Best Shade Plants & 30+ Gorgeous Container Garden Planting Lists

When we think of shade plants, we often picture lush plants with deep green foliage and very few flowers.

The truth is: there are some very showy, colorful and easy care shade loving plants that will add much needed vibrant colors and cheerfulness to a dark shady spot, such as a covered patio, or the north side of your house.

Here are 30+ stunning shade plant garden combinations, with complete plant lists for each of them, and designer tips! Just write down your favorite ones and have fun plant shopping! 🙂

If you have a sunny location, here are 30+ stunning planting lists of sun loving plants!

30+ stunning planting lists of sun loving plants!

If you plant a colorful container, tag us on instagram @apieceofrainbow. We always love seeing what you create! =)

1 & 2. So many beautiful colorful shade plants!

All the plants in both of these containers below are perfect for full shade ( in hot sunny climates like California ) and partial shade ( in less sunny places like Pacific Northwest ).

Plant List 1: Start from top –  Pink Fuchsia,Pink Begonia, Coleus mixed varieties , green Sweet Potato Vine

Plant List 2: Cordyline fruticosa / Hawaiian Ti plant ,  Caladium ‘Rosebud’, Dragon Wing Begonia, Lobelia ‘Techno Blue’ ( Source: 1 | 2 )

3 & 4. Choose the best shade plants for your locations

Look at the color of the wall and surrounding environment. For example, red foliage would not be as showy in front of a red brick wall as green foliage.

Plant List 3: Boston Fern, Maranta leuconeura / Prayer Plant, Heuchera ‘Key Lime Pie’, Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ / English Ivy  ( from the beautiful portfolio of Laura Berman at Green Fuse Photos  )

Plant List 4: Coleus mixed varieties , green Sweet Potato Vine, purple Sweet Potato Vine ( Source )

5 – 8. Planting design: secrets of three

Choose a combination of shade plants so you have dramatic focal point, fillers, and trailers. You will see these 3 design elements  used in many of the planters here!

Plant List 5: Colocasia esculenta /Elephant Ears, Purple Plectranthus, Orange Impatiens, Red Stem Pilea

Plant List 6: Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum / Peace Lily, orange Kalanchoe, Croton,  Tradescantia zebrina / Wandering Jew, Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ / English Ivy ( Source: 5 | 6 )

Plant List 7: Diffenbachia / Leopard Lily, Actaea racemosa, Caryopteris ‘White Surprise’, Red Begonia tuberosa, Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ / English Ivy, Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ / Creeping Jenny (via Deborah Silver)

Plant List 8: Myer’s Asparagus Fern, Imaptiens, Pathos ( Source )

9 & 10. White looks great in shade!

Some shade plants have white foliage or highlights, which can really brighten up a shade location.

Plant List 9: Caladium ‘White Christmas’,  Boston Fern, Red Begonia tuberosa, Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ / Creeping Jenny ( The Garden Diaries )

Plant List 10: Boston Fern, green Sweet Potato Vine, White Petunia, White Daisies ( Botanical Blitz )

11 – 18. Foliage as colorful as flowers

Lots of shade plants have showy foliage with bright colors While flowers may last a few weeks these colorful leaves last year round!

You will find foliage colors ranging from hot pink, red, chartreuse,  to orange, deep purple, and more!

Plant List 11: Cordyline fruticosa / Hawaiian Ti plant , Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ ( viola nursery )

Plant List 12:   Caladium, Pink Impatiens, green Sweet Potato Vine ( decor chick )

Plant List 13: Petunia mixed varieties , Coleus mixed varieties , green Sweet Potato Vine

Plant List 14: Cordyline fruticosa / Hawaiian Ti plant , pink Begonia tuberosa, Coleus, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ / Golden Japanese forest grass, Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ / Creeping Jenny ( Source: 13 | 14 )

Plant List 15: Aspidistra elatior / Cast-iron plant, green Coleus, red Caladium, Asparagus Fern, Hedera helix ‘Variegata’ / Variegated English Ivy ( Source )

Plant List 16: Coleus mixed varieties , green Sweet Potato Vine, purple Sweet Potato Vine ( Source )

Plant List 17: Coleus ‘Rustic Orange’, orange Impatiens, “Yellow Moon” Torenia (Thanks to our reader Sheri for correcting one mistake earlier!)

Plant List 18:   Japanese Maple, Gartenmeister Fuchsia, green Sweet Potato Vine ( Source: 17 | 18 )

Plant List 19 – 34: You can see 16 more beautiful and easy care shade loving plant containers and plant lists here –

See more plant containers and plant lists here !

If you have a sunny location, here are 30+ stunning planting lists of sun loving plants!

30+ stunning planting lists of sun loving plants!

Happy garden planning! See you in a week!