Plants for dry shade with blooms & berries

With some careful choices, there are plenty of plants that can thrive in dry shade, creating a full and attractive border even in these sometimes challenging conditions

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<i>Epimedium</i> × <i>versicolor</i> ‘Sulphureum’ does well in dry shade
Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’ does well in dry shade

Quick facts

  • Dry shade may be caused by large trees and shrubs or from walls, fences and buildings
  • For best display and success, use plants that naturally prefer dry shade conditions
  • Good plant choices can reduce the need for unnecessary watering

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The planting plan

James Lawrence, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor, has designed this simple, attractive, and most importantly, sustainable border design for you to try at home with plants that are easy to grow, widely available and look good together.

This planting design with blooms and berries provides a range of plants that, once established, will thrive in dry shade while still providing varied interest throughout the year.

Dry shade with blooms and berries

© James Lawrence

Choosing plants for dry shade

The waxy surface on many of the leaves helps reduce moisture loss due to heat or from wind stripping moisture from the leaves. The cotoneaster has a slightly hairy underside to its foliage – an adaptation to reducing moisture loss.

The Epimedium and the Heuchera help provide some groundcover and prevent erosion of bare soil. The groundcover can also help to reduce soil surface moisture evaporation and suppress weed growth. Additional organic mulching, ideally with homemade compost, assists with soil moisture retention and weed suppression.

1 – Cotoneaster lacteus
2 – Viburnum tinus ‘Gwenllian’
3 – Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’
4 – Epimedium × versicolor‘Sulphureum’
5 – Heuchera ‘Lipstick’
1 – Cotoneaster lacteus is an evergreen shrub with arching branches bearing large clusters of small white flowers in summer followed by small red berries, set against dark green leaves. 
2 – Viburnum tinus ‘Gwenllian’ is a dark green evergreen shrub with compact clusters of starry white flowers opening in late winter from reddish buds, followed by metallic-blue berries. 
3 – Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’ is an evergreen fern with bronze-coloured new fronds in spring, and bright orange-red ripe spores on the undersides of the leaves in autumn. 
4 – Epimedium × versicolor ‘Sulphureum’ is a low-growing evergreen forming a clump of red-tinted, light green leaves. Primrose-yellow flowers are carried in open sprays in early summer. 
5 – Heuchera ‘Lipstick’ is a mound-forming evergreen with palmate, silver-veined green leaves and panicles of small lipstick-red flowers in summer.

About dry shade

Dry shade can be common under mature trees or shrubs, or near buildings or walls that act as rain shadows. By choosing plants that are adapted to dry shade you can keep your border looking good and growing well, and once established, they will reduce the need for unnecessary watering. A simple planting plan helps create depth, interest and good coverage in a border.

The challenge of growing in dry shade

Low levels of moisture and light make it hard for plants to grow and develop unless those plants have adapted to naturally grow in those conditions. Plants not adapted to dry shade can be stunted, lacking in flower or fruit and more prone to failure. Even plants that naturally prefer dry shade may need careful monitoring and watering during their first spring and summer in order to establish well. 

Why choose a sustainable planting combination?

Using the ethos of ‘right plant, right place’ to create a sustainable planting combination is great for the environment. It helps avoid waste, and healthy plants won’t need fertilisers. It also creates robust, long-lived planting that benefits soil health and garden biodiversity.

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.