Top Shade Perennials for North Texas

A perennial is a plant that regrows every spring without replanting. Perennial literally means “through the years”.

Shade can mean partial shade or full shade.

Partial shade is when a plant is protected from direct sun during the mid day hours when the sun is the brightest. It might get morning or evening sun, however.

Full shade means the growing area is mostly covered throughout the day.

Leatherleaf Mahonia is a perennial shrub that needs partial shade to thrive. It flowers in late winter and produces blue grape-like clusters in mid to late spring.

While this shrub can be planted at any time, it does best when planted in the fall. This helps it take root before the heat of summer approaches.

The Japanese Painted Fern, also known as the Lady Fern or Tatting Fern is a low maintenance groundcover. It grows in early spring through frost and can brighten up a shady flower bed. It is a non flowering plant that prefers partial shade.

Turk’s Cap or the Bleeding Heart is a spreading shrub. It gets its name from the bright red pendant like flowers that resemble a turkish turban. It will bloom from May to November.

It does well in shade and partial shade. It is a good ornamental, or decorative plant.

Azaleas are a popular shade perennial. They are a flowering shrub that blooms in spring, with blooms lasting several weeks. They come in shades of red, pink, yellow, orange and white.

Many varieties are also fragrant. Azaleas prefer living under or near trees and do well in acidic soil.

Hostas can add some tropical vibes to your shade garden. They are low maintenance plants.

They have white or purple blooms during the summer or fall. They do best in partial shade.

Coral Bells, or Alumroot is a flowering plant with tall stems of little bell-like flowers. They usually grow in wooded areas so partial shade to filtered sun is ideal.

This variety of plant comes in multiple colors. They bloom in late spring to early summer. It is a good companion plant to other perennials.

Having a shady yard doesn’t mean you can’t have a variety of plants and shrubs. Just make sure to read the tags on the plants when you buy them, so you’ll know the amount of shade it needs.