What grows in dry shade under a tree?

Epimedium, Geranium macrorrhizum, Liriope and hardy ferns such as Dryopteris cope once their roots are down; plant in autumn and water through the first two summers.

Why do plants struggle in dry shade?

The tree canopy or wall takes most of the light while the roots above take most of the water, so plants face drought and low light together rather than one or the other.

Border Builder

Plants for dry shade

Plants for the hardest spot of all: shade with dry, free-draining soil.

Dry shade is the spot most plants sulk in, because the soil is robbing them of light and water at once. Tree roots and the rain shadow of a north wall keep the ground starved and dusty even after a downpour. The fix is patient: dig in leaf mould or garden compost to hold what moisture there is, plant small in autumn or early spring while the ground is damp, and water through the first two summers until roots reach down. Mulch every spring, never let bare soil bake. The plants below are chosen for genuine drought tolerance once established and the ability to cope with low light, so they hold leaf and form where thirstier woodlanders would scorch and thin.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 76 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.

76 plants for this

Common questions

What grows in dry shade under a tree?: Epimedium, Geranium macrorrhizum, Liriope and hardy ferns such as Dryopteris cope once their roots are down; plant in autumn and water through the first two summers.
Why do plants struggle in dry shade?: The tree canopy or wall takes most of the light while the roots above take most of the water, so plants face drought and low light together rather than one or the other.

Related collections

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