15+ Low-light Outdoor Plants that Can Survive without Sunlight

by Anna Scott · September 8, 2023

Hey folks!! Welcome back!!

Are you looking to beautify your garden area with low-light outdoor plants? If yes, then it is great to do so. Numerous outdoor plants will grow best in the shade or low sunlight.

If you have less space in your area or more, then growing these low-light outdoor plants would be best for that area. So, without wasting time, let’s get started.

Today we are here with another guide that will show you the best low-light outdoor plants that can survive without sunlight.

Table of Contents

Low-light Outdoor Plants that Can Survive Without Sunlight

Below is the list of plants that can grow without sunlight as they are low-light outdoor plants.

Dead nettle
Heuchera
Pulmonaria
Digitalis
Bleeding Heart
Fuchsia
Astilbe
Toadlily
New Guinea impatiens
Wax begonia
Corydalis Lutea
Spiderwort
Hosta
Primula
Formflower

Let’s know about these low-light outdoor plants in detail:

Dead Nettle (Lamium maculatum)

It is one of the variants of low-light outdoor plants that belongs to the Mint family.
Dead nettle originates from Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. It is named as dead nettle as its leaves are similar to the stinging nettles, but it does not stink, so it is named as dead nettle.
This variety can grow well in low light conditions making sure to keep the plant well-drained and moist.
It tends to produce various colored blooms in the shades of pink, red, white purple, etc. at the time of summer.

Heuchera (The Coral Bell)

Another type of low-light outdoor plant is Heuchera which is versatile. It is a perennial and it tends to grow very well in the low sunlight or no sunlight.
If you are feeding your plant with a good amount of water, then it is not important to provide it with sunlight.
Feed your plant with clayey soil and let it remain moist but not overwet.
Lastly, it is important to choose the right variety of coral bells which depends on the area you are living in.

Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

Pulmonaria is another type of flowering plant that is a low-light outdoor plant and produces silvery foliage in the plant.
It has various types some of its leaves or silver in colour, whereas some have only silver dots on them etc.
Its flowers tend to bloom at the time of spring and provide you with this colorful appearance that will look attractive.
Its flowers come in shades of pink, white, and even blue. So you feed your plant with shade or Low sunlight for its vigorous growth.

Digitalis (Foxglove)

It is another type of low-light outdoor plant that will grow well in your garden area. It belongs to the plantains family.
It is not only famous for its beauty but also serves as a drug named digoxin for various diseases of the heart.
It is a biannual plant that shows that it dies in 2 years and is native to the cold areas of North America and Europe.
Do not worry, as its seeds will germinate and begin to grow after some time. So, it will feed you with the amazing flowers every year.

Bleeding Heart

What about the bleeding heart? Yes, it is also the variety that tends to thrive in low-light outdoor plants. So, growing them in your yard would be a great choice.
You can add them up in the corners as they will put grace with its heart shapes blooms.
It even tends to produce ferny, bluish-green foliage that attracts everyone. Hardiness zone of this plant is 3 to 9.
Feed your plant with well-drained soil for its growth. You will observe the dormancy in the plant at the time of late summer, but they will bloom at the time of spring.

Fuchsia

Fuchsia tend to grow well in shady areas as they are not able to bear the heat for their growth.
Its species tend to form small shrubs in areas with mild weather. Its hardiness zone is 7-8.
They are grown in hanging baskets which look attractive with their stunning flowers.
So, to enjoy its fantastic blooms in the shades of purple, pink, red, white, etc. you have to grow them in your garden as they are one of the low-light outdoor plants.

Astilbe

One of the amazing varieties that produce spikey blooms is known as Astilbe, scientifically known as Arendsii ‘Fanal’.
It produces blooms that come in shades of white, dark purple, etc. that cherish your mind. It is one of those plants that if not grown, makes the shady garden area incomplete.
This plant will grow best in shady areas and feed them with sunlight for about 1-2 hours a day.
Its feathery flowers will create a fantastic look in your garden so provide your plant with good fertilizer that will keep the soil well-drained.

Toad Lily

Another variant of low-light outdoor plants is Toadlilies, hardy in zones 5 to 8. Though it has various types, people are in love with the white-colored blooms with tints of pink color.
This plant tends to spread easily and looks attractive with its vigorous foliage. Even its leaves tend to wrap around the stems, so it depends on which variety you choose for your garden area.
Its leaves and flowers look like orchids making it a great appearance for your garden area.
You won’t believe it but yes the visitors will not be able to distract their eyes from your garden area as Toadlilies will grow generously in your home garden.

New Guinea Impatiens

New Guinea impatiens is another type of low-light outdoor plant that is an annual and will be best for your shady areas in the garden.
You will observe them growing in the containers best as compared to growing them in the garden directly.
It is your choice to opt for any method of growing but both methods will add elegance to your garden area with its colorful blooms like red, orange, bicolor, white, and lavender.
It produces green-colored leaves in the plant with red-colored veins on them. It will grow about 4 feet high in your yard.

Wax Begonia

Are you looking to grow the plant with minimal maintenance? If yes, then Wax Begonia is the right choice for your low-light outdoor plants.
It is a plant that produces green-colored leaves with mounded and thick stems.
It tends to bloom at the time of spring with different colored shades of white, bicolor, red, pink, etc.
You can plant them in the containers and even at the borders, just feed them with good amounts of well-drained soil.

Corydalis Lutea

Corydalis Lutea is also known by another name Corydalis which is everyone’s favorite choice.
Being a perennial plant, it thrives well in an area where there is plenty of shade as it falls in the category of low-light outdoor plants.
It will grow high and grow as a weed but make sure not to provide them with more sunlight as it harms its growth.
At the time of winter, if the soil remains wet, then the plant can even die.

Spiderwort

Spiderwort is one of the versatile plants that can grow in any situation you provide it with.
So, it will be best suited in shady areas as it is one of the low-light outdoor plants that does not like the rays of sunlight.
It will tend to bloom in the time of summer in various shades of pink, white, and purple colors. So, growing this variety would be a stunning choice.
You will observe that the plant is drought tolerant and its flowers open at the time of dawn and then close in the evening.

Hosta

Hostas are also among those plants that lie in the low light outdoor plants whose leaves come in various sizes, colors, shapes, etc.
So, it depends on you to choose the variety you want for your home garden as when grow together, they show you a dramatic look.
It tends to cherish you with its blooms that come in shades of white, and lavender at the time of mid-summer till fall.
The plant needs well-drained soil for its growth. It will grow about 3 feet high in the hardiness zones of 4 to 9.

Primula (Primrose)

Another variant of low-light outdoor plants is the primrose which is unable to grow when placed under the full sun as it dislikes full sun.
So, if you want to grow the plant in your home happily, then you have to keep your plant away from the sunlight or feed it with low light.
It tends to grow in moist soil and a good amount of water.
So, you can place them near the waterside so that they can receive plenty of water for their growth.

Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)

It is one of the plants that is related to coral bells and tends to grow very well without receiving sunlight
It tends to produce numerous white-colored flowers at the time of spring, which will cherish your mind.
Being a perennial plant, it can be used as a cover crop. It is so that when the plant grows long roots in the plant begin to emerge in the soil, which will help the plant to prevent weeds.
Even scientists examined the cross-breeding of coral bells with the foam flowers.

Wrapping up the context

In this guide, you come to know that If you have less space in your area or more, then growing these low-light outdoor plants would be best for that area. So, read the whole guide carefully to know well about the low-light outdoor plants to grow In your garden area.

Thanks for reading! Happy gardening!