Shade-Loving Annuals

There’s so much to love about this enormous, shade-loving plant family. Available in a variety of colors, Rieger Begonias are one of the most common shade-loving varieties we grow. They bloom non-stop and they thrive in mixed containers as well as the landscape. Dragon Wing Begonias grow well in containers, hanging baskets, and the landscape. They are low maintenance and thrive in both sun and shade. Rex Begonias are recognizable by their unique foliage colors and texture and they perform wonderfully in the shade garden.

One of the most popular hanging baskets we grow every season, Boston Ferns are a Northeast Ohio favorite for gardens, porches, and patios in the shade. They’re easy to care for and they add fantastic foliage texture to any space. Bonus? These beauties can be transitioned indoors and treated as houseplants over the winter months so you can enjoy them year after year.

Trailing Fuchsia is one of the most popular hanging baskets we grow here at Petitti’s. This shade-loving powerhouse flowers continuously in part shade to shade from spring to fall. Their gorgeous, pendulous blooms come in variations of light pink and white, dark pink and white, and even vibrant pink and purple. Fuchsia are excellent hummingbird attractants due to their tubular bloom shape and vibrant colors. We most commonly think of them in hanging baskets, but did you know we also grow upright varieties? They make fantastic fillers for shade combo planters and grow well in shady borders in the landscape.

One of the most versatile foliage annuals we grow, newer varieties of Coleus have been bred to tolerate full sun to full shade conditions. They can be used as a thriller or filler in any garden and they perform well when planted in the landscape. Their gorgeous, variegated foliage shines in monoculture containers or when combined with flowering, shade-loving plants like begonias.

Both Alocasia and Caladiums are fantastic, shade-loving annuals that provide unique structure and foliage interest. Grown from tender bulbs, they’re commonly used in the summer months as a shade-loving thriller in summer combo planters or as an annual in the shade garden. During the winter months they can be lifted and stored with other tender bulbs or they can be treated year-round as a houseplant!

Another popular shade-loving hanging basket, Chenille provides vibrant color and unique texture not found in many annuals. This fine-textured, tropical plant produces bright red, fuzzy flowers throughout the growing season. If you have issues with deer browsing, Chenille is an excellent option because the deer typically don’t enjoy their fuzzy texture.

Hypoestes a.k.a. Polka Dot Plants have become a popular annual for the shade, especially as fillers in combo planters. These petite plants add unique foliage color in shades of pink, red, and white. Another perk? These plants are people and pet friendly as well. Shop Polka Dot Plant varieties available now in our Assorted Foliage department.

A Victorian classic with leathery, dark green leaves and deep eggplant purple, vanilla scented flower heads often used in fragrance and cutting gardens. They work very well as a “filler” plant in sunny mixed containers. Pollinators love them.

Often our go-to for “spiller” plants in annual combo planters and hanging baskets, there’s so much to love about Dichondara ‘Silver Falls’. It grows well in both sun AND shade. The gorgeous, heart-shaped, fuzzy foliage of this annual makes it a great deer-resistant option for combo planters and hanging baskets.  It continues to grow from spring to frost, creating a silvery waterfall of foliage that can grow up to 6ft. in a single season!