19 Best Potted Plants For Shaded Porch (With Photos)

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Your container garden cannot flourish without you getting the right plants to grow. The right plant is best suited for the light condition and other key conditions necessary for its well-being in your location. 

Now, if you are in search of the best potted plants for shaded porch, this article is all you need.

Let’s get started!

Best Potted Plants For Shaded Porch

1. Lenten Rose Ramble

(USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 9) 

You do not want a shaded potted garden without the tough, perennial plant called Lenten roses. 

When pink lenten roses are combined well with lime green euphorbias, purple viola, snowdrops, small witch hazels, or even yellow Acorus, they transform your garden into a visual work of art. 

The winter-flowering species of this plant are known and cherished for their foliage and diverse flower colors. 

The name ‘Lenten roses’ is gotten as a result of their bloom which usually occurs around the Easter period. They are also called Hellebores. 

Height Range: 8 – 48 inches Spread: 12 -36 inches.

See Also: Plants Suitable For Tall Narrow Pots

2. Astilbes

Astilbes are natural shade-loving plants

To get the best out of them, have different varieties with varying bloom times and heights planted on your shaded porch. 

They will keep your space continually lightened with their attractive and colorful foliage.

3. Impatiens 

(USDA Growing Zones: 10 – 12) 

Impatiens are best suited for bedding plants with diverse, bright colors. This annual, long-blooming plant is just what your shaded porch needs to come alive again.

They do very well in containers and are also fit for hanging baskets. The height range of impatiens is set at 6 – 36 inches and spread; 1- 3ft

4. Pansies & Viola

The compactness and vibrant qualities these two plants possess make them worthy of being classified among the best shaded outdoor potted plants.

They make your outdoor shaded gardens come alive with their vibrant colors. 

For a perfect result, grow the ‘Penny Red with Blotch’ variant of violas in several rows arranged in rows to get a vignette in the already bold crimson shade.

5. Hydrangea 

(USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9) 

Advantages of Hydrangeas include; long-lasting flowers and the availability of flowers in various colors. 

They make great container plants alone or when paired with begonias, lady’s Mantle, and ferns impatiens. 

Their height range is about 3 – 15 inches and spread; 3 – 12.

6. Hens and Chicks

Hens and chicks are succulent plant that grows perfectly in the shade and the sun. So, whether they are placed under shade or partial shade, they will be sure to thrive effortlessly well. 

An additional advantage is that they are low-maintenance plants, requiring minimal care and attention from you, unlike some other container plants. 

To make a stunning statement in your garden, plant a single succulent.

7. Euphorbia Dulcis (Spurge) 

Euphorbias provide the right kind of greenery a once dull, shaded porch needs to spring back to life. 

They have varying heights and spread ranges depending on the variety. 

Euphorbia Sylvia can sometimes be self-sowing, but that can easily be stopped and gifted to guests. 

8. Torenia (Wishbone Flower) 

(USDA Growing Zones: 10 – 11) 

Many gardeners have yet to realize how much of a shade plant the torenia is. 

Torenia is an annual trailing plant that blooms in summer, brandishing different colors that light up your shaded space. 

They have a height size range of 8 – 16 inches and a width of 8 – 12. They can be planted in mass or combined with astilbes, coral bells, or ferns.

9. Caladium

If you have been privileged to see an outdoor garden with Caladiums splattered everywhere without reservation, you will understand why they have to be on this list.

They make quite a unique show in your garden with their very attractive structure of leaves. 

Varieties to look out for are the Iceberg, Miss Muffet, Pink Symphony, and Candyland. 

The key to creating a vibrant shade garden is to plant all of these varieties of best-suited caladiums for shade together.

10. Hydrangeas 

(USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9) 

Hydrangeas will do well in shaded areas as well as sunny ones. Try out some climbing hydrangeas for your outdoor shaded pot garden; they make a divine vine. 

The dwarf varieties, too, like Little Quick Fire, make very great decorative plants. They are best paired with begonias, impatiens, lady’s mantle, or ferns. 

They have a height range of 3 – 15ft and a 3 – 12ft spread.

11. Begonia 

 (USDA Growing Zones: 8 – 11) 

Begonias rank high in the list of best-potted plants for shade. The plants are quite hardy and do well in almost every condition you can think of.

An additional advantage is their versatility and the plenty variety of flowers and leaf patterns from which they come in. 

Experiment with some of the beautiful, long, blooming colors of begonia and get your space to bounce back to life again. 

They make great window boxes and hanging plants on your shaded porch. 

Height Range: 6 – 36 inches. Spread: 6 – 12 inches.

12. Hosta 

(USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9)

Hostas are excellent shade-loving perennial plants which explain how they got crowned to be the “queen of the shade border” by many gardeners. 

They bless your space with the beauty of its foliage that presents itself in different sizes, colors, and patterns. 

They love full-shade exposure but will also tolerate partial sun. Hostas have a mature height of about 40 inches and a 15 – 72 inches spread. 

They look great as a stand-alone plant or when paired with bleeding hearts, astilbes, ferns, barrenwort, lungwort, etc

13. Fern 

(USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 11) 

Ferns have quite hardy variants that have no issues thriving in containers. Examples of such varieties include the maidenhair, Japanese, lady, and wood fern. When grown, they give your space a sort of natural greenery beauty.

They look great when combined with other shade-loving plants like the creeping Jenny, Caladiums, Coral bells, or coleus. 

They look equally beautiful when grown as a stand-alone plant.

14. Heuchera (Coral bells) 

(USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 9) 

Heucheras are cheerful perennials that can be used quite flexibly in the garden. Another striking feature of this plant is its unique foliage that comes in diverse forms, shapes, and colors. 

With Heucheras, you experience easy growing as they are quite hardy and tolerant of unpleasant soil and light conditions. They are great spreaders too, and have an overall height size of 18 inches and 30 inches width. 

The best plants to pair them with are coleus, hostas, or astilbe.

15. Fuchsia 

(USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 11, although varies from one variety to another) 

Wide varieties of Fuchsias detest the hot afternoon sun. You will find them in diverse blinding colors, all with magnificent blooms throughout its growing season. 

They make great plants for hanging baskets and window boxes.

Height Range: 6 -72 inches. Spread: 6 – 48 inches.

16. Boxwood

 (USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 9) 

Boxwoods are popular landscape plants. They come highly recommended due to their structured-looking shrubs and radiant color all year round.

They are great plants for shaded porches, have them arranged on either or both sides to give it that exquisite touch. 

Height Range: 1 – 20ft 

Spread: 8ft.

17. Coleus 

(USDA Growing Zones: 10 – 11) 

Coleus is available in different forms; trailing form is mostly used as spillers in containers, mounding forms are used as fillers, and good forms as thrillers. 

They make a grand statement on your shaded porch anytime, any day. 

Height/Spread Range: 6 – 26.

18. Alchemilla Mollis (Lady’s mantle)

Lady’s Mantle is a non-problematic plant in various sizes that suit your space needs. 

When this plant comes into contact with water, it forms beads that shine forth like jewels.

19. Primula (Primrose)

For primulas, you only have to feed it with shade and grow in moist soil to see it thrive without many issues. 

The advantages of this plant include its availability in size and any color you can think of.

How Do You Care For a Shaded Porch?

A shady garden might be difficult to manage without the right care practices. They include:

  • Quality potting soil enriched with fertilizer just before planting.
  • Consistent watering, especially when it gets to very hot summer months. 

This may result in nutrients escaping from the soil, but that can easily be resolved by augmenting with a water-soluble fertilizer every couple of weeks during midsummer.

Conclusion

There are so many issues that accompany too much shade. The growth challenges most plants to face under such conditions usually end up making them too leggy or even damaging them.

However, the solution is in the knowledge we have just dished out to you above. A shady porch should not stop you from having a stunning show of plants and flowers. We know how we associate the word ‘dull’ with shady areas but not anymore.

With our list of best-potted plants for shady areas, you can kiss the dullness goodbye as you incorporate these colorful plants that are bound to give your porch an overdose of vibrancy.

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