I’ve Grown All 10 of These Plants in North-Facing Gardens
This list was thoughtfully compiled by gardener Hannah Miller and reviewed by horticulturist Elizabeth Smith. Published to Ideas on the 7th September 2020. Updated: 6th October 2024.
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North-facing gardens typically receive little light during the day, especially outside of summer time.
I’ve tried all sorts of different plants in my north facing garden but the ones on this page have performed the best over the long term:
Hydrangea For North-Facing Gardens
One of my favourite plants for north-facing gardens is the Hydrangea Petiolaris. While hydrangeas usually prefer part-shade, this beauty thrives in full shade.
I’ve seen this climbing hydrangea grow extremely well on the rear wall of several homes; a part of the garden that often receives little or no direct sunlight.
I’ve also seen gardens where it’s grown up tree trunks and along sturdy fences.
This climber is self-clinging and vigorous but is not considered invasive.
As a deciduous plant, this climber’s leaves also turn a glowing yellow from mid-autumn into early winter before shedding for the remainder of winter and early spring.
Granny’s Bonnet (Aquilegia vulgaris)
Perfect for borders in a north-facing garden where sunlight only reaches the plant in the morning or evening, this perennial produces deep-coloured double flowers in spring and early summer.
We love the “Ruby Port” for its maroon-purple colour and early flowers.
Requiring little care and attention throughout the year, you can still expect this plant to grow up to one metre in height and spread to around half a metre.
Grow in borders, beds and sheltered rock gardens, I’ve found that this plant prefers moist yet well-drained soil that is fertile.
Mound-forming with upright stems, Granny’s Bonnet Aquilegia Vulgaris is a perfect companion for less colourful plants in a north-facing garden and I’ve paired it with ferns and grasses successfully in the past.
Masterwort Major (Astrantia Major)
Producing large, showy flowers that bloom from late spring through to early autumn, the masterwort is perfect for growing in shade and part-shade.
Florists highly regard masterworts for their large and unique starry petals that feature domed flowers in the centre. They make for excellent floral arrangements and grown in your shaded, north-facing garden; there’ll be plenty of unique interest.
I’ve previously grown this as a filler plant as it’s very suited to mixed borders with grasses.
My Masterworts grew up to half a metre high and half a metre wide and were sited in moist, well-draining yet fertile soil.
Masterworts are easy to divide (in spring), and with regular deadheading throughout the year, I was able to prolong the flowering into autumn. (Image by Nathan MacInnes)
Fairy Bellflower
Producing large, outward-facing violet-blue flowers from late spring into summer, this bushy evergreen perennial copes very well in part-shade and I’ve grown it in my borders with success.
Despite needing regular watering, I’ve otherwise found this to be a low-maintenance plant.Â
My garden isn’t in a windy spot but Fairy Bellflowers may require staking if planted in exposed locations.
Consider planting in mixed borders, I think they would work well under taller plants such as roses.
Growing up to one metre in height and just under a metre in width, I think this delicate perennial would suit a sheltered north-facing garden, perhaps in the borders where it gets some sun in the summer.
Great Forget-Me-Not
Brunnera Macrophylla, otherwise known as Great Forget-Me-Not, is ideal for covering moist, shaded areas of any north-facing garden.
Expect this ground covering herbaceous perennial to produce small but intense blue flowers in clusters from April to May.
I’ve had good results by growing this plant in moist and well-drained soil but it will struggle in a dry medium. It hates direct sunlight and won’t tolerate a full sun position, and I suggest a sheltered location, so consider borders along walls and fences.
Little maintenance is required other than optional yearly pruning and occasional division to keep the clump compact and neat. I’ve never had issues with pests or diseases and it dies back each year before re-emerging reliably the next year.
Image by UpstateNYer
Skimmia Japonica Combination
For my fifth suggestion I’ve chosen two plants; Skimmia Japonica “Rubella” and Skimmia Japonica “Obsession”.
Rubella is a male clone and Obsession is female. Plant these two close together, and they will cross-pollinate and reward you with an abundance of red berries on the female plant. Many of these beautiful berry clusters will stay attached well into winter and sometimes into spring too.
Both of these evergreen plants grow to around one metre in height, require little maintenance other than an occasional trim, and both tolerate shade well.
The male plant “Rubella” produces small red buds through the winter and then an explosion of white flowers in spring.
The female plant “Obsession” offer whitish-pink flowers from spring and red berries from early autumn into winter.
I think these two would make an excellent combination of plants in north-facing gardens and areas of dense shade.
7) Foxgloves
Most foxgloves are biennial, meaning that they live for two years and they usually only flower during the second year. These biennials will usually set seed so can be self-sustaining if the conditions are right.
Almost all varieties are poisonous if consumed so they aren’t suitable for gardens where young children may be present.
Digitalis Grandiflora (aka Yellow Foxglove) is my choice for north-facing gardens as it copes very well with full shade and produces unique yellow bell-shaped flowers on tall (up to one metre) spire-like stems in the summer.
Dorset Perennials has published an excellent guide to the different foxgloves, do remember that some prefer a little more sunlight than Digitalis Grandiflora, so do more research before buying.
(photo by gailhampshire)
Hostas For North-Facing Gardens
No list of plants for north-facing gardens would be complete without Hostas!
While there is a wide range of Hostas to choose from, all are long-lived and very easy to care for – watch out for slugs though, as they see Hostas as an all-you-can-eat buffet! Otherwise, Hostas as pest and disease-free, for the most part.
As a general rule of thumb, green-leaved Hostas thrive in the full shade while those with blueish leaves can cope with some dappled sunlight or light shade. Yellow-leaved Hostas do prefer some more sunlight, however.
No Hosta should be placed in dry soil as they all thrive in a moisture-retentive growing medium. Very few Hostas are full sun tolerant, but a list of those that are can be found here.
Hostas are one of the best foliage plants; they can add texture and unique interest to any north-facing garden. While many produce small clusters of white, purple or light blue flowers on tall stems, the bold foliage is the main attraction.
Expect plenty of groundcover as Hostas are perfect for filling in voids in shaded spots in the garden.
There are even miniature types (try Blue Mouse Ears) should you wish to grow them in containers or if you have a small garden.
Not sure where to start with Hostas? This database contains details of thousands of cultivars.
Coral Bells
The ruffled leaves of Heuchera (Coral Bells) are undoubtedly unique and are complimented by long vertical shoots containing dozens of small bell-shaped flowers.
This mound-forming perennial covers the ground well and is suited to areas of the garden that match their natural habitat, which is in woodland.
So choose a spot in full shade or with some dappled sunlight, keep the ground moist and with lots of organic matter for feed and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of textured foliage and in summer, dozens if not hundreds of small colourful bells on tall stems.
Coral Bells can be grown in pots and containers too, just keep the growing medium moist, well-drained and rich in nutrients.
We think this is one of the best plants for north-facing gardens; suitable companion plants would be Granny’s Bonnet and Hostas.
Read more about Coral Bells on the RHS website.
Lily of the Valley
As the name suggests, this flowering plant thrives in woodland valleys where sunlight is limited, and the ground is fertile and moist.
Lily of the Valley is a mat-forming deciduous perennial that produces highly scented bell-shaped flowers in the spring followed by clusters of red berries in the summer and into early autumn.
A word of warning though; this beautiful plant may be perfect for north-facing gardens, but it’s highly toxic, and the red berries could attract young children.
Also worthy of note is how quickly this plant forms a colony that covers the ground, so be careful when choosing where to plant Lily of the Valley.
Consider locating under taller plants such as roses or anywhere with full or partial shade.
Lily of the Valley is popular with florists as the stems can be used in floral arrangements.
More details can be found on the RHS website.
More Ideas and Inspiration
Meet The Author: Hannah Miller
Hannah is a former NHS administrator, mother of two and keen qualified gardener who loves growing new plants and experimenting in the garden.
She enjoys gardening as much as she cares about the environment and likes to share her knowledge with others.
This year is all about pollinators, and Hannah has set herself the goal of only buying new plants that attract pollinators; she aims to make the garden as bee and butterfly friendly as possible.
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Hannah Miller has been a gardening enthusiast for over 12 years and has a level 3 qualification in horticulture. She's constantly growing new plants and frequently writes for us.
As accuracy is important, we asked fully qualified horticulturist Elizabeth Smith to review and fact-check this guide.
Explore: Elizabeth's profile and qualifications.
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This guide to the best plants for north facing gardens was created by the team here at DIY Gardening
