Shaded landscaping done by Myron Royce Gardens in Ozark, Missouri.
Shaded landscaping with perennials (Hostas, Astilbe, Coral Bells, and Daylilies).

Shade Gardening
in Southwest Missouri

What can I plant in the shade?

If you have beautiful trees in your yard but still want the ground to be covered in flowers, we’ve got you covered. At Myron Royce Gardens, we’ve been creating shade gardens in Southwest Missouri for over 30 years, and we want to share our tips with you.

Many shade gardens can seem a little bare or boring, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Plant breeders are always coming out with new varieties of plants to spice things up. Additionally, a little creativity with landscape design and plant combinations can go a long way to keep your shade garden interesting.

Shade-Loving Plants 

Here are our favorite shade-loving plants that are well-suited to Southwest Missouri gardens.

 

(Perennial – comes back every year) 

(Annual – only lives for one year)

 

Annuals

    • Alocasia/Elephant Ear
    • Begonias
    • Caladium/Elephant Ear
    • Coleus
    • Croton
    • Euphorbia ‘Breathless Blush’
    • Fuchsia
    • Impatiens
    • Iresine/Bloodleaf
    • Polka Dot Plant
    • Torenia/Wishbone
    • Wandering Jew

Shrubs

    • Azalea
    • Birds Nest Spruce
    • English Yew
    • Holly
    • Hydrangea
    • Japanese Yew
    • Rhododendron
    • Cherry Laurel
    • Spicebush
    • Sweetspire

Trees

    • Dogwood
    • Green Giant (Arborvitae)
    • Japanese Maple
    • Norway Spruce
    • Pawpaw
    • Tricolor Beech

Groundcovers

    • Ajuga Sedum
    • Bugleherb
    • Lamium
    • Pachysandra
    • Vinca Minor
    • Wild Ginger
Shade landscape planted by Myron Royce Gardens in Springfield, MO.
Shaded garden blooming with Impatiens, Pachysandra, Coral Bells, Hostas, and Begonias.

Perennials

    • Astilbe/False Spirea
    • Bear’s Breeches
    • Bleeding Hearts
    • Brunnera/Bugloss
    • Carex/Sedge
    • Cimicifuga
    • Columbine
    • Ferns
    • Goatsbeard
    • Hellebores
    • Heuchera / Coral Bells
    • Hosta
    • Japanese Forest Grass
    • Ligularia/Leopard Plant
    • Lily of the Valley
    • Liriope/Lily Turf
    • Primrose Belarina
    • Pulmonaria/Lungwort
    • Solomon’s Seal
    • Swedish Ivy
    • Tiarella/Foamflower
    • Tricyrtis/Toad lily
    • Violets

Note: Be sure to check that the specific variety you are using will thrive in the shade, as varieties of the same plant can differ widely. Some may live in the shade, but will flower less or grow slower. 

Shade garden with pathway, rocks, Solomon's Seal, Coleus, and an accent tree. Installed by Myron Royce Gardens, Springfield MO.
Shade garden with stone pathway, mossy boulders, Coleus, Solomon's Seal, Angelina Sedum, and an accent tree.

Get creative with rocks:

From colored gravel to mossy boulders, rock work can bring a level of elegance to your shade garden that won’t be there with flowers alone. Additionally, rocks can keep your garden interesting even after the plants are gone.

Build a pathway or a spot to relax:

When the sun gets unbearable in our Missouri summers, having a spot to enjoy your garden in full shade is a big win. A nice bench or patio can take up space in your shady area without making the garden look sparse, as often happens in shade gardens.

Light it up:

Add some landscape lighting to make your garden just a little brighter. Lighting along pathways or on accents like trees or water features looks especially great. (Landscape lighting doesn’t mean you can plant full-sun plants. It’s only for decoration!)

Move your houseplants outside:

If you’re a houseplant enthusiast, you may have some tropical plants that lean for the sun indoors, but can’t handle full sun outdoors. Moving them into a shaded area can give them a chance to get more sunshine without getting scorched.

What we perceive as shady outdoors is actually much brighter than our sunniest spots indoors. Here’s a short list of plants that enjoy a summer outdoors. (Remember, bring them indoors before it drops below 45*F.)

    • Snake Plant / Mother-in-law’s Tongue
    • Aloe vera
    • Monstera
    • Croton
    • Alocasia
    • Norfolk Island Pine
    • Pothos
    • Ferns
    • Succulents

Add a water feature:

There’s nothing better than a cool space to relax in your garden with the sound of running water. Consider adding a small fountain or backyard waterfall and pond to make the problem area into your dream landscape. 

Try some outdoor artwork:

From suncatchers to birdbaths to statues to wind vanes, there’s artwork for everyone’s garden. You can be as elegant or as quirky as you like. It’s your garden!

Myron Royce Gardens often sources decor from Campania, a designer and manufacturer of garden accents. Campania offers planters, fountains, birdbaths, benches, tables, statue art, and more. They have something for every outdoor space, from modern landscapes to whimsical gardens. 

Campania - Polyhedron Finial - Product Code: S-543-GS
Campania - Polyhedron Finial. Click the photo to view on Campania's website.
Campania - Tortoise Shell Express - Product Code: S-512-LA
Campania - Tortoise Shell Express. Click the photo to view on Campania's website.
Campania - Flores Birdbath - Product Code: B-073-AS.
Campania - Flores Birdbath. Click the photo to view on Campania's website.

Conclusion

Myron Royce Gardens is happy to help design, plant, and maintain a shade garden for you, install a pathway, patio, or water feature, or improve your garden with lighting and boulders. Don’t let the trees shade out your garden dreams. Get creative (or let us do it for you) and bring your shade garden to life!

If you’re interested in our services, just give us a call at 417-443-2648 or contact us here.

View more examples of Myron Royce Gardens landscaping in Springfield, Missouri:

Shade garden with impatiens planted by Myron Royce Gardens in Springfield, MO.
Shade garden full of Impatiens, Hydrangeas, a Japanese Maple, and boulders. Wind chimes hang from the tree.
Landscape with Hydrangea, Arborvitae, Begonias, and rocks - Shade Garden by Myron Royce Gardens, Springfield MO.
Shaded area planted with a Hydrangea Tree, Begonias, and an Arborvitae, with stones covering the garden bed.
Shaded corner garden with a Japanese Maple, Solomon's Seal, Hostas, Begonias, and a Mossy Boulder.
Myron Royce Gardens tulips and pansies, early spring landscaping in Springfield, Missouri.
Shaded area of a garden with a wind chime, statues, elegant planters, and a stone pathway.
Shaded garden planted by Myron Royce Gardens in Springfield, MO. Contains a Wandering Jew, Petunias, Impatiens, Begonias, Hydrangeas, Arborvitae, a water feature, and a garden statue.
Shaded garden planted with Wandering Jew, Petunias, Impatiens, Begonias, Hydrangeas, Arborvitae, a water feature, and a garden statue.
Shaded landscape with stone creek bed, perennial and annual flowers, installed by Myron Royce Gardens in Springfield, MO.
Shaded landscape with stone creek bed and lighting, boulders, Hostas, ornamental grasses, Impatiens, Coleus, Ferns, and Coral Bells.
Landscape by Myron Royce Gardens with stone creek bed, boulders, hostas, and spring annual flowers.
Shaded garden with stone creek bed, lighting, boulders, Hostas, and statues.
Shade container gardening with Begonias, Impatiens, Lobelia, and Petunias, done by Myron Royce Gardens in Springfield, MO.
Shade flower pots with Begonias, Impatiens, Lobelia, Lobularia, and Petunias.

About the Author

Myron Royce Gardens is a professional landscaping company based in Ozark, MO. We provide landscape design, installation, and maintenance services throughout the Springfield-Branson area. 

We started this blog because we want to share our knowledge and expertise with everyone in Southwest Missouri. Landscaping is our passion, and we want it to be a pleasant experience for everyone. 

If you want to see more, follow us on Facebook!

Myron Royce Gardens Storefront Ozark, MO

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