39 Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

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Discover the world of Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight and add a touch of natural beauty to your shady space.

Want to beautify your exterior with plants but feel discouraged by the lack of direct sunlight? Look no further! There are plenty of Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in the shade. Whether you have a small balcony or a spacious backyard, these plants will add a touch of perpetual beauty to your living space.


Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

1. Astilbes

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Astilbe

USDA Zone: 4-8

Brighten up your shady garden with these fluffy, feathery flowers that thrive in partial to full shade.

2. Hellebores

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in pot
nature-and-garden

Botanical Name: Helleborus

USDA Zone: 6-9

Bring a touch of winter magic to your garden with these elegant, shade-loving perennials that bloom in late winter or early spring.

Here are the Best Types of Hellebores Varieties

3. Japanese Forest Grass

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in yard

Botanical Name: Hakonechloa macra

USDA Zone: 5-9

Add a splash of sunshine to your shaded garden with the Japanese Forest Grass. These graceful, golden grasses love partial to full shade.

4. Coral Bells

coral bell Plants That Grow Without Sunlight
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Botanical Name: Heuchera

USDA Zone: 4-10

Coral bells are shade-loving perennials that offer a rainbow of colors from deep burgundy to bright lime, the best options for your garden.

5. FoamflowersOutdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight 1

Botanical Name: Tiarella

USDA Zone: 3-9

Foamflowers are delicate, shade-loving plants that produce stunning clusters of airy, frothy blooms that add a whimsical touch to any garden.

6. Toad Lilies

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight planting

Botanical Name: Tricyrtis

USDA Zone: 4-9

Toad Lilies are shade-loving perennials that will catch your eye with their speckled petals and unique, lily-like blooms,

7. Lungwort

best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight
annettespnwgardenlife

Botanical Name: Pulmonaria

USDA Zone: 3-9

These charming, shade-loving perennials offer both pretty flowers and unique foliage that changes color depending on the light.

8. Jacob’s Ladder

Plants That Grow Without Sunlight
provenwinners

Botanical Name: Polemonium caeruleum

USDA Zone: 3-8

Add a pop of blue to your shade garden with these elegant woodland perennials that bloom in early summer.

9. Solomon’s Seal

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in rock pot
gardentutor

Botanical Name: Polygonatum

USDA Zone: 3-9

These graceful, shade-loving plants offer delicate, bell-shaped flowers and interesting, arching stems that add texture to any garden.

10. Baneberry

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in gardens
naws

Botanical Name: Actaea

USDA Zone: 4-8

With their striking, shiny berries and delicate white flowers, these shade-loving perennials offer both beauty and drama to your garden.

11. Wild Ginger

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight near plant

Botanical Name: Asarum

USDA Zone: 4-8

Add a touch of earthy, woodland charm to your shade garden with these low-growing Wild Gingers, a shade-loving perennial that produces pretty, heart-shaped leaves.

12. Barrenwort

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight on rock

Botanical Name: Epimedium

USDA Zone: 3-9

With their dainty, star-shaped flowers and interesting, heart-shaped leaves, these shade-loving perennials are a perfect choice for a woodland garden.

Look at the 35 Beautiful Fall Foliage Plants

13. Sweet Woodruff

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight near bench

Botanical Name: Galium odoratum

USDA Zone: 4-10

Add a sweet scent to your shade garden with these delicate, ground-hugging perennials that thrive in partial to full shade.

14. Goat’s Beard

Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Aruncus dioicus

USDA Zone: 3-7

With its towering, fluffy plumes of flowers, the Goat’s Beard is a shade-loving plant that makes a bold statement in any garden.

15. Hosta

Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in pot

Botanical Name: Hosta

USDA Zone: 3-10

Hosta plants, also called plantain lilies, are another popular choice for shade-loving gardeners. These perennials come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, making them a fun and versatile addition to any garden.

16. Brunnera

top Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight Botanical Name: Brunnera macrophylla

USDA Zone: 3-9

They offer stunning, forget-me-not-like flowers and heart-shaped leaves that add a touch of elegance to any garden.

17. Dead Nettle

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight 2
nova

Botanical Name: Lamium

USDA Zone: 4-10

Dead Nettle is versatile, shade-loving plants that offer pretty flowers and interesting foliage and are even deer-resistant.

18. Bugleweed

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in backyard

Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans

USDA Zone: 3-10

These tough, shade-loving groundcovers offer pretty flowers and dense foliage that can withstand foot traffic.

19. Creeping Jenny

beautiful Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Lysimachia nummularia

USDA Zone: 4-10

These low-growing, shade-loving plants have bright, chartreuse leaves and tiny yellow flowers that cascade over walls and containers.

20. Pachysandra

cute little Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Pachysandra terminalis

USDA Zone: 4-8

Pachysandras are tough, shade-loving groundcovers that offer glossy green leaves and pretty, white flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden.

21. Wild Geranium

Outdoor Plants That Grow in shade
hgtv

Botanical Name: Geranium maculatum

USDA Zone: 3-8

With its delicate, five-petaled flowers and interesting foliage, the Wild Geranium is the perfect choice for a woodland garden.

Check out these Fanciest Types of Geraniums

22. Tractor Seat Plant

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight near house

Botanical Zone: Farfugium japonicum

USDA Zone: 2-11

Tractor Seat, also known as the Leopard Plant, is a shade-loving perennial that can add a fun and playful touch to any outdoor garden. It is native to Japan and Korea and is widely grown for its large, glossy leaves and bright yellow flowers that bloom in the fall.

23. Meadow Rue

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight near wooden fence
gapphotos

Botanical Name: Thalictrum

USDA Zone: 3-8

The Meadow Rue displays delicate, feathery flowers and interesting foliage. It is also the perfect choice for a cottage garden.

24. Virginia Bluebells

Plants Grown Outside Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Mertensia virginica

USDA Zone: 3-8

These shade-loving plants offer stunning, bell-shaped flowers that bloom in shades of blue and pink, adding a touch of beauty to any garden.

25. Columbine

Plants Grown Outside Without Sunlight in garden

Botanical Name: Aquilegia

USDA Zone: 3-8

Columbines have delicate, spurred flowers and interesting foliage that add a touch of whimsy to any garden.

26. Bloodroot

Plants Grown Outside Without Sunlight near tree

Botanical Name: Sanguinaria canadensis

USDA Zone: 3-8

Bloodroot bears stunning white flowers with a golden orange center and peculiar, lobed leaves. It can grow up to 12-24 inches tall.

27. Woodland Phlox

Plants Grown Outside Without Sunlight in wooden table

Botanical Name: Phlox divaricata

USDA Zone: 3-8

These low-growing perennials offer clusters of fragrant, pastel-colored flowers that add a touch of beauty to any garden.

28. Wild Bleeding Heart

best Plants Grown Outside Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Dicentra eximia

USDA Zone: 3-9

With their delicate, heart-shaped flowers and interesting foliage, Wild Bleeding Hearts is a perfect choice for a romantic garden.

29. Shooting Stars

Sunlight-Independent Outdoor Plants

Botanical Name: Dodecatheon

USDA Zone: 4-8

Shooting Stars bear stunning, star-shaped flowers that bloom in shades of pink and white, adding a touch of drama to any garden.

30. False Solomon’s Seal

Sunlight-Independent Outdoor Plants in yard
gardensonline

Botanical Name: Maianthemum

USDA Zone: 3-9

The False Solomon’s Seal has interesting, arching stems and clusters of beautiful white flowers that add a touch of elegance to any garden.

31. Trillium

Sunlight-Independent Outdoor Plants in shady place

Botanical Name: Trillium

USDA Zone: 4-9

Trilliums come with striking, three-petaled flowers and interesting foliage that add a touch of woodland charm to your garden.

32. Iris Cristata

beautiful plant that Sunlight-Independent Outdoor Plants

Botanical Name: Iris cristata

USDA Zone: 4-9

The Iris Cristata are low-growing, shade-loving plants with mesmerizing blue-violet flowers and interesting, sword-like leaves, perfect for a rock garden.

33. Fuchsia

Plants in the Outdoors That Can Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Fuchsia

USDA Zone: 6-11

With their bright, pendulous flowers and interesting foliage, Fuchsias are a perfect choice for a hanging basket or container garden.

34. Wax Begonia

colourful Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight
shutterstock/ranmaru

Botanical Name: Begonia semperflorens

USDA Zone: 9-11

This herbaceous perennial offers waxy, succulent leaves on fleshy stems and pretty pink, red, or white flowers.

35. Pansy

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight in rock garden
canstockphoto

Botanical Name: Viola

USDA Zone: 2-10

Violas are beautiful blooms with delicate, five-petaled flowers in shades of purple, yellow, and white, adding a touch of beauty to any garden.

36. Torenia

best Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Torenia

USDA Zone: 3-11

These shade-loving annuals offer trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of blue, pink, and purple, adding a touch of elegance to any garden.

37. Leopard’s Bane

yellow flower Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Doronicum

USDA Zone: 4-8

The Leopard’s Bane is the perfect choice for a cottage or wildflower garden. It displays bright, daisy-like flowers and interesting foliage.

38. Impatiens

Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight shade place 1
beaconimpatiens

Botanical Name: Impatiens

USDA Zone: 10-11

These shade-loving annuals offer a profusion of pretty, five-petaled flowers in shades of pink, red, purple, and white, adding a touch of beauty to any garden.

Check out our article on the best Impatiens types here

39. Caladiums

top best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

Botanical Name: Caladium

USDA Zone: 3-10

This tropical plant produces large, heart, lance, or arrow-shaped leaves in shades of pink, red, chartreuse, and green.

Check out the Most Beautiful Types of Caladiums 

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