All the plants on the list have been known to grow well in shade, but it must be remembered that much will depend on the positions they are to occupy. Very few will tolerate dry conditions in soil lacking humus and full of tree roots. It is, however, worth experimenting with plants on this list to find species suitable for a particular position in shade.
= Denotes plant which will tolerate heavy shade
g Denotes ground cover plant
‡ Denotes plant requiring acid soil.
AGM Denotes plants which have received the Society's Award of Garden Merit.
=g Acanthus mollis,
=g Acanthus spinosus AGM
Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’
Aconitum
Actaea
Ajuga reptans
g Alchemilla mollis AGM
Amsonia orientalis AGM
g Anaphalis margaritacea,
g Anaphalis triplinervis AGM
g Anemone apennina AGM
Anemone blanda AGM
Anemone hybrida
(Japanese anemones)
= Anemone nemorosa AGM
Anemone ranunculoides AGM
Anemone sylvestris
Aquilegia vulgaris
=g Arisarum proboscideum
g Artemisia absinthium
g Artemisia alba ‘Canescens’ AGM
g Artemisia ludoviciana
g Artemisia pontica AGM
g Arum italicum subsp. italicum ‘Marmoratum’AGM
=g Asarum europaeum
= Asplenium scolopendrium AGM
=g Astrantia major, A. maxima AGM
=g Athyrium filix-femina AGM
=g Bergenia
=g Blechnum spicant AGM
=g Blechnum penna-marina AGM
Boykinia aconitifolia
g Brunnera macrophylla AGM
Campanula alliariifolia
Campanula glomerata
Campanula lactiflora
Campanula latifolia
Campanula persicifolia
g Campanula portenschlagiana AGM
g Campanula poscharskyana
Campanula trachelium
g Ceratostigma plumbaginoides AGM
Chrysogonum virginianum
=g Convallaria majalis AGM
=g Cornus canadensis AGM
= Corydalis lutea
Cyclamen hederifolium
(syn. C. neapolitanum) AGM
= Cystopteris bulbifera
= Cystopteris fragilis
Dentaria
g Dicentra formosa
g Dicentra spectabilis AGM
Digitalis grandiflora AGM
D. purpurea
g Doronicum
= Dryopteris affinis AGM
Dryopteris dilatata AGM
Dryopteris erythrosora AGM
g Duchesnea (Fragaria) indica
g Erica carnea
g Erica darleyensis cultivars
Eomecon chionantha
g Epimedium
Euphorbia amygdaloides
g Euphorbia cyparissias
g Euphorbia griffithii
Euphorbia lathyris
g Euphorbia amygdaloides var.robbiae AGM
Foeniculum vulgare
Filipendula
=g Galax urceolata
g Galium odoratum
Gentiana asclepiadea.AGM

g Geranium endressii AGM
g Geranium macrorrhizum
Geranium malviflorum
Geranium monacense
Geranium nodosumg Geranium phaeum
Geranium pratense
Geranium reflexumg Geranium renardii AGM
g Geranium sanguineum
Geranium sinense
Geranium sylvaticum
g Geranium wallichianum
Geum rivale
g Glechoma hederacea ‘Variegata’
Hacquetia epipactis AGM
Helleborus
Hepatica
Heuchera
Heucherella tiarelloides AGM
g Holcus lanatus
g Hosta
Iris foetidissima AGM
=g Lamium galeobdolon subsp. montanum
‘Florentinum’
g Lamium maculatum
Lathyrus vernus AGM
Linaria purpurea
g Liriope muscari AGM
Lunararia annua, L. rediviva
g Lysimachia punctata
g Luzula sylvatica, L. nivea
Macleaya
Maianthemum bifolium
Milium effusum ‘Aureum’
Myrrhis odorata
g Omphalodes cappadocica AGM, O. verna
Ornithogalum nutans AGM, O. umbellatum
Pachyphragma macrophyllum
g Persicaria affinis
g Persicaria amplexicaulis
g Persicaria campanulata
g Phalaris arundinacea var. picta ‘Picta’ AGM
g Phlomis russeliana AGM
Podophyllum hexandrum
= Polystichum aculeatum AGM
Polystichum polyblepharum AGM
Polystichum setiferum AGM
Polygonatum
Primula denticulata AGM
Primula juliae
g Pulmonaria
Ranunculus acris (double form)
g Reineckea carnea
Rudbeckia fulgida
Rodgersia
g Saxifraga fortunei AGM
g Saxifraga geum
g Saxifraga umbrosa
Shortia uniflora
Smilacina racemosa AGM
Smilacina stellata
Solidaster luteus
g Stachys byzantina
=g Symphytum
=g Tellima grandiflora
Thalictrum aquilegiifolium
Thalictrum delavayi AGM
Thalictrum flavum
subsp. glaucum AGM Thalictrum minus
g Tiarella cordifolia AGM
g Tiarella wherryi AGM
=g Trachystemon orientalis
Trillium
Uvularia grandiflora AGM
=g Vancouveria
Veratrum
=g Vinca
Viola odorata
Viola hirta
Viola labradorica
Viola septentrionalis
g Waldsteinia ternata