Mostly Natives

Redwood Forest

Redwood Understory

Planting in Shade

Shade gardening is one of the more challenging situations for the home gardener. What causes the shade is the first thing to notice, this often dictates the density of the light. Trees allow a fair amount of light to filter through (depending on the type of tree of course), houses allow less, and overhanging porches on the north sides of buildings are the darkest.

When choosing shade plants it is important to consider form, foliage, and texture. Many of the plants that like shade don't have showy flowers but make up for it with unusual structure or foliage color. A variegated leaf can catch the eye as quickly as a blossom. And the contrast of different shades of green, a mixture of spiky leaves and soft ferns can be quite soothing.

* tolerates heavy shade / N California Native

Perennials
*Anemone
Aquilegia formosa (Columbine) N
Boykinia (Brook Foam) N
Cimicifuga (Black Snakeroot) *
Coreopsis Moonbeam
Corydalis *
*Darmera (Umbrella Plant) N
*Disporum (Fairy Bells) N
Epimedium
*Epipactus gigantea (Stream Orchid) N
Erigeron glaucus (Seaside Daisy) N
Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican Daisy)
Erythronium (Fawn Lily) N
Euphorbia
Geranium
Heuchera (Alumroot) N
Iris PCH (Pacific Coast Hybrids) N
Iris siberica
Libertia peregrinans
*Lilium pardalinum (Tiger Lily) N
*Lilium parvum (Alpine Lily) N
Limonium psidoclada (Perennial Statice)
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) N
Monarda (Bee Balm)
*Ophiopogon (Black Mondo Grass)
Origanum (Ornamental Oregano)
Penstemon heterophyllus N
Polemonium (Jacob's Ladder)
Potentilla gracilis N
Salvia greggii
Salvia guarantica
Sanguisorba (Great Burnet) N
Schizostylis (Crimson Flag)
Sidalcea malviiflora (Checkerbloom) N
Silene vulgaris maritima (Sea Campion)
Sisyrinchium bellum (Blue eyed Grass) N
*Sisyrinchium californicum (Yellow eyed Grass) N
*Thalictrum occidentale (Meadow Rue) N
*Tolmiea menziesii (Piggy-Back Plant) N

Grasses
*Acorus (Sweet Flag)
Baumea
Calamagrosits nutkaensis N
Carex Snowline
*Carex tumulicola (Berkeley Sedge) N
Chondropetalum tectorum (Cape Rush)
Festuca californica (California Fescue) N
Festuca rubra (Red Fescue) N
*Hierochloe (Vanilla Grass) N
*Juncus effusus (Soft Rush) N
Juncus patens N
Melica Torreyana N
Scirpus californica (Tule Grass) N
*Scirpus cernuus (Fiber Optics Grass) N
Sesleria autumnalis (Autumn Moor Grass)

Ferns
*Blechnum penna marina
Polypodium californicum N
*Polystichum munitum (Sword Fern) N
*Woodwardia (Giant Chain Fern) N

Vines
Calystegia (Morning Glory) N
Clematis
Lonicera hispidula N
Solanum (Potato Vine)
Vitis californica (California Grape) N

Groundcovers
Anemopsis (Yerba Mansa) N
*Asarum (Wild Ginger) N
Ceratostigma (Dwarf Plumbago)
Correa Carmine Bells (Australian Fuchsia)
Erodium (Heron's Bill)
Fragaria californica (Woodland Strawberry) N
*Fuchsia procumbens
Gaultheria shallon (Salal) N
*Lysimachia (Moneywort)
*Oxalis oregana (Redwood Sorrel) N
Salvia mellifera N
Sedum spathulifolium N
*Soleirolia (Baby's Tears)
Thymus (Lime Thyme)
Veroncia Georgia Blue

Trees and Shrubs
Acer macrophyllum (Big Leaf Maple) N
Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree)
Arctostaphylos (Manzanita) N
*Calycanthus (Spice Bush) N
Coleonema pulchrum (Pink Breath of Heaven)
Cornus (Redtwig Dogwood) N
*Fuchsia thymifolia
Garrya elliptica (Silktassel) N
Laurus nobilis (Sweet Bay)
Lonicera Gold Flame
Lyonothamnus (Fernleaf Catalina Ironwood) N
Mahonia (Oregon Grape) N
Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange) N
Physocarpus capitatus (Nine Bark) N
Pinus contorta (Shore Pine) N
Rhamnus californica (Coffeeberry) N
Ribes sanguineum (Pink Flowering Currant) N
Rosa californica N
*Rosa gymnocarpa N
Rosa woodsii N
*Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) N
Sambucus racemosa (Red Elderberry) N
*Sarcococca confusa (Sweet Box)
Sequoia (Coastal Redwood) N
*Sollya heterophylla (Australian Bluebell)
*Vaccinium ovatum (Huckleberry) N
Westringia

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