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 shade. Whether you have a small balcony or a spacious backyard, these plants will add a touch of perpetual beauty to your living space.
Here are the Best Outdoor Indirect Sunlight Plants for Containers & Shade Gardens
Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight
1. Astilbes
Botanical Name: Astilbe
USDA Zone: 4-8
Brighten up your shady garden with these fluffy, feathery flowers that thrive in partial to full shade. Astilbes are one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight.
2. Hellebores
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
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.
Have a look at the most beautiful red ornamental grasses here
4. Coral Bells
Botanical Name: Heuchera
USDA Zone: 4-10
From deep burgundy to bright lime, Coral bells are shade-loving perennials that offer a rainbow of color options for your garden.
Check out the Best Bell Shaped Flowers here
5. Foamflowers
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. These are one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight.
6. Toad Lilies
Botanical Name: Tricyrtis
USDA Zone: 4-9
With their speckled petals and unique, lily-like blooms, Toad Lilies are shade-loving perennials that are sure to catch your eye.
Here are the Best Types of Lilies
7. Lungwort
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.
Check out Lungwort and similar Best Deer Resistant Plants You Can Grow here
8. Jacob’s Ladder
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. Jacon’s Ladder is one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight.
9. Solomon’s Seal
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
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.
Take a look at these Wonderful Flowers That Look Like Eyes
11. Wild Ginger
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. These are one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight.
12. Barrenwort
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.
Did you know Barrenwort is one of the most Beautiful Fall Foliage Plants? Check out more here
13. Sweet Woodruff
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. Sweet Woodruff is regarded by many as one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight.
14. Goat’s Beard
Botanical Name: Aruncus dioicus
USDA Zone: 3-7
With its towering, fluffy plumes of flowers, Goat’s Beard is a shade-loving plant that makes a bold statement in any garden.
15. Hosta
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.
Check out the Best Spring Flowers here
16. Brunnera
Botanical Name: Brunnera macrophylla
USDA Zone: 3-9
Brunnera is one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight. They offer stunning, forget-me-not-like flowers and heart-shaped leaves that add a touch of elegance to any garden.
17. Dead Nettle
Botanical Name: Lamium
USDA Zone: 4-10
Dead Nettle is one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight. These versatile, shade-loving plants offer pretty flowers and interesting foliage and are even deer-resistant.
Take a look at the Best Types of Dead Nettle here
18. Bugleweed
Botanical Name: Ajuga reptans
USDA Zone: 3-10
These tough, shade-loving groundcovers offer pretty flowers and dense foliage that can withstand foot traffic.
Here are Native Weeds with Thistles
19. Creeping Jenny
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.
Here are Types of Ginger Plants
20. Pachysandra
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
Botanical Name: Geranium maculatum
USDA Zone: 3-8
With its delicate, five-petaled flowers and interesting foliage, the Wild Geranium is one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight and the perfect choice for a woodland garden.
Check out these Fanciest Types of Geraniums
22. Tractor Seat Plant
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.
Here are Ornamental Plants for Shade
23. Meadow Rue
Botanical Name: Thalictrum
USDA Zone: 3-8
With their delicate, feathery flowers and interesting foliage, the Meadow Rue is one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight. It is also the perfect choice for a cottage garden.
24. Virginia Bluebells
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
Botanical Name: Aquilegia
USDA Zone: 3-8
Columbines have delicate, spurred flowers and interesting foliage that add a touch of whimsy to any garden.
Here are the Most Beautiful Flowers with 5 Petals
26. Bloodroot
Botanical Name: Sanguinaria canadensis
USDA Zone: 3-8
Bloodroot is one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight and bear stunning white flowers and peculiar, lobed leaves.
27. Woodland Phlox
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
Botanical Name: Dicentra eximia
USDA Zone: 3-9
With their delicate, heart-shaped flowers and interesting foliage, Wild Bleeding Hearts are a perfect choice for a romantic garden.
Take a look at these Splendid Vines with Heart Shaped Leaves
29. Shooting Stars
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
Botanical Name: Maianthemum
USDA Zone: 3-9
Another of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight, 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
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
Botanical Name: Iris cristata
USDA Zone: 4-9
The Iris Cristata are low-growing, shade-loving plants that have mesmerizing blue-violet flowers and interesting, sword-like leaves that are perfect for a rock garden.
Here is a Gardener’s Guide on Companion Plants for Iris
33. Fuchsia
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
Botanical Name: Begonia semperflorens
USDA Zone: 9-11
With their waxy, succulent leaves and pretty pink, red, or white flowers, Wax Begonias are one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight.
Check out these Outstanding Begonia Types & Varieties To Grow In Shade & Indoors
35. Pansy
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.
Here are the Best Pink and Blue Flowers
36. Torenia
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.
Here are the best heart-shaped plants for indoors
37. Leopard’s Bane
Botanical Name: Doronicum
USDA Zone: 4-8
With their bright, daisy-like flowers and interesting foliage, The Leopard’s Bane is the perfect choice for a cottage or wildflower garden. And they thrive in the shade!
38. Impatiens
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
Botanical Name: Caladium
USDA Zone: 3-10
Caladiums are one of the best Outdoor Plants That Grow Without Sunlight with their large, heart-shaped leaves in shades of pink, red, and green.
