A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Gardening in the Shade Newbie Requesting Shade Help

Greetings all. I'm looking for advice on what to plant in a complete shade area. The details:

- complete shade. This is a under a large tree.
- invasive preferred. It is a large area that is currently dirt. No grass or anything besides purple queen just at the base of the tree
- heat resistant. We live in Houston, Texas.
- NON-poisonous. This is a must have, as we have five dogs.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome Jigsaws. Invasive is said and vinca comes to mind. It will grow in your shady spot if the dogs stay away long enough for it to establish. They would need to do that for any plant. Vinca major or minor will work. The only difference is really leaf and flower size by about a third. It should grow in Houston because it certainly grows in my desert southwest. Evergreen. And once in a while the dogs can even nap on it and keep cool.

Bugleweed
Perennials for full shade

I have problems growing ajugas so I don't always think of them. That is a great list of options, Bill.

Thank you both so much for your help. I'll research these options and have a strategy ready for the spring. :)

I have variegated ajuga growing in full all day sun - I know you want plants for full shade, but as Bill said it can be grown in either - and I just love it! It is filling in the hillsides of my waterfall by the pond, and the tri-colored variety is so pretty with its different shades of color. This year it also gave me numerous beautiful purple flowers.

That said... it can become quite invasive, so if you are not wanting it to grow into your lawn, the best thing is to put some sort of barrier in the ground to keep it where you want it. It can be controlled by cutting it back, and the cuttings can be used in another spot if you like. I actually potted some up, to give more color around my pond this year.

Yeah, invasive . . . sometimes we want invasive. Out where I'm planting right now, we want it to spread, spread, spread.

I get out there and look at it, and think - INVADE, ALREADY! INVADE!

Carly...you just know when you want it to spread...it won't.

Thanks so much for all the tips. I'm formulating a plan for the spring. :)

I hate ajuga and vinca!

I would never encourage anyone to plant invasives....

Instead, why not plant something pretty?

While Italian Arum is invasive in Oregon, it is a beautiful dear-proof bulb in a southern shade garden... Hellebore is an attractive deer-proof plant to a shaded area, bloom period starting now until late march or so...

Being in the south, requires searching out those heat tolerant plants... A lot of stuff isn't going to grow without constant watering, yet... there are a lot of good shade plants for a southern garden.... I have several mentioned with photos on my gardening site... google me....

I thought you said you weren't here to spam our forum?

Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Variegata' is a great one for me in similar situations. There's several varieties, I've got a very viney type, doesn't get over 6" tall usually.

Takes a variety of conditions, does well in full shade for me, to full sun. Seems to tolerate disturbance from my dogs with little damage showing.

Has green leaves, marked with silver. In cold weather it turns a nice red/bronze & silver. Spikes of yellow blooms in mid spring......drapes over walls & such well. Will root where nodes contact soil.

May be considered invasive....hasn't been for me, but your mileage may vary.

I'll try to get some pics soon.

Hope that helps,

Tim

OH

forgot to add, the Lamiastrum also does well in containers--nice hanging down from a basket--and even as a houseplant.


Something else--I use pieces of chicken wire to discourage my dogs. I'll cut a piece about 24" x 6" or so, and lay them here and there in areas I want the dogs to avoid. It usually comes off the roll with a slight curve at those dimensions, and I put it so that it "humps up," with the rounded side up. With taller growing plants, usually they'll just grow through the wire & hide it.

Apparently, the dogs really don't like walking on it, and will learn to avoid the area even after the wire is grown over.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Tim