When we create our backyard landscape and garden, we often envision every area to be covered in colorful and bountiful plants. Sometimes, though, it can get tricky finding plants that will do well in shady spots.

For the areas in your yard that don’t receive too much sun, consider planting these ten shade-loving plants:

Bottle Rocket Ligularia
Perennial
Bloom Time: Early to late summer.  
Soil: Fertile soil.
Mature Size: 28-34 Inches.

This plant will make a statement in your shade garden with its bright mustard yellow flower spikes in summer. Very large, thick, serrated leaves form a compact plant. The plant likes water, so do not use in a dry part of your landscape.

ColorBlaze Marooned Coleus
Annual
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 24-36 Inches.

ColorBlaze Marooned adds dark contrast in the back of this landscape, and will happily grow in the sun or the shade all summer long.

ColorBlaze Dipt in Wine Coleus
Annual
Bloom Time: Grown for foliage.  
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 20-36 Inches.

ColorBlaze Dipt In Wine adds a dark accent to the middle of this flower bed. The dark maroon leaves with yellow accents is stunning, in the sun or the shade!

Kodiak Orange Honeysuckle Diervilla
Shrub
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 36-48 Inches.

This shrub pushes fall color to the limits with its glowing orange fall foliage. It lights up the autumn landscape, making it an eco-friendly alternative to burning bush. Bright yellow flowers in early summer add to its appeal. A durable native plant that thrives in sun or shade, its is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and can even grow in dry shade.

Shadowland Wheee! Hosta
Perennial
Bloom Time: Grown for foliage.
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 20-24 Inches.

This delightfully fun, extremely ruffled hosta adds interest to shady landscapes. Its green leaves have cream margins which widen as the plants mature, and the leaves are of good substance, making them more slug resistant. Light lavender flowers appear midseason.

Ablazin Tabasco Salvia
Annual
Bloom Time: Planting to Frost. 
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 18-26 Inches.

Ablazin Tobasco Salvia shows off the power of a bold color in the back of this landscape bed. Expect color all summer long, sun OR shade!

Dolce Blackberry Ice Coral Bells
Perennial
Bloom Time: Grown for foliage. 
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 20-26 Inches.

This heuchera is hardy to zone 4, and has purple and black foliage with a silver overlay. There’s always places to tuck a variety like this into your landscape.

Fun and Games Leap Frog Heucherella
Perennial
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 8-10 Inches.

This easy-to-grow perennial is prized for its attractive foliage and its ivory flowers that bloom for many weeks. Chartreuse yellow spring foliage has deep burgundy centers and mellow to green with purple centers in summer. Hardy to zone 4.

Ablazin Purple Salvia
Annual
Bloom Time: Planting to frost. 
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 18-26 Inches.

Ablazin’ Purple Salvia will add spikes of eggplant-purple flowers to your landscape all season. With a height of 28″ it would be best in the middle or back part of your flower bed.

Pegasus Begonia
Annual
Bloom Time: Grown for foliage.
Soil: Average Soil.
Mature Size: 12-18 Inches.

Pegasus Begonia has thick, deep-green leaves with silver overlays. This upright foliage variety is stunning on its own, or as the thriller in a combination container. Combine with other shade lovers for a spot under a tree, or the darker corner of your deck. Will reach 16″ in height with a spread of 18″. Best in part to full shade.