11 Ground Cover Plants for Your Shady Front Garden

11 Ground cover plants for your shady front garden could almost be called 11 herbaceous perennials for a shady border. Except that I’ve included some plants which are more usually called small perennials rather than herbaceous! The distinction isn’t fixed, but evergreen perennials, which many of these are, keep their foliage overwinter, whereas herbaceous perennials generally die back, keeping only their below ground roots.

That’s the theory, of course. Where the plants are in the garden; how sheltered your garden is; whether we have a harsh winter and how wet the soil stays are all factors that affect perennial plants. But I have chosen a selection of plants for you that are generally classed as hardy perennials, whether you live in Cornwall or Aberdeenshire.

As well as being hardy, these perennials are also useful in the garden for their ground covering properties. Some spread more than others, and some of these may get ‘stringy’ after a few years. But that’s easy enough to deal with as you can pop in a few small winter or spring flowering bulbs into the spaces. Or propagate by picking off a stem with a bit of root and fill gaps that way. Others are more clump forming, these generally are the taller plants.

11 Ground Cover Plants for Your Shady Front Garden – the List

In alphabetical order by Latin name, but when it comes to each individual plant’s notes, the common names area also given. Using the Botanical Latin name means that when you go to but the plants, you can be sure of buying the one you actually wanted!

Ajuga reptans
Bergenia
Brunnera macrophylla
Galium odoratum
Geranium macrorrhizum
Geranium sanguineum
Heuchera
Lamium maculatum
Pachysandra terminalis
Pulmonaria
Tiarella cordifolia
Vinca minor

Yes, I have included two hardy Geraniums, but that’s because they are different species.

The flowering periods of the various plants should potentially give you blooms from late March through to November. Cutting back the early flowering ones will at the very least give you fresh new foliage and may also encourage a second flowering.

Unless stated otherwise, the plants are not too fussy over soil pH. Light shade and dappled sunlight are fine for all, and some will take more shade. Most of the named plants will take spring sun but not summer afternoon heat. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise when I‘ve included them here because they’re shade lovers…

Garden Teacher Tip

Many of these ground cover plants have the ability to spread quickly, which is why we grow them in the first place! However, sometimes they get too enthusiastic, so don’t be afraid to dig up clumps to keep them in check. Use in other shady parts of your garden or donate spare plants to friends and charity plant sales.

Ajuga reptans

Ajuga is commonly known as bugle. Foliage colour can be found as green, dark purple, and there are variegated forms as well. The flowers in April to June are held on spires above the foliage. These are usually a dark blue, but some cultivars have pink or light blue flowers. Bees love Ajuga flowers, as do orange tip butterflies, which emerge in April. This makes bugle, like the other spring flowering shade lovers below, a good plant for a shady spot in a wildlife garden.

Bergenia cordifolia

The plant has large, shiny, rounded evergreen leaves, and their shape gave them their common name of elephant’s ears. These are hardy plants, so try not to muddle them up with Begonia, which are generally tender and the plants used for summer floral displays. Flowering in late spring and early summer on stalks standing proud above the foliage. But it is mainly for their foliage that Bergenia are grown. For example, the cultivar Bergenia cordifolia ‘Purpurea’ has leaves which turn red over winter, offering contrast from its summer foliage.

Brunnera macrophylla

Siberian bugloss blooms in spring with forget-me-not like flowers, but the foliage provides groundcover through to the frosts. The cultivar Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ has silver foliage with dark green veins. To my mind, this is the one to choose as the leaves give a long period of interest in shadier locations. And Brunnera grows particularly well in pots, rivalling Hosta for interesting foliage (and is slightly less likely to be slug food).

Galium odoratum

Sweet woodruff is also known as lady’s bedstraw as historically that’s was its main use. All parts of the plant are aromatic, so the plants were dried and then used to pack out mattresses to provide a sweet smell. It’s also used as an ingredient in a sweet wine aperitif called Maitrank. Bees and other pollinators love the small clusters of star-like white flowers which appear from late spring to mid-summer. As Galium odoratum spreads by underground rhizomes and can creep into lots of places. I’ve found it less ‘enthusiastic’ if it’s grown in shade, and it will still flower well.

Hardy Geraniums are amongst my favourite plants, both for my own garden and for those I design for clients. There is such a good range of flower colour, foliage shape and sun or shade preference, it’s always possible to find at least three to suit a given location. These are just two types which make good ground cover plants for your shady front garden.

Geranium macrorrhizum

Sometimes called big-root cranesbill. The rounded, lobed leaves are sticky and aromatic and often turn red in the autumn. Depending the cultivar, you have a choice of magenta pink, pale pink or white flowers. I’ve grown this particular Geranium at the base of a eucalyptus and not watered it once established. And also grown it in the shade of garage wall and in a damp area next to a bog garden. It grew happily in all of these – what’s not to like?

Geranium sanguineum

Decorative palmately lobed leaves and a more delicate appearance than Geranium macrorrhizum. It generally has a magenta pink flower, but there is a white version and also various named cultivars. Geranium sanguineum is also known as bloody cranesbill. Tolerant of both sun and shade (but not heavy shade), it is both a ‘good dooer’ and a pretty addition to your border.

Heuchera

Grown primarily for their foliage Heuchera, coral bells, come in a range of colours, from lime green, through pale orange, to purple and almost black. However, the attractive, scalloped or palmate foliage is not reliably frost hardy. Try growing under shrubs to add a little protection, or throw horticultural fleece over the plants if a prolonged frost is forecast. However, as a safeguard if your garden is exposed, you could take a small, rooted piece off each plant in autumn, pot them up and keep frost free over winter. Replanted in the spring, they’ll romp away to replace any casualties. Despite this, Heuchera is still a good plant for adding a colour other than green to shady borders.

Lamium maculatum

Also called dead nettle as, although the leaves resemble the stinging nettle, they have no sting. Lamium is a small, low growing, evergreen perennial. Colour-wise some Lamium have green foliage, others have green and silver variegated leaves, whilst flowers may be white, pale pink or magenta. There are some delightfully decorative cultivars to choose from including Lamium ‘Beacon silver’.

Pachysandra terminalis

Japanese spurge, Pachysandra terminalis, forms a dense, evergreen carpet. It’s particularly useful for providing ground cover in dry shade under trees and shrubs. If it’s too green for you, there is a variegated form. Pachysandra prefers an acid soil, but I have found it will grow in a lightly alkaline soil, but it isn’t then as vigorous.

Pulmonaria

Unflatteringly known as lungwort due to the Doctrine of Signatures (where a plant was named for the part of the body it could heal) this is a most delightful garden addition. Generally, Pulmonaria is best grown where it gets dappled shade or morning sun only, although the silver leaved cultivars thrive when grown in a slightly sunnier spot. But even these silver leaves can burn if they’re exposed to the strong summer’s afternoon sun.

Pretty blue, purple, pink, white flowers in spring are held slightly above the mound of foliage. There’s plenty of variety in leaf colour as they may be green, green spotted with white, or black, or silver. And then some Pulmonaria have long narrow leaves, whilst others are wider. With all this going on, you’ll expect me to truthfully say that the plants will provide interest from March through to November.

Vinca minor

The lesser periwinkle is a more delicate plant then the larger leaved Vinca major. Personally I feel it’s a better ground cover plant as a result, but both grow happily in shade. the leaves are evergreen and variegated forms are available. Flower colours range from blue to purple, lilac to white.

And finally

Hopefully, I’ve inspired you with these ideas for 11 ground cover plants for your shady front garden. But if you’d like personal help with a planting design for a front garden, shady or sunny or even for a herb garden or vegetable plot, then do please get in touch to ask about our design and consultancy services.

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