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Having a sunny garden is always admirable; however, there’s always something spectacular about improving your garden with tall container plants, especially when you intend for them to be used for shade.
Of course, this requires a bit of effort from you as you might need to design your plants or group them with different plants so you can have various colors in your garden.
So this means you can (if you want) have Spillers, thrillers, and filler plants in one container. This way, your container appears full. Besides that, almost all plants can do well in containers, provided they are in favorable condition.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the best tall container plants for shade so you can have your garden ooze with goodness!
Best Tall Container Plants For Shade
There are plenteous plants that are shade tolerant and would do well whether they are in partial or full shade. Many of them provide containers that can thrive during the frost, but it all boils down to choosing the right plant to grow.
See Also: Best Plants For Tall Narrow Pots
1. Fuchsia
In a shady spot, fuchsias are the best choice for your container. It is not necessary to deadhead these plants during the growing season. For a focal point, choose a variety such as ‘Baby Blue Eyes,’ ‘Cardinal Farges,’ or ‘Beacon.’ Fuchsia plants can develop root rot.
So we advise you to choose a container with adequate drainage and use potting soil that drains quickly.
An important thing you must not hesitate to do is leave your plant in good condition.
Generally speaking, fuchsias prefer cool temperatures during the day (60 to 70 oF) and cool temperatures at night (around 10 oF). Cool nights are especially important during the early spring growth process when new growth is pinched, and flower buds are forming.
Fuchsia would thrive in part shade to full shade. It would only need well-drained soil to do well. If you intend to start with fuchsia, you have various colors to choose from. You can go for purple, red, or even white blooms.
You must learn how to care for fuchsia so it will reward your garden with healthy growth.
2. Impatiens
Also known as busy Lizzie, impatiens is a good plant that would burst with blooms even in full shade. Little wonder, many gardeners would prefer it to many flowering plants.
Impatiens is one of the few bright-flowering plants that can flourish in full shade, especially Impatiens walleriana.
A mounding plant with single and double petals, impatiens can be found in a wide spectrum of colors, including white, pink, salmon, red, and purple hues. They make excellent hanging baskets and mixed pot plants.
This versatile flowering plant, commonly known as touch-me-not, grows best in a shady environment and can be grown as an indoor houseplant.
3. Coleus
Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) is tough and, to a great extent, a complex plant; however, it is relatively easy to grow. Plus, it thrives in full shades.
For somebody that likes or prefers plants with vibrant colors, it might be impossible to settle for Coleus. But Coleus is a great plant to try out if you are looking for tall container plants for shade. Moreover, some varieties have admirable colors.
If you also like to have robust colors mixed in your container, you might want to think again. Infused with vivid colors, Coleus is sometimes hard to mix with other plants. Be inventive and try colorful combinations; sometimes, they work. Or plant them alone as specimens.
4. Torenia
A beautiful annual plant, Torenia, also known as the wishbone flower, flowers throughout the summer in full shade. It is heat tolerant, and it is relatively easy to grow too.
Sometimes, those shady spots can look dull and uninspired if you don’t have the right plants. Torenia Fournier blooms vibrantly and generously in the shade. You only have to leave them in the right condition to do well.
Water and fertilize this beautiful plant regularly until frost; like fuchsia, you don’t have to deadhead it. It will thrive with regular watering and fertilization.
5. Coral bells
Plants like coral bells grow in tufts, with flower stems about 45 centimeters (18 inches) tall each. Its spikes are covered with pendant coral-colored flowers about the size of the lily of the valley bells. The leaves are found on short stalks rising from the base of the plant.
There are a variety of coral bells that are gorgeous and almost indestructible. Although they thrive in the shade, most coral bells can tolerate some sun and are drought-tolerant.
Coral bells have small blooms that are often indistinguishable, but their foliage is often a vibrant shade of peach or key lime, ranging in color from an almost black purple to a peach.
6. Begonias
Are you looking for plants to brighten up your shady areas? Search no more because begonias is a plant you would not want to choose over another.
There is nothing quite like a begonia’s colorful blooms to brighten up a shady area. In contrast to most flowering plants, begonias actually prefer shade.
They also never go into hibernation. Begonias bloom continuously from summer through frost once they begin blooming.
The begonia plant comes in several types. A wax begonia or an angel-wing begonia is usually grown outdoors as an annual or indoors as a houseplant.
Both grow from roots, are hardy in zones 9-11, and are ornamental. Rhizomatous and rex begonias have attractive foliage.
7. Persian Shield
Known as Strobilanthes dyeriana in the horticultural community, Persian shield plants have some of the most impressive foliage you can imagine.
You cannot underestimate the ornamental value of this plant. A glossy surface and a deep purple hue make the foliage of this plant appealing to you. There are several viable ways to grow this plant if you like it.
Persian shield plants grow well outdoors in hot, humid climates but thrive indoors when winters are cold.
8. Oxalis
Several species of Oxalis are suitable for shady containers, including Oxalis Versicolor, Oxalis triangularis, and Oxalis tetraphylla.
These species are commonly used in containers. White, peach, yellow, pink, and bicolor flowers are available; some varieties (such as O. tetraphyalla) are grown mainly for their foliage.
A lovely plant that plays well with others or looks beautiful on its own in a beautiful pot, this is an easy-to-grow plant. It looks lovely mixed with Fuchsia or Torenia.
If planted in partial shade, it looks great with Bacopa as well. The flowers are pretty, but this plant is all about color and texture.
9. Trailing lobelia
As a native of South Africa, trailing lobelia (Lobelia erinus), also known as blue lobelia, is a member of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae)
In addition to full sun, Trailing Lobelia can also thrive in partial shade. Hanging Lobelia varieties are best kept in baskets but can also be used as understory plants. Trailing lobelias that grow upright should be placed in a balcony box, pot, or bowl.
10. Creepy Jenny
Creepy Jenny is an herbaceous, semi-evergreen perennial in the Primulaceae (primrose) in temperate Asia and Europe. If you have always preferred flowering plants, then this might be a choice for another.
However, plants in containers do not always need to bloom. Creepy Jenny is a mat-forming perennial with lime-green leaves and a great choice for tall containers or hanging baskets.
It grows only 2 to 4 inches tall but shoots up to 2 feet long. It is a good spiller plant for containers or hanging baskets, where the light-green foliage brightens shady places.
11. Trilliums
Still, looking for a tall container plant for shade? You can settle for trilliums. Trillium is a wonderful plant that thrives in full or partial shade.
The trillium species belong to the Liliaceae (lily) family and are rhizomatous herbs with unbranched stems. Often called wake robins, trilliums are perennial spring bloomers with three petals attached to three leaves. They are slow to establish but later live for many years.
This might not be a good choice for you if you want to see growth in a few months. However, you will see results at the right time if you are patient enough.
12. Pansies
This early spring wonder is one of the most popular flowers in the gardening world and one of the most favorite among gardeners. Pansies are violets and native to Europe. We are so grateful that Europeans did not keep pansies to themselves.
The pansy is the most easily recognized flower in the Viola family. It has five petals and comes in a wide range of colors, from white to bright pink.
A few varieties of pansies have a delicate fragrance, most prominent in the early morning and dusk. These flowers bloom in the late fall, early winter, and early spring and can be seen worldwide.
13. Hostas
With hostas, even a dull, shady yard can be transformed into an elegant, low-maintenance landscape that looks beautiful from spring through fall.
Unlike most perennials, hostas are grown for their colorful foliage rather than for their flowers. Each variety is unique in its own way and has a different look.
To crown it all, it is a shade-loving plant that would require less of your effort when it is grown. And if left in the right condition, you are sure you will end up with a beautiful garden.
14. Petunias
Here’s another plant you should consider growing in your home. Whether as an indoor plant or you simply want to decorate your front door.
In addition to being bright, lively, and large, petunias bloom from spring until frost and smell wonderful. Petunias are also amazingly easy to grow in the ground and in containers.
Pro tips: these plants would only reward your effort if you care for them. Luckily many of them do not require your full attention to thrive.
Conclusion
It is not really tasky to find tall container plants for shades. This guide compiled the 14 best tall container plants for your ease. So, if you have come across any plant you want to try, now is the best time to do so.
If you want more flowers, you have them here in this guide. And if you want to settle for a greenish plant, Creepy Jenny is most likely a go-to plant for a greenish atmosphere.
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