I am looking for plants that thrive in shadows
Colour and scent
Any help please

@Chrisarvor; could you let us know your location/hardiness zone? It will make a big difference for our recommendations.

Here are some that may work for you - lily of the valley, snakeroot, vanilla box. Perhaps honeysuckle depending on enough light - my native grows in dappled shade.

Please specify where you live its impossible to provide answers without a growing zone

Unless one disregards zones...

Such a plant would probably be invasive and possibly illegal

? Which plant??

Anything that can surivie in mulitple zones and isn't native is probably a bad idea to be planted depending on how aggressive it is

Granted it's too late for north america it will never be what it was botanically speaking that ende when the settlers came

Seems like kind of a large blanket. I rather look at brainstorming as a good thing - tossing out ideas that may or may not work, but might strike a chord, or open up other options. Many plants have numerous cultivars with a wide range of hardiness. That said, I am also a proponent of natives, and would suggest researching your local extension office website for additional ideas.

That's right, be careful of blanket statements. You can also 'push the zone' like you do, Alex. Growing tropicals indoors in Minnesota . . . that go outdoors in summer isn't introducing invasives.

That being said, Deb's suggestions might not work too well in the Deep South but wouldn't be invasive. They'd just probably die of the heat in summer or not enough cold dormancy in winter.

Chris, we really do need to know where you are at least city, state and country, before we can recommend plants for you.

I agree we need to know

Hello Chrisarvor! Aside from giving us an idea of your location, do advise if you intend to plant in ground or in a container.

Chrisarvor, to All Things Plants. Please, what is the climate like where you live?
By "in the shadows" will that be deep shade? or dappled shade? or on the shaded side of a building?
Sorry for so many questions.

Oops yes sorry. I live in Bulgaria we have real seasons -20 c in winter. Plus 35 in summer
I have an area behind my pool area shielded by the pool house
It's such a waste in summer nothing seems to grow ,,I have Marigolds and they grow everywhere even though I have never planted them !!!!
Any help please

Yikes. Between minus 4 F in the winter and 95 F in the summer. Whew. That's an interesting climate. Maybe it is comparable to USDA hardiness zone 4b, 5 or 6? Many Bulgarians came to America and settled in the area of Chicago, Illinois.

Hosta, Coleus, Daylily/Hemerocallus, Bearded Iris, Lavender, Phlox, Coral Bells, Salvia, Huechera ....um, what else?

Calycanthus is a shrub which has sweet smelling flowers and does well in the shade. Here is one example:


Ajuga is a good ground-cover plant. One example of Ajuga is the 'Chocolate Chip' which may be sold in your area as Ajuga x tenorii 'Valfredda'.


Astilbe will tolerate your climate.


When I think of a shade garden I think of plants with light colored leaves, variegated or light colored foliage, or light colored blooms.
Hopefully others will chime in with more suggestions.

Chris - is your shady area dry or moist or average? Do you do any type of irrigation in that area? Some shade plants like more moisture than others.

Maybe if planted in a container, you can try clivia plants or Brunnera macrophylla. But you really have to move them back indoors during your winter season.

Most of the things greene suggested are hardy perennials that will survive winters that cold, with a good generous layer of mulch or dead leaves. Coleus are easy to overwinter, just by taking cuttings into the house, and rooting them on a window sill for starters next spring. That's about the most colorful thing you can grow in deep shade.

Hardy periwinkle is a beautiful groundcover, blooms with nice blue or white flowers in spring, and also comes in a variegated form that is really nice. Spring flowering bulbs like tulips and daffodils are another nice thing in a shady area. The flowers last much longer in shade than in sun. You'd need to plant those in the fall, though. They make a wonderful combination with the periwinkle, coming up through the foliage in spring, then when they are finished the periwinkle grows up to hide the maturing foliage.

As Deb suggested above, Lily of the Valley is also wonderful in the shade, has nice foliage and the flowers smell heavenly. They only bloom for a short time though.

But Daylily, Bearded Iris and Salvia won't bloom well, if at all, in deep shade. You could plant them near the edges of the really shady area though, where they will get sun in the morning or afternoon. Anywhere your marigolds bloom, those would do well also. (yes, marigolds do seed themselves).

You could also try Hellebore , Trillium, and Tiarella.

hey thanks for all of those suggestions
My next task will be where to find them here and convert the name into Bulgarian so that will be fun
I am putting most things in the ground but a i am also changing the garden so i will try some raised beds
i like this site people are so helpful
thanks again