Plants for partial shade

Plants for an east-facing border or dappled light.

An east-facing border or dappled light beneath open-canopy trees offers the gentlest growing conditions: morning sun, then shelter from the fierce midday glare. Many woodland-edge plants are at their best here, flowering well without scorching. The one hazard is the early sun striking frosted buds on a cold spring morning, so avoid the most frost-tender flowers in an east-facing spot. Keep the soil moisture-retentive with compost, since dappled sites can still dry under a tree canopy. Combine bold foliage with airy flowers to make the most of the moving light. These plants suit that in-between aspect, content with a few hours of sun and shade the rest of the day.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 820 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.

820 plants for this

Related collections

Plants for full sun Plants for shade Plants for clay soil Plants for sandy soil Plants for chalk soil Plants for acid soil