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A shady balcony is not a hopeless one. Many of the best foliage and flowering plants grow in places that get less than four hours of sun, and they often look better there, because strong sun burns their leaves.
Before you choose, find out what kind of shade you have. It changes the list.
What kind of shade is it?
- Part shade. Three to six hours of sun, often in the morning. Most of the plants below do well.
- Full shade. Less than three hours of direct sun, or only bright light. Choose ferns, hostas and mint.
- Deep shade. A balcony under a bigger one or facing a wall. Choose the toughest: ivy, ferns and hostas, and expect slower growth.
Watch the balcony at 9, 12 and 4 on a sunny day and count the hours.
01Hostas
Hostas are the classic plant for shade, with big leaves in green, blue or variegated. They die back in winter and return in spring. Keep slugs off them.
02Ferns
Ferns want shade and moisture. Boston, maidenhair and hardy outdoor ferns all fill a corner with soft green. Water often and never let the soil dry out.
03Heuchera (coral bells)
Heuchera has leaves in purple, lime, orange and silver all year, with small flowers in summer. It adds color in places where flowers will not.
04Impatiens
Impatiens flower all summer in shade, in pink, red, white and orange. They are annuals in cool climates and suit window boxes.
05Begonias
Begonias flower in shade and tolerate pots well. Wax begonias are the easiest. They need a drained pot and no soggy soil.
06Fuchsias
Fuchsias hang in baskets and carry dancing red and purple flowers. They like cool, shady spots and regular water.
07English ivy
Ivy grows almost anywhere. Let it trail from a pot or climb a trellis for a green wall that works in deep shade. Check that your building allows it near walls.
08Mint
Mint likes some shade and spreads, so it is best in its own pot. It is the herb to try first on a shady balcony. See the balcony herb garden guide.
09Parsley and chives
Both grow well with three or four hours of sun. They give you a crop from a shady balcony where tomatoes would not.
10Lily of the valley and astilbe
Lily of the valley gives scent in spring and astilbe feathery flower plumes in summer. Both like moist, shaded soil.
11Japanese forest grass
Hakonechloa makes a soft arch of green and gold in shade and moves in the wind. It suits a tall pot in a corner.
12Cyclamen and primroses
For autumn and early spring, cyclamen and primroses add color when little else does. Both prefer cool shade.
How to care for plants in shade
- Water less often than in sun, but check the soil with a finger. Shade pots stay wet longer.
- Use a pot with drainage and light potting mix. The potting soil calculator shows how much you need.
- Feed lightly. Shade plants grow slowly and need less fertilizer.
- Turn the pots every week so all sides get light.
- Watch for slugs on hostas and tender leaves.
Pots and stands
Raise pots on a stand so you see them from the chair and the air can circulate.
For a layout that uses height, see vertical garden ideas for a balcony.
Before you pay
- Check the plant's hardiness against your winter.
- Buy small plants and let them grow rather than large ones that shock in a new place.
- Ask the seller for a live-arrival guarantee when ordering online.
- Match the pot size to the plant, not the other way around.
