In 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its Plant Hardiness Zone Map with its first update since 1990. They moved Ohio from Zone 5 to Zone 6 supposedly to reflect the sustained warming in the Buckeye State and much of the country. I do wonder if they think they made a mistake after this past winter!
Regardless of their findings, gardeners in the Northeast Ohio area are used to changing weather. No matter how they label us, we shall not be swayed away from our love of gardening and will always be on the look out for new and exciting ways to make our homes and gardens as beautiful as possible!
And that includes populating those shady areas around our homes.
Because we deal with high humidity along with heat, if we want to spend time outdoors in our home grown beauty, having shady retreats is a must. Creating habitable shady outdoor living areas where we can lounge and entertain guests can be somewhat challenging. Here is a list of plants that will thrive in this climate, allowing you to spend as much time as possible outdoors while keeping at least some of that heat and humidity at bay. You’ll find varying colors along with heights that range from ground cover to four feet tall so you can create a lovely landscape your family, guests, and even some feathered and other flighty friends will enjoy!
Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart
Dicentra spectabilis – bleeding heart – loves shade! In late spring and early summer, it produces pink or white heart-shaped flowers that hang from elegant, arching stems. This top-notch plant is hardy in Zones 3-9 and grows up to 4 feet tall.
Varieties: ‘Pantaloons’ has large numbers of pure white flowers. ‘Gold Heart’ bears bright golden leaves against the pink flowers.
Hosta
If you have not yet ventured into the world of hostas, then this should be your year to do so! There are countless varieties, and I don’t think I have ever once had a bit of trouble growing these or maintaining them other than the usual weeding. These showy shade-lovers offer the most variety of any shade plant. From miniatures that stay only a couple of inches wide or giants that sprawl six feet across, you could make an entire outdoor living area with these alone!
You’ll find leaves in shades of green, blue, white, chartreuse, and gold, with many cultivars being variegated. Some hosta flowers are very fragrant. Hardy in Zones 3-8.
Varieties: ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ offers silvery-blue leaves and stays 1 foot wide; ‘Frances Williams’ offers thick, blue-green leaves edged in chartreuse and grows 2 feet wide; ‘Sum and Substance’ offers chartreuse leaves and grows 6 feet wide.
Bigroot Geranium
Hardy, hardy, hardy! This is one of toughest plants in the shade garden! Geranium macrorrhizum endures both heat and drought. Deer and rabbits prefer other delicacies and will tend to leave it be. Beautiful spring flowers pop forth in pink or white and some varieties produce gorgeous fall coloration in their woodsy-scented foliage. Bigroot geranium is hardy in Zones 4-8 and grows 2 feet tall.
Varieties: ‘Album’ offers white flowers; ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’ offers clear pink flowers; ‘Variegatum’ has purple-pink flowers and white-variegated leaves.
Lungwort
Lungwort is a slow-growing ground cover plant, and as its name suggests, pulmonaria has been used to treat various lung disorders, such as asthma, coughs and tuberculosis. It also has silvery, lung-shaped spots that dot the foliage. Lovely variegated foliage lasts all season long, but is an especially nice accent to the clusters of pink, white, or blue flowers in spring. Lungwort grows best in Zones 4-8 and reaches 1 foot tall.
Varieties:’ Opal’ features ice-blue flowers; ‘Trevi Fountain’ features cobalt-blue blooms.
Astilbe
OK. I am going to confess that I have not had the best of luck with this one. But I really want to! So if you have any secret tips to share on how you get this beauty to thrive, please share! I know many folks have done better than I have and it’s so unique, I am including it in spite of my own personal failures!
Astilbe blooms in early summer with feathery plumes. This tough perennial displays shades of burgundy, red, pink, lavender, and white. Its finely cut foliage can be is tinged with bronze. Astilbe grows best in Zones 4-8 and can reach up to 4 feet tall. Astilbe needs consistently moist soil to thrive, so it’s a good choice for areas that don’t drain well.
Varieties: ‘Deutschland’ bears pure white flowers; ‘Fanal’ offers dark red plums and bronzy foliage; ‘Sprite’ boasts shell-pink blooms.
Do you have favorites you plant in the shade? Please share what works for you in this unique climate we live in!