Best Shade Loving Plants in Australia
From deep green foliage to something with a touch of colour and white flowers, there are plenty of wonderful shade-loving plants Australia can offer.
Improve your garden by filling the spots that get limited sunshine or none at all. The team at Amico know that a gardener is never without options, so read on for our list of the best plants that grow in shade Australia-wide.
How To Help Plants Grow in Shade
Shade-tolerant plants will often benefit from good light levels to get them off to a strong start. If you have shaded areas for much of the growing season, they may also be sunny and open at different times in the year, making them a great place to grow cool-season crops.
Alternatively, you can start seedlings somewhere you can guarantee warmth and light. Then, you can plant them out after they form when they’re bigger, stronger, and better positioned to cope with shadier conditions.
Things To Consider When Planting in the Shade
Planting in shade can actually be a blessing as you can choose from the many beautiful and varied plants we will list below. However, there are several essential tips to keep in mind, such as:
- Add water-retaining gel to the compost to help retain moisture
- Improve the soil with organic matter for better water retention
- Improve aeration for root growth with leaf mould or compost
- Remove impoverished soil between any large roots and replace it with better soil regularly
- Weathered wood ash from a bonfire can increase the potash in the soil (Sulphate of potash works for those without fires) to promote shade-tolerant plant growth
- Always avoid high nitrogen fertilisers
- Fork the base of each planting hole so roots can find the cool, moist soil
- Mulch the area after planting with leaf mould or composted bark chippings
The 10 Best Australian Shade Plants
If you want to avoid the full sun, here are the best Australian plants for a shaded garden according to our experts:
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are beautiful garden options that produce coloured flowers in spires in summer, giving you a very bright autumn foliage collection.
- Soil: Well-draining and slightly acidic
- Water: Moderate as these are drought tolerant
- Feed: Balanced fertiliser at the beginning of spring and summer
Looking for plants that love full shade? Hydrangeas are a perfect choice!
Mona Lavender
The Mona Lavender blooms purple or blue-grey flowers while also adding a fragrance to the garden. The leaves complement the colours of the flowers with a shiny dark green to create a stunning look overall.
- Soil: Moist but well-drained
- Water: Enough to keep moist
- Feed: Slow-release fertiliser at the beginning of Spring
The purple flowers of the Mona Lavender will be a beautiful addition to any garden.
Winter Daphne
One of Australia’s most popular shade-loving plants is the Winter Daphne, thanks to its fragrant flowers that will appear in mid-winter. The pink or white flowers are worth the extra effort required to keep these plants healthy.
- Soil: Mostly dry with good drainage
- Water: Infrequently
- Feed: Balanced fertiliser post-bloom
Your garden will look amazing in late winter thanks to the Winter Daphne.
Foamflower
Also known as the Tiarella Corifolia, this perennial blooms its white flowers in early spring and enjoys both part and full shade. The small flowers come via several individual blooms in one stem and look amazing in the garden.
- Soil: Moist, cool, well-draining
- Water: Minimal, especially in winter
- Feed: Also minimal
The Foamflower is a great option for garden areas that experience full shade.
Fire Lily
The drought-tolerant fire lily is a bright-coloured plant that comes in many different varieties with flowers that range from orange to red and yellow. You can even find rarer types in cream or pink, all of which look great.
- Soil: Well-drained
- Water: Regular when the surface becomes dry
- Feed: Slow-release fertiliser from January to August only
The variegated foliage of the Fire Lily means something special for your garden.
Dead Nettle
The dead nettle likes to avoid full sun and blooms in early summer. Much like its cousin lavender, it produces purple and pink flowers with red or white as well. This is a great ground-covering option as well.
- Soil: Well-drained medium moisture
- Water: Low maintenance, should be fully dry between watering
- Feed: Fertilise monthly while growing
Add some Dead Nettle to your sweet box or shaded areas for a stunning effect.
Coral Bells
These perennial shrubs can avoid full sun and come in several breeds with different leaf colours. You’ll find silver, purple-black, orange, salmon, and more making them the perfect match for every garden.
- Soil: Moist and well-draining
- Water: Minimal but more if in a container
- Feed: Compost twice a year
Coral Bells only need light pruning to look their absolute best in your garden.
Winter Roses
Winter roses are a great way to add a variety of colours to your garden. You’ll find whites, yellows, dark plum, pink, peach, and lilac. Use them as a beautiful ground cover in the shadier areas of your garden.
- Soil: Moderately fertile and non-sandy
- Water: Keep moist while growing, then lessen
- Feed: Annual composting
Avoid regular watering with the drought-safe option of Winter Roses.
Foxglove
The Foxglove is one of the best shade-tolerant plants. Its flowers bring red, purple, white, lavender, yellow, and pink to your garden in tubular blooms that reseed themselves and grow back as a different variety – it’s a lot of fun! However, please be aware that Foxgloves are toxic if ingested, so keep them away from children and pets.
- Soil: Well-draining and moist
- Water: Avoid dry or soggy soil
- Feed: One inch of compost to encourage growth
The Foxglove varieties are considered some of the most beautiful plants you can add to your garden.
New Zealand Rock Lily
The New Zealand rock lily offers some very unique foliage that forms a bluish hue in late spring through midsummer. The cream/white star-shaped flowers are a truly lovely addition to any shaded area of your garden.
- Soil: Well-drained and moist
- Water: Water heavily in the growth period then lessen
- Feed: Fertilise during spring
While they may be from New Zealand, Australian gardens can happily accommodate the rock lily.
Let Amico Help You Grow the Perfect Shade Loving Plants
Found some options in the list above that you love? Amico has a team of gardening experts who can help you form a beautiful garden, even if you are dealing with areas in full shade. We’re passionate about plants and have years of experience. Call 1300 – GARDEN (1300 427 336) and let us add some colourful flowers to the shaded spots of your garden today.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Have some more questions about the many plants that are available for the shaded areas of your garden? Our FAQ may help:
What can be the alternative of sunlight to plants?
Artificial lighting such as fluorescent lights can be an economical and easy sunlight replacement for indoor plants. Choose tubes or compact bulbs (CFL) which will work in your regular sockets.
Can plants survive indoors without sunlight?
All houseplants will require some light to survive as they harvest solar energy to grow and flower. Without a little sunlight, your indoor plants will wither and die, so move them into sunny spots from time to time to charge up.
What is the most low-maintenance outdoor plant?
Low-maintenance plants are perfect for those who don’t want to spend too much time in their garden. The lowest of low-maintenance plants are succulents and cacti such as Aeonium arboretum (‘Zwartkop’), Portulaca grandiflora and the Echeveria species.
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