Hedging plant
Common hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
Makes a dense deciduous hedge that takes clipping well, but left to grow freely it also works as a shade tree in a sunny or partly shaded garden.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
For the shady side
Shade tolerant plants for part and full shade
Shade tolerant plants vary a great deal: 30 of the 46 species in our selection put up with part shade, but only five cope with full shade. It’s worth knowing this before you plant up the north side of the house or the ground beneath a large tree, and the cards show how much light each species needs.
Which shade tolerant plants cope with full shade?
Five species tolerate full shade, and none of them is fussy about soil. Yew needs a moderate amount of water and elephant’s ears (Bergenia cordifolia) dislikes great heat and prolonged drought, whereas lesser periwinkle, bigroot cranesbill and common ivy also tolerate drought, which makes them the most undemanding of the five.
The plants that come closest to shade-loving are bergenia, periwinkle and ivy, whose profiles list only part shade and shade, never sun, and Italian honeysuckle does best of all in part shade. Many other species manage in part shade too, such as autumn moor grass among the grasses, catmint and purple coneflower among the perennials, and Tatarian maple and globe Norway maple among the trees.
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Field maple
Acer campestre
An undemanding native maple that you can grow as a tall clipped hedge or as a smaller shade tree, and Hungarian measurements in hill country show that it copes well with drought too.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Sources
- RHS növényadatlap: Acer campestre
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder: Acer campestre
- Móricz és mtsai (2025): öt hazai lombos fafaj aszálytűrése (Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, mintaterület a Gödöllői-dombságon is)
- Szabó és mtsai (2023, MATE): fás szárúak spontán terjedése a Budai Arborétumban, őshonos és idegenhonos fajok besorolásával (Plants 12: 1989)
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Wild privet
Ligustrum vulgare
A native hedging plant that knits together quickly and copes well with chalky and sandy soils, summer drought and urban conditions.
The berries are harmful to both people and dogs if eaten, and it readily self-seeds in the wilder corners of the garden.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Chalky, stony
Hedging plant
Common yew
Taxus baccata
An evergreen that clips well for hedging and topiary and grows in sun, partial shade and full shade alike, so you can rely on it even on the north side of the house.
Toxic to people and pets if eaten, so think twice before planting it near children and dogs, and wear gloves when pruning.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Scarlet firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea
Makes an almost impenetrable thorny hedge or boundary, with white flowers in spring and orange-red berries in autumn.
The branches are thorny, the berries are not edible, and it can be attacked by the bacterial disease fireblight.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Photinia 'Red Robin'
Photinia × fraseri 'Red Robin'
An evergreen hedging plant whose spring shoots unfurl in bronze and bright red, and once established it copes with summer drought as well.
Its hardiness is borderline and it may die back in a harsh winter, so give it a sheltered spot, for example against a south- or west-facing wall of the house.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Chalky, stony
Small garden tree / shade treeDrought tolerant
Tatarian maple
Acer tataricum
A small native maple that tolerates drought and clay soil and turns yellow and red in autumn, so it can be a good shade tree even in a smaller garden.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Small garden tree / shade treeDrought tolerant
Silver lime
Tilia tomentosa
The most drought-tolerant of the limes, it also copes well with urban conditions and grows into a broad, spreading shade tree in a large garden.
It draws huge numbers of bees when in flower and in time reaches 15-30 metres, so don't plant it over a terrace or in a small garden.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Small garden tree / shade treeDrought tolerant
Globe Norway maple
Acer platanoides 'Globosum'
A compact shade tree with a dense, rounded crown whose leaves turn yellow in autumn, so it suits front gardens and street frontages well.
Its roots run shallow, so over time it can lift a nearby path or driveway.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Small garden tree / shade tree
Hawthorn 'Paul's Scarlet'
Crataegus × media 'Paul's Scarlet' (syn. C. laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet')
A small ornamental tree that is covered in double, light red flowers in spring and bears orange-red fruit in autumn.
The branches are thorny, the fruit is not edible, and it can be attacked by fireblight.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Small garden tree / shade tree
Crab apple 'Evereste'
Malus 'Evereste'
An ornamental tree for small gardens: red buds open into white flowers, and in autumn it is laden with small yellowish-orange crab apples.
The seeds contain a toxic compound, and it can be attacked by fireblight and scab.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Small garden tree / shade tree
Cornelian cherry
Cornus mas
A large shrub or small tree that flowers yellow in early spring, before the leaves appear; you can also grow it as a hedge, and its tart fruit is edible.
It throws up root suckers, so remove them in good time if you don't want it to spread.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ornamental shrubDrought tolerant
Smoke bush 'Royal Purple'
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
A shrub with burgundy foliage that is covered in summer with smoky, pinkish-purple plumes, and copes well with drought and poor, stony soil.
It does not like waterlogged, poorly drained soil, so on heavy ground make sure the drainage is good.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ornamental shrubDrought tolerant
Shrubby cinquefoil
Potentilla fruticosa (syn. Dasiphora fruticosa)
A low shrub that flowers yellow from early summer to September, works well as a low hedge, and tolerates drought, clay soil and urban conditions.
The fruit is not edible, and in humid summer heat it may grow less vigorously.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ornamental shrub
Bridal wreath spiraea
Spiraea × vanhouttei
A shrub with gracefully arching branches that is smothered in masses of tiny white flowers in spring, and you can plant it as a hedge too.
It can be attacked by fireblight and powdery mildew.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
Ornamental shrub
Panicle hydrangea 'Limelight'
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
A shrub that flowers from midsummer into autumn, with large, cone-shaped flower heads that fade from greenish yellow to pink, and one of the hardiest hydrangeas.
It can cause an allergic reaction on contact with the skin, and it is harmful to pets if swallowed.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
Ornamental shrubDrought tolerant
Wayfaring tree
Viburnum lantana
A large shrub native to Europe that copes well with dry, chalky soil, flowers white in spring and bears fruit ripening from red to black in summer, and you can plant it as a screening hedge.
The fruit is not fit for human consumption.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ornamental shrub
Weigela
Weigela florida
An easy-going shrub with pink, funnel-shaped flowers in spring that often produces a few more blooms in summer, and it tolerates clay soil too.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
PerennialDrought tolerant
Catmint
Nepeta × faassenii
An aromatic perennial with grey-green leaves that bears lavender-blue flowers from late spring to September and puts up with dry soil.
It attracts lots of bees, so think twice before planting it next to seating.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
PerennialDrought tolerant
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A purplish-pink perennial with a long summer flowering season that tolerates drought and clay or shallow, stony soil, and draws in pollinating insects.
If you leave the seed heads on the plant, it self-seeds readily.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Perennial
Daylily 'Stella de Oro'
Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'
A low, yellow-flowered daylily with an exceptionally long flowering season from late spring to late summer, which grows in almost any garden soil.
Toxic to cats.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Perennial
Elephant's ears
Bergenia cordifolia
A perennial with large, glossy, leathery leaves and deep pink flowers in spring, which you can also use as ground cover in partial or full shade.
It dislikes intense heat and prolonged drought.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ornamental grass
Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'
Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
An ornamental grass with stiff, upright flower stems whose seed heads stay on the plant through winter, yet it does not self-seed because it is sterile.
It is not drought-tolerant and needs regular watering in dry summer weather.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ornamental grassDrought tolerant
Autumn moor grass
Sesleria autumnalis
A low ornamental grass with yellowish-green leaves and silvery-white flower spikes in autumn, which you can plant as ground cover under trees or in a sunny spot.
It will not tolerate acidic soil and is less keen on humid summer heat.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ground coverDrought tolerant
Lesser periwinkle
Vinca minor
An evergreen ground cover with lavender-blue flowers that quickly forms a dense carpet, even in shade and dry soil.
It spreads vigorously and can creep into the lawn and neighbouring beds.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Ground coverDrought tolerant
Bigroot cranesbill
Geranium macrorrhizum
Dense, weed-suppressing ground cover with aromatic leaves and purplish-pink flowers, and one of the few plants that cope with dry shade.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
ClimberDrought tolerant
Common ivy
Hedera helix
An evergreen climber that clings to walls and fences with its aerial roots without any support, and in shade you can use it as ground cover as well.
Harmful if eaten and may irritate the skin; over time it grows so heavy that it can widen existing cracks and work its way into gutters and under roof tiles, so cut it back regularly.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Climber
Italian honeysuckle
Lonicera caprifolium
A twining climber with fragrant, creamy-white flowers that does best in partial shade, trained up a support or a pergola.
Its orange-red berries are not edible.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Climber
Italian clematis
Clematis viticella
A clematis with purple or violet-blue flowers from summer into early autumn; it belongs to pruning group 3, so you can cut it back hard every year, and it copes well with chalky soil.
It can irritate the skin, so wear gloves when pruning, and keep its base shaded and evenly moist.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Climber
Climbing rose 'New Dawn'
Rosa 'New Dawn'
A climbing rose with pale pink, double, fragrant flowers that repeat from late spring until the frosts, and it is notably disease-resistant.
It is thorny, the hips are not edible, and it needs regular, deep watering.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
How to plant a shady spot
- Before you plant, watch on a summer’s day when and for how long the sun reaches the spot, because most species that tolerate part shade can’t cope with full shade.
- Ivy eventually grows so heavy that it can widen existing cracks and creep into gutters and under roof tiles, so cut it back regularly on walls.
- Plant lesser periwinkle where its spread won’t bother you, since it can creep into the lawn and neighbouring beds.
- Italian clematis grows in part shade, but keep its roots shaded and evenly moist, and wear gloves when pruning, as it can irritate the skin.
Frequently asked questions
What should I plant on the north side of my house?
Choose species that cope with full shade: yew for a hedge, bergenia for a bed, where it brings deep pink flowers in spring, and bigroot cranesbill for ground cover. Yew is poisonous to people and pets if eaten, so think carefully before planting it near children or dogs.
What can I plant under a tree where the shade is dry?
Bigroot cranesbill, because it is one of the few plants that copes with dry shade, and it forms a dense, weed-smothering carpet. Lesser periwinkle is another option, as it quickly forms a carpet even in shade and dry soil.
Are there any flowering shrubs for shade?
None of the flowering shrubs in our selection copes with full shade, but several are fine in part shade. Panicle hydrangea ‘Limelight’ flowers from midsummer into autumn, while weigela and bridal wreath spiraea flower in spring, so a partly shaded corner can have flowers from spring to autumn.
Are there evergreen shade tolerant plants?
Yes, our selection has three, and all of them cope with full shade: yew, which you can clip into a hedge, lesser periwinkle, a ground cover, and common ivy, which climbs walls or fences without any support. All three grow in any garden soil, from sandy to chalky and stony.
We’ll plant up the shady part of your garden
If the shady side of your house or the ground under a big tree has been bare for years, write to us (in English is fine) and we’ll come out for a free site visit, check the light and the soil, and plant species that will grow there. And if a tree’s crown is casting too much shade, we can prune it rather than fell it, because if a tree can be saved, we’d rather save it.
Quicker by phone? Call us on +36 20 944 3464.
