33 Shade/partial shade ground cover

There are also suitable plants for shady and semi-shady places in the garden. For example, if you want to plant ground cover there, you will find a large selection for shade or partial shade here.

Definition of penumbra/shadow

There are ground covers that often prefer a sunny to partially shaded location. All ground covers for shady locations usually always get along with half-shady locations. Conversely, this is not always the case, which is why our list distinguishes between ground covers for “partial shade” and for “partial shade and shade”. These are the differences between the two light conditions:

penumbrathe shade
maximum four hours of sunlight per dayvery little sunlight
Direction: East, Northeast, Northwest, rarely WestDirection: North, Northeast, Northwest
semi-shady places, especially under light trees and hedgesshady places, especially under densely growing plants and canopies
Distinction between penumbra and shadow

Ground cover for partial shade

B to F

The following plants need at least a ray of sunshine from time to time. These ground covers feel most comfortable in partial shade.

Bearskin fescue (Festuca gautieri)

  • Growth: cushion and lawn-like
  • Growth height: 10 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: yellow-green, in panicles
  • Flowering period: July to August
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen

Ivy (Hedera helix)

  • Growth: climbing, carpet-like, fast-growing
  • Growth height: up to about 30 centimeters (without climbing aids)
  • Flower: green, yellow
  • Flowering time: September to October
  • hardy
  • Special features: flowers only after many years, evergreen, poisonous

Spring Alpine Violet (Cyclamen coum)

  • Growth: flat, spreading
  • Growth height 5 to 10 centimeters
  • Flower: pink
  • Flowering time: February to March
  • wintergreen
  • Special features: silvery-white spots on leaves

Spring Commemorative (Omphalodes verna)

  • Growth: carpet-like
  • Growth height: 8 to 12 centimeters
  • Flower: sky blue, plate-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • hardy
  • Special features: forms nuts

Funkie ‚Gold Standard‘ (Hosta x fortunei ‚Gold Standard‘)

  • Growth: arching, covering the entire area, expansive
  • Growth height: 30 to 80 centimeters
  • Flower: violet, bell-shaped
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • hardy
  • Special features: golden-yellow autumn colour, deciduous

G to K

Yellow anemone (Anemone ranunculoides)

  • Growth: loosely bred, forming rhizomes
  • Growth height: 15 to 20 centimeters
  • Flower: golden-yellow, radiating
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • hardy
  • Specialties: poisonous, deciduous

Goldtröpfchen (Chiastophyllum oppositifolium)

  • Growth: like a rosette, in clumps to loose clumps
  • Growth height: 15 to 20 centimeters
  • Flower: yellow, grape-shaped
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen

Large-leaved women’s coat (Alchemilla mollis)

  • Growth: cushion-like, hemispherical
  • Growth height: 30 to 40 centimeters
  • Flower: greenish-yellow, single
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • deciduous and hardy
  • Features: bee friendly, leaves with lotus effect

Common Hazel (Asarum europaeum)

  • Growth: creeping
  • Growth height: 3 to 15 centimeters
  • Flower: reddish brown, single
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • wintergreen
  • Special features: pepper scent, flowers under leaves

Little Snake Beard ‘Minor’ (Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Minor’)

  • Growth: carpet-like
  • Growth height: 5 to 10 centimeters
  • Flowers: white to white-violet, bell-shaped
  • Flowering period: July to August
  • hardy
  • Special features: poisonous berries, evergreen

Kriechender Günsel (Ajuga reptans)

  • starkwüchsig
  • Growth height: 10 to 15 centimeters
  • Flower: violet, single
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • wintergreen
  • Features: bee friendly

Hepatica nobilis

  • Growth: rosette-like, clump-forming
  • Growth height: 3 to 15 centimeters
  • Flower: violet-blue, bowl-shaped
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • hardy
  • Special features: bee-friendly, evergreen

L to T

Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)

  • Growth: carpet-like
  • Growth height: 20 to 30 centimeters
  • Flower: white, bell-shaped
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • deciduous
  • Special features: poisonous

Whitsun Violet (Viola sororia)

  • Growth: cushion-like, very flat
  • Growth height: 10 to 15 centimeters
  • Flowers: depending on the variety, white, violet, pink, bowl-shaped
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • hardy
  • Specialities: deciduous

Stork’s beak (Geranium)

  • Growth: prostrate to ascending
  • Growth height: between 15 and 40 centimeters depending on the variety
  • Flowers: violet, pink, bluish, bowl-shaped
  • Flowering time: depending on the variety from May to October
  • hardy
  • Special features: bee-friendly, evergreen

Carpet phlox (Phlox subulata)

  • Growth: cushion-like, very flat
  • Growth height: 5 to 10 centimeters
  • Flowers: depending on the variety, violet, pink, radiating
  • Flowering time: April to June
  • Hardy and evergreen
  • Special features: easy to care for

Carpet Knot (Persicaria affinis)

  • Growth: flat
  • Growth height: 20 to 30 centimeters
  • Flower: pink, white
  • Flowering period: July to September
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen

Ground cover for shade and partial shade

There are also ground-level plants that can get by with very little sunlight. These groundcovers do well in shade and partial shade.

D to H

Dickmännchen (Pachysandra terminalis)

  • Growth: carpet-like
  • Growth height: 20 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: white, spike-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen

Dreiblättrige Waldsteinie (Waldsteinia ternata)

  • Growth: very flat
  • Growth height: 10 to 15 centimeters
  • Flower: golden yellow, bowl-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen
Note: The Waldsteinie is often referred to as ‘Golden Strawberry’.

Elf Flowers (Epimedium)

  • Growth: pillow-like
  • Growth height: up to 40 centimeters
  • Flowers: sulphur-yellow, whitish-yellow, grape-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • wintergreen
  • Special features: brownish-green foliage color

Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)

  • Growth: prostrate to upright, clumpy
  • Growth height: 15 to 20 centimeters
  • Flowers: purple-pink, in panicles
  • Flowering period: May to July
  • hardy
  • Special features: pleasantly fragrant, evergreen, white-silver foliage color, insect-friendly

Heartleaf Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia)

  • Growth: sprawling, broadly bushy, flat
  • Growth height: 20 to 40 centimeters
  • Flowers: pink, umbel-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • wintergreen
  • Special features: very undemanding

Heartleaf foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia)

  • Growth: carpet-like
  • Growth height: 10 to 20 centimeters
  • Flowers: yellowish-white, in panicles
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • hardy and semi-evergreen
  • Special features: fast growing

J to P

Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii)

  • Growth: arching, covering the ground
  • Growth height: 30 to 40 centimeters
  • Flowers: brown, yellow, spike-shaped
  • Flowering time: March to May
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen

Lesser Caucasian Comfrey (Symphytum grandiflorum)

  • Growth: carpet-like
  • Growth height: 20 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: yellowish-white, red buds, bell-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Hardy and deciduous
  • Special features: insect-friendly

Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor)

  • Growth: carpet-like
  • Growth height: 20 to 30 centimeters
  • Flower: light blue
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • hardy
  • Special features: white-edged foliage, evergreen
Tip: The small periwinkle is also available as a ‘large version’ with larger leaves. This ground cover for shade and semi-shade therefore has a higher ornamental factor.

Perlfarn (Onoclea sensiblei)

  • Growth: wide, arching
  • Growth height: 30 to 60 centimeters
  • Flower: none
  • hardy
  • Special features: Spur fronds in summer, yellow-red autumn colour, deciduous

Porcelain Flower (Saxifraga urbium)

Saxifraga x urbium ‘London Pride’
Source: Marc Ryckaert , Saxifraga x urbium R03 , Edited by Gartendialog, CC BY 3.0
  • Habit: Perennial, flat-growing
  • Growth height: 10 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: red, pink, white, in panicles
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen

Splendid muscles (Astilbe)

  • Growth: cushion-like with erect stems, clumps
  • Growth height: 30 to 100 centimeters depending on the variety
  • Flower: red, beige, pink, salmon
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • deciduous
  • Special features: very floriferous

R to W

Red carpet berry (Gaultheria procumbens)

  • Growth: creeping, carpet-like, dense
  • Growth height: 10 to 20 centimeters
  • Flower: light pink
  • Flowering period: July to August
  • deciduous
  • Special features: fragrant fruits, evergreen, reddish winter foliage

Snowflake (Luzula nivea)

  • Growth: grassy, ​​overhanging
  • Growth height: 30 to 60 centimeters
  • Flower: white
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen

Table egg (Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’)

  • also called cushion or ground cover grater
  • Growth: flat, spread
  • Growth height: 40 to 60 centimeters
  • Flower: none
  • hardy
  • Special features: evergreen, poisonous berries

Waldmeister (Galium odoratum)

  • Growth: flat, upright, forming runners
  • Growth height: 10 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: white, umbel-shaped
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • hardy
  • Specialties: fragrant, deciduous

frequently asked Questions

Usually not. The opposite is usually the case, because if they are in the shade with little sunlight, less moisture evaporates and the ground cover therefore needs to be watered less often. Dried up and burnt foliage is also less common. Some plants usually grow more slowly in partial shade and shade, so that pruning or topiary cuts need to be done less frequently.

Conditional when it comes to plants listed in the guide under “For Partial Shade and Shade”. In the total absence of sun, at least some daylight should be able to reach some of the ground cover. If this were not the case, the darkness would be too intense for any plant to survive in the long term.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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