Shade Tolerant Plants
The following is a list of plants that will grow in Minnesota and tolerate light to heavy shade:
CLICK HERE for the downloadable PDF.
Key:
- L = Light Shade Tolerance (4-6 hours of direct sunlight per day, preferably in the morning)
- M = Medium Shade Tolerance (3-4 hours of direct sunlight a day, or dappled shade the whole day)
- H = Heavy Shade Tolerance (Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight per day)
Trees:
- Blue Beech (L)
- Burning Bush Tree Form (L)
- Dogwood (L)
- Hydrangea Tree Form (L)
- Mountain Ash (L)
- Redbud (L)
- River Birch (L)
- Serviceberry (L)
- Viburnum (L-M)
Evergreens:
- Arborvitae (L)
- Balsam Fir (L)
- Russian Cypress (L-M)
- Yew (L-H)
Shrubs:
- Azalea (L)
- Boxwood (L)
- Burning Bush (L)
- Bush Honeysuckle (L-M)
- Chokeberry (L)
- Clethra (Summersweet) (L)
- Currant (L-M)
- Dogwood (L-M)
- Hazelnut (L)
- Hydrangea (L-H – Depends on Variety)
- Ninebark (L)
- Rhododendron (L)
- Serviceberry (L)
- Snowberry (L-M)
- Sumac (Fragrant Gro-Low) (L)
- Sweetspire (L)
- Viburnum (L-M)
- Winterberry (L)
- Witch Hazel (L)
Perennials & Ground Covers:
- Ajuga (L-H)
- Anenome (L)
- Aralia (L-M)
- Astilbe (L-M)
- Balloon Flower (L)
- Baptisia (L)
- Barrenwort (Epimedium) (L-H)
- Bee Balm (L)
- Bellflower (L)
- Bergenia (L-H)
- Bleeding Heart (L-H)
- Blue-eyed Grass (L-M)
- Brunnera (L-M)
- Columbine (L-H)
- Coralbells (L)
- Cranesbill (Geranium) (L-M)
- Culver’s Root (L-H)
- Ferns (L-H)
- Foamflower (Tiarella) (L-M)
- Foamy Bells (L)
- Foxglove (L-M)
- Goatsbeard (L-H)
- Hakone Grass (L-M)
- Hosta (L-H)
- Jacob’s Ladder (L-M)
- Lady’s Mantle (L-M)
- Lamium (L-H)
- Ligularia (L-M)
- Lily of the Valley (L-H)
- Lobelia (L-M)
- Lungwort (L-H)
- Pachysandra (L-H)
- Prairie Dropseed Grass (L)
- Sedge (Carex) (L)
- Snakeroot (L)
- Snow on the Mountain (L-H)
- Solomon’s Seal (L-H)
- Spiderwort (L-M)
- Turtlehead (Chelone) (L-M)
- Vinca (L-H)
