Rick’s Picks for Shade | Effinger Garden Center in Belleville, Illinois

Rick’s Picks for shade include old fashion favorites like astilbe and hostas as well as newer varieties of shade tolerant plants like certain coral bells which can handle our summer heat and humidity. Most shade loving plants can tolerate, and some even prefer, a few hours of morning sun.

	Anemone Honorine Jobert Lovely single-white flowers with striking yellow centers are held on long strong stems that make them perfect for cutting. Easy to grow and vigorous. Blooms late summer into fall so great for late season color.
	Aralia Sun King This hardy, but tropical looking perennial brightens up the shade garden. Large bright gold leaves and tiny white flowers that produce purple-black berries in the fall. 3 ft. tall and deer resistant.
	Astilbe Visions Raspberry pink plumes are sweetly fragrant with a dense pyramidal shape. Green leaves with a course texture forms a robust clump. The Visions series displays good heat and humidity tolerance. A staple shade garden plant.
	Dicentra or Bleeding Heart Valentine Bright red Heart-shaped flowers with a white tip dangle from reddish arching stems. Quickly forms a robust clump of attractive foliage. 30 inches
	Dryopteris or Autumn Fern Brillance Lustrous young orange fronds light up against the glossy deeper green color of the mature fronds. Best golden color with a bit of morning or late afternoon sun. Very pretty in the shade garden. 18-24 inches
	Helleborus or Lenten Rose Lenten Rose is a lovely, underused shade plant or ground cover. One of the few truly evergreen plants remaining attractive all winter. Thick leathery leaves have beautiful rose shaped flowers early in the season, around Lent. Blooms right up until early summer. 10-12 inches and deer resistant.
	Hosta Rainbow’s End Shiny, bright yellow leaves of good substance have dark green margins. Centers turn creamy white in summer. Showy red stems have dark lavender flowers midsummer. 12 inches.
	Lamium or Dead Nettle Beacon Silver This ground cover with heart-shaped silver leaves and thin green margins really brighten up the shade. Pink flower appear in late spring and last for several weeks. Beacon Silver may melt down in extended hot summer weather but perks back up in fall. 4-8 inches tall.
	Tradescantia or Spiderwort Concord Grape Triangular concord grape blossoms begin in early summer and flower up to 8 weeks. Frosted-blue foliage remains clean and compact all season. 5-18 inches tall.
	Viola Rebecca Dainty-looking but tough white and yellow flowers flecked throughout with deep violet. Foliage is evergreen. Compact habit and delightful vanilla fragrance. Some early morning or late afternoon sun best for blooms. 8-10 inches tall.