Favorite Cut Flowers for Shade Gardens
/Shade-growing flowers are some of my absolute favorites for adding ephemeral, whimsical elements to arrangements! I hear from so many gardeners and farmers that their garden space is shady, and while many cut flowers need full sun, there are quite a few that prefer to grow in shaded areas. I’m sharing some of my top favorite cut flowers to grow in the shade. Plus, all of these are perennials that will regrow and bloom more vigorously year after year.
Toad Lily; Tricyrtis
Toad lilies look like mini orchids and are the perfect sparkle to add to arrangements! They are best grown from bare roots or plugs and should be planted in the spring or early fall. The will bloom in the late summer through early fall in the first year after planting; stems grow longer each year. We harvest when there are 2 or more flowers fully open. The plants prefer to be a little moist in my experience.
Japanese Anemone; Anemone x hybrida
Japanese anemones are the perfect whimsical, dainty addition to late fall arrangements, just when you’re getting tired of the same old summer flowers. These are best planted as plugs in the early fall or late spring and prefer well-drained soil. My favorite variety is ‘Honorine Jobert’ – they have 2-3’ stems and produce and abundance of blooms. We harvest once the side branch blooms are beginning to open.
Hellebores; Helleborus
Hellebores are the first flowers to bloom on our farm, giving the promise that winter will soon end. Hellebores take several years to mature, but they are worth the wait! The plant clumps grow larger each year, providing 10-12 stems per plant once mature. The flowers are best harvested once the stamens drop and seed pods have formed, but can be cut earlier with proper conditioning: Use a sharp knife to make several small slits up the stem; dip the stem in boiling hot water; place the stem in a vase with water reaching to the top of the stem; place the vase in a flower cooler or fridge for several hours before using. Favorite varieties are the Wedding Series, Ice N Roses and Brandywine series.
Solomon’s Seal;
Polygonatum
Solomon’s Seal are my favorite plants for foliage in spring bouquets. They are best grown from bare roots or plugs and take about 2-3 years to mature before cutting. Harvest once the stems form small white dangling flowers and they hold up beautifully. The stems have a gentle, natural arch, perfect for framing bouquets and arrangements. My favorite variety is the ‘Variegatum’ variety with variegated leaves. Though I would buy any plants that I can find!
Blackberry Lily; Iris Domestica
Blackberry lily, aka leopard lily, is called so because of the blackberry like seed pods it forms after flowering. These can be grown from plug or seed and spread quite a bit (I don’t mind it at all!). They bloom abundantly with 3-5 branches per stems and are best harvested when 2-3 the flowers per stem are open. I love adding them as a fun pop of color in summer bouquets. They look like an iris or lily when sprouting. Blackberry lily can be grown in the shade or full sun.
Geum
Geum are the cutest, most fun spring flowers! They are best planted from plugs and take about 3 years to become well-established with longer stems. Once mature, the stems will reach 15-20” long, though they are quite short the first few years. Harvest once the blooms of the side branches are opening, after the first center bloom fades. They are even lovely to use after the blooms are gone because they have an interesting fuzzy center. My favorite varieties are the ‘Cocktail Series.’ Geum can also be grown in the sun.
Other plants in my shade garden are Heuchera or Coral Bells, which I love for their dainty white blooms. I also grow Astilbe and Astrantia, but the plants are only 2 years old so I don’t feel confident enough yet to add them to my favorites list. I hope this gives you some fun inspiration for planting flowers in shady places!
Sourcing some of these flowers can be tricky, so if you are a home gardener I recommend buying plants anytime you see them or requesting them from a local garden center. Longfield Gardens carries many of these plants too and they ship across the US. Commercial growers can find plugs from Farmer Bailey Perennials, Walters Gardens and North Creek Nurseries.
