Herbaceous Perennials Suitable For Shaded Areas
| NAME | COMMON NAME | HEIGHT/WIDTH (cm) | SEASON OF INTEREST | PREFERRED SHADE? |
| Acanthus mollis A tall perennial with crinky, heart-shaped leaves; purple and white flowers. |
Bear's Breeches | 90 x 25 | April-June | Dry and Moist |
| Ajuga reptans Caitlin's Giant AGM Creeping, evergreen perennial with dark blue flowers. |
Ajuga | 15 x 70 | April - August | Dry |
| Alchemillia mollis AGM A clump forming and reliable perennial with frothy yellow/green flowers. |
Lady's Mantle | 30 x 45 | May - July | Dry |
| Aquilega vulgaris, varieties Bell - shaped flowers of various colours. Clump forming. Self seeds |
Grannys Bonnet | 90 x 50 | May - July | Dry |
| Asilbe x arendsia Green to bronze foliage with flowers of white,pink, blue or red. Prefers damp soil in shade. |
False Spirea | 80 x 25 | April-June | Moist |
| Bergenia 'Silberlicht' AGM Large-leaved rhizmatous and evergreen perennial. White flowers produced in mid spring and pink sepals. |
Elephant's ears | 45 x 60 | March-May | Dry |
| Convallaria majalis AGM Well known and loved Lily of the Valley; as popular as ever this rhizmatous perennial has recemes of scented flowers borne in spring over mid green leaves. |
Lily of the Valley | 25 x 45 | March-May | Dry and Moist |
| Corydalis flexuosa AGM Long flowering and mound forming |
Corydalis | 40 x 45 | May - August | Moist |
| Corydalis lutea Yellow flowers on mounded plants. Evergreen foliage |
Yellow Corydalis | 35 x 30 | June - August | Moist |
| Digitalis purpurea AGM Ubiquitous woodlander of considerable charm. Spires of speckle-throated flowers loved by bees. |
Foxglove | 150 x 30 | May - July | Dry |
| Disporum sessile varieagata A Rhizamatous perennial woodlander with lance-shaped leaves of green and with irregular white stripes. Flowers of pale cream in early summer. |
Disporum | 30 x 30 | April-late September | Moist |
| Dodecatheon meadia Amazing shooting star-like flowers of pink. Dormant during the summer. |
Shooting star | 15 x 5 | April-June | Moist |
| Doronicum x excelsum Harpur Crewe A woodlander bearing daisy-like flowers of yellow. Foliage of heart-shaped leaves in mid green. |
Leopard's Bane | 75 x 30 | April - July | Moist |
| Epimedium grandiflorum AGM A clump-forming perennial of small bronze flushed leaves and quite delicate flowers in pastels. Exquisite addition to the woodland garden. |
Bishops mitre | 30 x 30 | March-June | Dry and Moist |
| Epimedium pinnatum A rhizamatous and slowly creeping perennial woodlander with spiny leaf edges, of dark green. Yellow flowers in late Spring. |
Barrenwort | 25 x 35 | April-June | Moist |
| Euphorbia amagloides var. robbiae AGM Evergreen with spreading habit. Leathery leaves of mid green and can be invasive. Cymes of pale yellow. |
Mrs Robb's Bonnet | 80 x 30 | March-June | Moist |
| Geranium macrorrhizum Ingwersen's Variety AGM This woodlander spreads by rhizomes and has strongly aromatic leaves whuich are often quirte sticky. Pale pink cymes of flowers in early summer. |
Cranesbill | 30 x 60 | May-July | Dry |
| Geranium phaeum Herbaceous species of a clump forming perennial. In spring flowers of deep purple are produced. |
Mourning widow | 60 x 45 | May-July | Dry |
| Helleborus orientalis x hybridus Speckled - throated beauties of pastel colours produced from mid winter to mid or even late spring. Many cultivars are available. |
Lenten rose | 50 x 45 | March-May | Dry |
| Hepatica nobilis syn. triloba AGM A beautiful woodlander of cup-like flowers over mid green slightly hairy leaves. Very popular in Japan where the best forms are highly sought after. Hues of pink, blue and white. |
Liverwort | 35 x 35 | March-May | Moist |
| Hosta sieboldiana A large heart-shaped leaved perennial of grey-green. Pale lilac flowers borne in early summer. |
Plantain lily | 90 x 100 | May-July | Dry and Moist |
| Hyacinthoides non - scripta A strong growing woodlander with racemes of arching flowers, scented and bell-shaped. |
English bluebell | 40 x 10 | March-May | Dry and Moist |
| Iris foetidissima AGM An evergreen beardless iris bearing yellow or near yellow flowers. Loves wet conditions so is ideal for a bog garden or water banks that flood occasionally. |
Stinking Iris | 50 x 20 | July-October | Moist |
| Kirengeshoma palmata AGM A very distinctive woodlander with large broad, ovate leaves of pale to mid green leaves. Nodding yellow flowers of beauty. |
Kirengeshoma | 120 x 200 | July-October | Dry and Moist |
| Lamium maculatum A creeping rhizomatous plant with ovate leaves oftem mottled with silver. Pink, purple or white flowers. |
Dead nettle | 20 x 120 | June-July | Dry and Moist |
| Liriope muscari An evergreen tufted-like green plant of strap-like leaves and late blue flowers. Good ground cover |
Lilyturf | 30 x 45 | September-November | Dry and Moist |
| Lunaria annua The annual Honesty of pink flowers and attractive silver flattened seed pods used in floristry. |
Silver pennies | 90 x 30 | May-July | Dry |
| Lunaria rediviva Dark green triangular leaves that are toothed. Aromatic white flowers are produced in late spring which are followed by flattened seed pods used in floral art displays. |
Perennial Honesty | 90 x 30 | April-June | Dry |
| Pachysandra terminalis A great plant for ground cover; olive coloured foliage with small flowers in spring. |
Mountain spurge | 30 x 30 | March-April | Dry |
| Polemonium caeruleum A clump-forming perennial perfect for a woodland garden. Pinnate leaves and pale pink saucer-shaped flowers in spring. Originates from USA. |
Jacob's ladder | 40 x 20 | May-June | Moist |
| Polygonatum x hybridum AGM A rhizomatous woodlander with ovate to lanceate leaves. Pendant flowers of creamy white in late spring. Used extensively by Mrs Gertrude Jekyll. |
Solomon' seal | 150 x 30 | May-June | Dry and Moist |
| Primula, most and including: P. auricula, P.bulleyana, P.denticulata, P. japonica, P. polyantha, P. prolifera, P.vialii P.vulgaris etc. |
Various | 20 x 60 | Late winter to spring | Moist |
| Prunella grandiflora Invasive ground-covering perenial with ovate and toothed dark green leaves. Purple flowers on spikes during the summer. |
Large self-heal | 15 x 120 | May-July | Dry and Moist |
| Pulmonaria angustifolia AGM Excellent ground covering perennial with lance-shaped leaves of mid green colouration. Blue funnel-shaped flowers borne in spring. |
Lungwort | 30 x 45 | March-May | Moist |
| Pulmonaria saccharata A rhizamatous evergreen ground covering plant from Europe. Elliptic leaves spotted white with pink funnel-shaped flowers that change to blue. |
Jerusalem sage | 30 x 60 | March-May | Moist |
| Saxifraga 'Southside Seedling' AGM Leaves are spoon-shaped and pale green and formed in rosettes. Arched panicles of cup-shaped, white and spotted red flowers in early summer. |
Saxifrage | 30 x 30 | March-June | Dry and Moist |
| Saxifraga x urbium AGM A vigourously spreading perennial ideal for ground cover in lightly shaded areas. Leaves in rosettes are toothed and mid green. Loose panicles of white flowers flushes sometimes with pink. A lovely addition to any garden. |
London Pride | 30 x 200 | July-October | Moist |
| Tellima grandiflora A ground covering perennial, rosette formed with hairy scalloped leaves. Flowers white but tinged green in terminal racemes. |
Fringe cups | 75 x 30 | May-July | Dry |
| Tolmeia menziesii Maculata syn. Taffs Gold AGM A rhizamatous ground covering perennial of lobed, toothed, veined pale green leaves. Minute flowers of pink, slightly scented in spring and summer. |
Pick-a-back plant | 60 x 200 | May-July | Moist |
| Tricyrtis formosana AGM A multitude of small pink and white flowers held over lance-shaped leaves of mid green. Very unusual looking flowers resembling a toad. |
Toad lily | 75 x 45 | July-October | Dry |
| Trillium grandiflorum AGM A slowly spreading woodlander bearing most beautiful pure white flowers in spring. |
White Wake Robin | 40 x 45 | May-June | Moist |
| Vinca major 'Variegata' AGM Evergreen trailing sub-shrub with dark green leaves marginated cream. Flowers are star-shaped and produced throughout the summer. |
Varigated greater Periwinkle | 45 x 200 | April-late September | Dry and Moist |
| Vinca minor A creeping evergreen sub-shrub less invasive than Vinca major. Ovate dark green leaves and reddish flowers all summer long. |
Lesser Periwinkle | 20 x 200 | April-late September | Dry and Moist |
