10 flowers that bloom in the shade, and grow even better in cool, semi-shaded spots

If you have some darker spots at home, or want to plant some flowering plants in the shade of trees, I have written a dedicated article on shade-tolerant flowers. The 10 flowers below all prefer growing in the shade of trees, love cool and moist environments, and can grow without much light.

1. Voodoo lily

Some people call it the stinking lily, but it is actually a plant in the Araceae family. It looks tropical, yet it can be grown all over China and needs no care at all. People also call it the black calla.

Its flowers look quite unusual, a bit like konjac, and are fairly ornamental. It is extremely easy to care for: just plant it in the shade of trees or in some cool, airy spot. After the flowers fade, it forms a red-and-yellow seed pod.

2. Bluebell

Bluebells are wonderfully ornamental. They are originally a woodland species, fond of cool, shaded conditions, and dislike environments that are too warm or too sunny.

Their flowers do not have a strong scent, but if you smell closely you can catch a faint, sweet fragrance. When caring for bluebells, give them appropriate indirect light and keep them in a cool, shaded spot year-round. They bloom in late spring and early summer, and the flowers look especially graceful.

3. Hydrangea

There are a great many varieties of hydrangea, some small shrubs and some larger-growing types. They grow well in the shade of trees and prefer semi-shaded conditions.

Hydrangeas come in different flower colors, including white, pink and blue, and you can change the flower color by altering the pH of the soil. With proper care, hydrangeas will produce brilliant, enchanting flowers in spring, and the care method is fairly simple.

4. Primrose

There are also many varieties of primrose, and it is very well suited to planting in the shade of trees. Sometimes I see people using it as a landscaping plant, left in full sun at noon and in the afternoon; although it can survive, the leaves scorch easily and may even wither.

Primroses must be kept in a cool spot or one with indirect light, avoiding too much shade. They come in many different flower colors, and the most classic variety is the purple-flowered primrose. When not in bloom it looks like a weed. It blooms in spring, is a perennial, and is especially easy to grow.

5. Cotoneaster

The small red berries of cotoneaster easily attract birds, and its flowers readily draw bees. They like growing in semi-shade or a spot with appropriate indirect light. Their fruiting season is especially long, the leaves can stay evergreen, they branch easily and can also climb, so you can grow them by a wall and let the branches spread out as they grow.

6. Japanese pieris

The leaves of Japanese pieris change color as it keeps growing: in spring the leaves turn red, then yellow, and then gradually green. It also produces tiny, delicate flowers that look quite inconspicuous. Japanese pieris likes growing in semi-shade or in the shade of trees, is especially easy to grow, and can be kept as a shrubby ornamental. Note, however, that its sap is toxic.

7. Virginia creeper

Virginia creeper is a plant that looks brightly variegated and gorgeous. It can cover an entire wall, climbing and growing much like a grapevine. Its leaves also change color: at first they are green, and in autumn they turn a brilliant, enchanting red, before gradually withering.

It is a wonderful plant and can also be planted in the shade of trees, but be sure to prune it regularly, otherwise it will smother the tree, and when it climbs on a wall it easily makes the wall damp. Virginia creeper likes cool environments and still looks good with regular pruning; you need to control its shape.

8. Silver ribbon fern

There are a great many varieties of silver ribbon fern, with many different types. They grow well in cool and semi-shaded environments and like warm, humid conditions year-round. Growing them in the shade of trees is no problem at all; give them appropriate indirect light and keep the air humidity high, and they will keep growing larger as their stems and leaves spread.

9. Cleome

Cleome is an ornamental flowering shrub that attracts butterflies very easily and can grow in semi-shade. It has a great many varieties; some prefer sunlight, while others can be kept in indirect light.

Cleome comes in different flower colors, including the common white, purple and pink. They are very fast-growing shrubs, extremely vigorous, and when grown in the shade of trees they need regular pruning. They grow best in summer and autumn.

10. Pansy

Pansies look especially cute. Their flowers look like little grinning faces and come in bright, varied colors, which is exactly why they are so popular. Caring for pansies does not require much light; keeping them in a spot with indirect light is enough. The key is to maintain a warm, humid and airy environment year-round.

The growing soil should have good drainage and stay loose, fertile and rich in humus, which promotes healthy growth. With a little indirect light they will keep blooming.