Picking plants out for the shade can be tricky. Some plants will tolerate the shade and wither away if they get any direct sunlight while others may require more sunlight than actually stated. Here are a few of the plants I like to use when creating a shade garden.

HOSTA
Hosta are probably the most popular of all shade plants. They are relatively easy to grow, come in a wide variety of colors and handle deep shade to sun. Simply filling a garden with different types of hosta makes for an interesting look.

LIGULARIA
This is an interesting plant with interesting large leaves. The flowers are generally yellow. This is a plant that thrives in the shade. In fact, it wilts quite badly in the heat and sun. The plant will even look on the edge of death because it wilts so bad, but once the sun goes down the leaves perk right up. On some varieties the flowers are striking with flower spikes reaching 4 feet into the air.

PULMONARIA
Pulmonaria is a small perennial that flowers in the early spring and is available with variegated leaves for an interesting color all summer long. The flower colors are pinks and blues.

FERNS
Ferns, like hosta, are a popular stand by for shade gardening. Because they can freely spread from spores they are a good choice for large mass plantings. Variegated varieties along with a wide range of sizes make this a useful specimen.

ASHLEAF FALSE SPIREA
This shrub is one of the few woody plants I have found to thrive in full shade. The branches have a soft, almost fern like, texture along with white flowers. False Spirea will have more flowers when grown in the sun but it still grows will in the shade.