Best plants for dry shade – 5 varieties that thrive in parched, gloomy spots in the garden
They're tough enough to tackle both conditions at once!
If you’re hoping to fill the shady gaps in your garden but still want the drought-tolerant benefits of sun-loving Mediterranean plants, you can have the best of both worlds. You’ll just need a list of the best plants for dry shade to hand.
It’s safe to say that drought-tolerant plants are becoming more popular by the year, but since most of them thrive in full sun, they generally aren't so compatible with shaded areas of the garden. That’s a problem for north-facing gardens, or those that sit in the shadow of taller trees and hedges – but thankfully, there’s a string of plants that are hardy enough to tolerate shade and dry soils.
Here’s a list of the best plants for dry shade, recommended by the experts, to give you some planting inspiration.
1. Lily turf
Lily turf (Liriope muscari) usually flowers from August all the way through to the autumn, so it’s worth planting ready-grown plants now, like these big blue lily turf plants from Gardening Express (or just after things cool down from the heatwave) for instant impact.
As luck would have it, it’s one of the best plants for dry shade – so it’s perfect for filling in those trickier gaps in the garden. It's also a brilliant drought-tolerant plant for pots if you're cultivating a container garden.
‘Liriope is great for a dry, shaded area as it has thick, tuberous roots that can draw up the minimal moisture available,’ explains Richard Barker, horticultural expert at LBS Horticulture. ‘Once established, it is very drought-resistant and can bounce back from dry spells that would kill other plants. However, if grown in shade, it may produce fewer flower spikes.’
Where to buy lily turf:
- Crocus: Buy big blue lily turf in 9cm or 2-litre pots.
- B&Q: Or, start growing white-flowered Liriope muscari 'Monroe White'.
2. Common polypody fern
There’s a long list of low-maintenance ferns that thrive in shade, and several of them can tolerate dry soils, too. The common polypody, an evergreen fern, is a plant I spotted in the pocket woodland garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and it’s also a recommendation of RHS award-winning garden designer Zoe Claymore’s for dry shade.
‘Fern-wise, Polypodium vulgare and Drypoteris affinis are some of the best native ferns that cope with dry shade,’ she says. ‘I used them in my RHS Chelsea garden on the recommendation of the National Collection holder.’
Where to buy ferns:
- Crocus: Order pots of common polypody fern.
- Thompson & Morgan: Drypoteris affinis is another recommendation of Zoe's for dry shade.
3. Barrenwort
When you’re browsing for the best plants for dry shade, you’ll want to make sure the root system can handle both conditions. LBS Horticulture’s Richard tells me that barrenwort can do just that.
‘Barrenwort is considered to be one of the best plants to grow in dry shade and can even thrive directly underneath trees,’ he says. ‘This is because once the plant is established, its tough, fibrous roots are able to compete for moisture underneath large trees. It also has large, waxy leaves that naturally lose less water from evaporation.’
Barrenwort is a beautiful flowering groundcover plant (it’s affectionately known as fairy wings!), and it becomes really drought-tolerant once it’s established. I’ve got my eye on the butter-yellow blooms of Epimedium × versicolor 'Sulphureum', which you can order from Crocus (although it won’t flower until next spring now).
Where to buy barrenwort:
- Thompson & Morgan: Barrenwort 'Lilafee' produces striking purple flowers.
- Crocus: Barrenwort 'Amber Queen' is on my wishlist, too.
4. Japanese spurge
If you’re looking for an ultra-hardy evergreen shrub that thrives in dry shade, Japanese spurge (Pachysandra) is one of the best choices. Its low-growing, glossy green foliage makes it one of the best groundcover plants for preventing weeds, too.
‘Another dry shade plant that has been successful is Pachysandra,’ agrees Zoe.
Pachysandra terminalis, which you can order from Crocus, provides shaded garden borders with colour and texture all year round.
5. Bear's breech
I'd never heard of bear's breeches (Acanthus mollis) before Zoe recommended it to me for dry shade, but it's on my list now. The ornamental flower stalks are stunning, and they're at their peak now until the end of summer, so it's the perfect time to add the plants to your garden – especially if you're wondering what to plant in July (just wait until the heatwave is over!).
'Acanthus 'Rue Ledan' produces really beautiful white flowers,' says Zoe. I've put it in some free-draining gardens in dry shade with success, and the foliage is a good contrast.'
Where to buy bear's breeches:
- Gardening Express: I love the look of Acanthus mollis 'White Water'.
- Dobies: Another beautiful Acanthus mollis plant for architectural borders.
These plants give you the best of both worlds: drought-tolerance and the ability to cope with shade.
