The Most Popular Perennials for Shade in Zone 9

Lenten Rose

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 148 varieties. Nodding flowers open in late winter above handsome, often evergreen foliage.

Forget-me-not

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 10 varieties. Clouds of tiny blue flowers soften spring edges and mingle easily with bulbs.

Bleeding Heart

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 21 varieties. Heart-shaped flowers hang from arching stems above finely divided spring foliage.

Sedge

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 90 varieties. Sedges offer an exceptional range of textures for weaving through difficult sites.

Barrenwort

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 86 varieties. Tough, spreading foliage and tiny spring flowers excel in dry shade.

Coral Bells

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 178 varieties. Scalloped foliage supplies season-long color in shades few perennials can match.

Plantain Lily

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1130 varieties. Bold, sculptural leaves make shade feel lush even when little is flowering.

Lilyturf

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 20 varieties. Strappy evergreen clumps define edges and tolerate the root competition beneath trees.

Toad Lily

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 33 varieties. Orchid-like, speckled flowers appear in shade at the close of the season.

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 131 varieties. From creeping mats to tall fragrant panicles, phlox fills several garden layers.

Lady Fern

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 35 varieties. Finely cut fronds, often silver or burgundy-tinted, illuminate dark corners.

Lungwort

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 36 varieties. Spotted silver leaves follow color-changing spring flowers in cool shade.

Foamy Bells

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 31 varieties. This foamflower–coral bells hybrid combines vivid leaves with frothy spring bloom.

Foamflower

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 16 varieties. Foamy flower spikes rise above patterned leaves that spread gently through shade.

Violet / Pansy

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 39 varieties. Small, expressive flowers bring early color and often seed into charming colonies.

Goat's Beard

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 7 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 46 varieties. Intensely colored flower spikes bring hummingbirds to both borders and damp ground.

Foxglove

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 31 varieties. Tall columns of speckled bells create instant woodland drama and feed bumblebees.

False Spirea

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 58 varieties. Feathery plumes brighten damp shade while divided foliage stays handsome afterward.

Wood Fern

Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 73 varieties. Substantial, shuttlecock-shaped fronds give shade beds dependable backbone.