in any shady spots you have.
And, thank you to Gazette reader Mary for reminding me of another great local source for plants—Nature by Design in Alexandria. This gem is tucked into a residential area and feels like you’ve stepped into the magical garden of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Visit their website for more information: http://www.nature-by-design.com.
(this article originally appeared in the Glover Park Gazette, April 2018)
StephShain 