Looking for planting ideas for an area with deep shade?
The following plan for deep shade includes plants that are either native or attract birds, bees or butterflies. The design would nicely fill an area about 25 feet long and about 8 feet wide.
The design includes:
- Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa),
- Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
- Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata)
- Japanese Kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’)
- Coral Bells (Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ )
- Bleeding Heart (Dicentra ‘ Burning Heart’)
- Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) and
- Sweet Woodfuff (Galium odoratum)
Gray Dogwood is a native, large multi-stemmed shrub with grey branches that have showy white flowers in June, which become white fruit on red stems in September. Leaves turn red and orange in the fall. The fruit attracts song birds. Dogwood can be pruned if desired.
Common Snowberry is a native, medium sized multi-stemmed shrub with arching branches carrying blue-green foliage. Pink flowers bloom in June followed by large white berries, which feed birds from late summer onwards.
Japanese Yew is a dense pyramidal evergreen shrub with beautiful deep green soft needles with red fruit displayed from early to late fall. Birds nestle and feed on this evergreen. Yews are easily pruned to keep their shape if any winter damage occurs.
Kerria has lime green leaves on yellowish-green delicate stems that hold their colour in the winter. In the spring this shrub is covered with sunny yellow pompom shaped flowers. Butterflies and bees are attracted to these brilliant yellow flowers.
Foamflower is a native, clump forming perennial with heart-shaped leaves turning reddish-brown in fall. Short sprays of small airy white flowers appear in early summer giving the plant a foamy appearance attracting pollinators.
Bleeding Heart is an old-fashioned gorgeous spring flowering perennial with heart shaped flowers dangling on arching stems. Light green foliage forms an upright, bushy mound. Humming birds and bees are attracted to the flowers.
Coral Bells main attraction is their colourful foliage. Colours vary from bright green to deep burgundy to peachy-orange. Clusters of cream to red colored coral bell-shaped flowers form on tall wiry stems attracting bees and hummingbirds.
Sweet Woodruff is a native ground cover with narrow dark green to emerald green leaves and display star-shaped lacy white spring flowers. Flowers and leaves have the sweet scent of newly mown hay and bees are often seen resting on the tiny flowers.
The design:
First step – plant the dogwood in the centre of the space and on each side plant one of the snowberries, then beside each snowberry plant a yew.
Second step – plant five kerria in a row in front of the back row.
Third step – (this is the third tier of the design) plant four foamflowers alternating with the coral bells.
Fourth Step – plant sweet woodruff in between the shrubs and the perennials, tying all the plants together.
Remember to amend soil with plenty of organic matter, follow proper planting procedures and water well for the first season.
Doris Calder
Guelph-Wellington Master Gardener