26 Best Shade Annuals for Those Bare Spots in Your Garden
These pretty flowers will add beauty around trees, near taller plants, or anywhere with some shade.
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Not every part of the garden can be your favorite sunny spot. Whether you've got a dwarf tree or another structure casting shade, or just some tall plants you'd like to fill in around, it's a sure thing there'll be spots that aren't great for your sun-loving annuals or perennials.
But they don't need to be bare! You can fill in spots with a few shade-loving perennials as well as these annuals. Annuals live for only one season, but they allow you to shake things up and change your planting plan every year so it never gets boring.
With a vast number of sizes, forms, and colors, annuals often bloom from spring to frost for a season-long show. Bonus: some annuals drop seeds, so baby plants often pop up next year on their own (yay!).
Before choosing your plants, observe your garden at different times of day. How many hours of direct sunlight does it get? Does it only receive shade in the morning then blazing hot afternoon sun? This is an important thing to assess so you don't put a shade lover in a spot that's really not that shady after all. Make sure to read the plant tags or descriptions, too, to learn which annuals will tolerate a little part sun (up to 3 to 4 hours per day), or full shade, meaning no direct sunlight. And be sure if you plant in box containers or pots that you water flowers frequently. Pots can dry out very fast in the summer's blazing heat even if they are located in shaded areas of your dazzling space.
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Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida)
This stunning shade-loving plant can be grown indoors as a houseplant or outdoors in cooler climates as an annual. Though it has tiny flowers, it's the deep purple leaves that really catch the eye.
Snapdragons
These pretty pollinators will bring butterflies and more to the garden. Plus, they're super fun to play with! They like sun, but especially in the heat of the summer, a bit of afternoon shade will ensure they keep going.
Polka Dot Plant
Fun spotted foliage in shades of white, red, or pink make these heat-tolerant plants a winner for dressing up shady spots. They’re great potted alone or in a mixed container for a splash of color. Bring them indoors for winter as a houseplant in cold climates.
Nasturtium
These pollinator-friendly flowers will handle part shade with ease, and they're very easy to grow!
Forget-Me-Not
These classic flowers offer a delicate beauty and will easily tolerate some shade—but be careful which you get! Though some species are native, others are invasive. They can grow as perennials in many places, but the safest bet is to grow them as annuals, removing the plants after they flower and before they begin to seed.
Floss Flower (Ageratum)
These summer-blooming classics offer a distinctive fuzzy-looking top and come in gorgeous blue and purple colors. You'll likely have to grow them from seed. They will tolerate some shade, but need at least partial sun.
Calibrachoa
These gorgeous flowers come in a wide array of colors. They will tolerate part sun and look great in the ground or in hanging baskets.
Begonia
Begonias bloom continuously until a hard frost, and you never have to fuss with pinching off spent blooms (called “deadheading”) to keep them going. They come in an array of gorgeous colors from palest pink to hot and spicy orange.
Sweet Potato Vine
This hardy vine, also called ipomoea, is grown for its beautiful leaves in shades of burgundy or chartreuse. Give it plenty of space because this vigorous grower tends to take over the pot when planted with other annuals.
Torenia
Also called wishbone flower, these purple, white, or pink annuals, which resemble snapdragons, attract hummingbirds. They’re perfect for window boxes! Plant them alone or in a mixed container to drape over the sides.
Coleus
Coleus comes in every imaginable color ranging from lime green to deep burgundy with flat or frilly leaves. They're available in many different heights, and some will take a little sun, too.
Dichondra
This silvery, cascading plant doesn't mind the heat, and it looks amazing tumbling out of baskets and window boxes. It will take part sun.
Stock (Matthiola incana)
A favorite in Victorian gardens, this flower's sweet scent will show you exactly why it was once so popular! It's not easy to find as plants, so you likely will have to grow from seed.
Impatiens
Some types of impatiens are more disease resistant than others, which have succumbed to powdery mildew in recent years. The upright plants with large flowers do best in shade, though they will take a little sun if you keep them watered. Try New Guinea impatiens, or "Beacon Paradise."
Browallia
The pure white or brilliant blue flowers on this plant bloom profusely and love the heat. They look best in hanging baskets or mixed with other shade-lovers in containers.
Lobelia
Blue, purple, or white lobelia is so pretty cascading over the sides of containers or hanging baskets. It likes part shade and blooms best before nighttime temperatures get too warm; if it starts to look shaggy, trim it back and it will revive when cool weather returns.
Caladium
Huge heart-shaped leaves make this a favorite accent plant. The colors are so brilliant that they almost don't look like real plants! You can enjoy caladiums as annuals, or dig up the tubers before a hard freeze, store them in a cool, dry place, and save them to plant again next spring after all threat of frost is past.
Nemesia
These adorable plants look like teeny orchids. Nemesia likes sun, but when nighttime temperatures stay in the 70s, they’re not happy. Give them afternoon shade to keep them blooming from spring to frost.
Balsam
This heirloom flower was well-loved by the Victorians. They bloom early and profusely. Masses of flowers on sturdy stems make this a lovely cut flower, too, and they look right at home in cottage or country gardens.
Avoid Himalayan Balsam, as it is invasive.
Sweet Alyssum
This low-growing annual will tolerate part sun and is beautiful planted in masses. It has a slightly sweet fragrance and will keep going until frost. Some types self-sow, so it may return next year. Pollinators love it!
Arricca Elin SanSone is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content developer. She specializes in lifestyle and interior design content with a focus on gardening. Arricca earned dual bachelor’s degrees summa cum laude in English and classics from Hiram College, as well as an MBA cum laude from Georgia Southern University. Before writing full-time, Arricca studied in Rome, traveled in Europe, and taught school in Asia. With over a decade of experience, Arricca has pitched, researched, and crafted fresh story ideas and content to appeal to national audiences. She has written thousands of articles for print and digital publications such as Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, House Beautiful, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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