20 colorful plants for shade gardens

Plant some of these beauties for great garden color, even in shade

Astilbe
Photo by Susan A. Roth

What to plant in the shade: Astilbe hybrids

Feathery, plumelike flowers have an airy quality; they come in shades of pink, salmon, lavender, red, and white above fernlike foliage.

A mainstay of shaded perennial borders, they’re also great beside garden pools, along shaded paths, and in pots. Give them moist, rich soil.

Zones 1–7, 14–17; short-lived in 8, 9, 14–24.

More: Astilbe in the Sunset Plant Finder


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