Flowering Shade Plants

Shady areas of a yard can often appear gloomy and uninteresting. Those with northern-facing houses also have the challenge of finding plants that will grow with only minimal exposure to sunlight during the early morning hours. Several different varieties of flowering plants not only do well in the shade, but thrive in it.

Begonias are a flowering shade plant that features glossy green to bronze foliage and blooms ranging in color from white, yellow, red, orange and pink. There are several different varieties of this plant, and they do well in most zones as long as the soil is kept moist. Plant begonias approximately 6 inches apart and water them at least once a week -- more often in warmer climates.

Impatiens are a very hardy plant that can tolerate zones 3 through 7. This flowering plant comes in many different shades including white, pink, red and purple; some varieties even feature bi-colored blooms. These plants do not tolerate excessive heat and should be kept in a moist soil. The foliage on impatiens is typically small and bright green with a glossy appearance. Plant them approximately 6 inches apart.

These shade-loving flowers do best in containers where soil moisture can be monitored. In addition, they do not tolerate excessive heat or wind and will quickly wilt and die if left out in these conditions. Fuschia plants produce long, bell-shaped blossoms in shades of red, pink and purple. Some fuschia varieties feature blooms that resemble Christmas lights before they open. This plant also does well inside and should be planted outside only in zones 5 through 7.

This is a flowering variety of sage that produces blooms in shades of purple and red. The blooms and long stems resemble arrows when the plant flowers. They typically do well in zones 8 and 9 but can be planted in zones 4 through 7 if they are well watered and cared for. They bloom from late spring through late summer, and the blooms do well in cut arrangements.