Shade Plants For Central Oklahoma

Loretta Aaron

The month of June arrived with hailstorms. Gardeners and their plants would prefer to have the moisture in liquid form.

With the advent of container grown plants, planting can continue for most of the year.

It is not necessary to have a large tree to provide shade for shade loving plants. The north side of the house, or any shaded area would work well.

Most shade plants require a soil slightly acid. My soil is alkaline. Twice a year I work in sphagnum peat moss. At the same time, I work in a small amount of a 10-20-10 fertilizer. If you have a small or large tree with a canopy of foliage overhead, you can create an area for shade plants. Do not use a pecan, maple or cedar. Check for a tree with a deep root system.

Most of my shade perennials grow happily under the canopy of my forty five year old Liriodendron (Tulip) tree. The root system goes deep.

The perennials listed here have all been part of my collection and have acclimated well to Oklahoma’s erratic weather.

Mertensia: Virginia Blue Bells

Brunnera: Blue flower spikes. Every few years a few seedlings will appear.

Campanula: There are several in this family that do great in our gardens. Blue Clip and White Clip. Joan Elliott. Glomerata, or clustered Bellflower, in white and blue. C. Persicifolia – white and blue bells.

Dicentra: Bleeding Heart. D. spectabillis. This is the large showy one with the drooping stems with the heart shaped blooms in pink or white. D. the fern leaf one with white or pink blooms, held upright. Varieties are Exima and Luxuriant.

Heucheras: Many cultivars with the dark foliage. The one most grown in our area is ‘Palace Purple’. When you check out these with the dark exotic foliage, several will follow you home.

Tricyrtis: Toad Lily. This is one of the easiest to grow, but it wants full shade. Any sun will result in brown foliage. The bloom is late, in October. Blooms resemble a small orchid.

Hostas: Variety is the spice of life. This family has variety. Small ones only six inches tall, to three foot giants. These are grown for the interesting foliage and texture.

Columbine: Many colors and forms, single and double. My favorite one is McKana hybrids with bold colors.

Astilbe: This one can be temperamental. From experience, I have found that it must be kept moist at all times. There are several colors, and they are still growing well, with moist soil at all times. They add a pretty spot in the shade garden.

Ferns: The variety of ferns that will grow well in our area is great. Look over the selection at your garden center. My favorite is the small ‘Japanese Painted Fern’. One of the easiest to grow is Osmunda, or ‘Cinnamon Fern’. In fall, cinnamon like stems appear. This one will grow to three feet tall.

The perennials bloom only one time. The planting can be kept colorful all season by the addition of annual plants that require shade. Some good annual shade plants are;

Impatiens: Many colors and single and double in form. Use three of a kind in a triangle planting among the perennials.

Torenia: This little gem comes in white and blue. Use these in small spaces between the perennials.

Begonnias: These are available in spring as bedding plants. Both dark foliage ones and those with green foliage would add color among the perennials until frost.