Now that I’ve lived in Colorado for over a year, I’ve had the chance to learn which plants truly thrive here. If you’re working with a shady garden, you’ll love exploring the many shade perennials Colorado gardeners can grow successfully. These plants bring beauty not only to local landscapes but also to gardens in many other regions.
What are Perennials?
Perennials are plants that can live for years in the right conditions. I still sometimes get these confused with annuals, which are plants that grow for only a single season. The shade-loving perennials below are a great way to enjoy the same plants for many years in your yard.
Shade-Loving Plants
Not all shade perennials are made the same. Some tolerate more or less shade than others. There are perrenials that only grow well in full shade or partial shade. Full shade perrenials don’t need any sun, while part shade plants need about 3-4 hours of sun a day. You will want to plan out your garden based on the type of shade your plants prefer.
Shrubs
Here are some shrubs that thrive in the cool, sheltered conditions of a Colorado shade garden. These hardy choices can brighten darker corners, add structure to the landscape, and pair beautifully with your favorite shade-loving perennials.
Rhus Trilobata
Rhus trilobata is also known as Skunkbush. This shrub can grow up to 3 feet high. Small yellow flowers, along with red fruit grows from this shrub.
Golden Currant
Golden currant is another small shrub that blooms bright, yellow flowers. These plants are easy to grow for beginner gardeners. They are also known to attract pollinators.
Wax Currant
Wax currant can grow up to 3-6 feet tall and wide. Small pink flowers grow from light-green leaves that turn yellow in the fall.
Rhus Glabra
Rhus labra is also known as smooth sumac and is a shrub that can grow 10-20 feet high. The fern-like leaves can add lush foliage to your outdoor space. Female plants produce yellow-green leaves and flowers, then red berries in the winter.
Oregon Grape Holly
The Oregon grape holly is a semi-evergreen shrub that prefers partial sun. Bright yellow, delicate flowers bloom against dark green leaves on this plant.
Holodiscus Dumosus
Holodiscus dumosus is a low-growing shrub that is part of the rose family. Small pink, white flowers add some color to this plant and to your garden.
Small Trees
Below is a small tree that can adapt well to the shaded areas of Colorado gardens. These compact, resilient plants offer height, texture, and seasonal interest while blending beautifully with other shade-loving perennials.
Prunus Virginiana
Prunus virginiana is also known as choke cherry and is a shrub or small tree canopy. It can grow 20-30 feet tall and produces white flowers along with red fruit.
Shade Perennials Colorado Must Haves
Here are some perennial favorites that bring reliable color and charm to shaded Colorado gardens. Most of these are flowering plants that return year after year, adding soft blooms, texture, and interest to even the dimmest corners of your landscape.
Coral Bells
Coral bells are perennials that are easy to grow for those who are new to gardening. The large leaves come in a vibrant color of all kinds.
Sweet Woodruff
Sweet woodruff prefers part sun or growing in full shady areas. Tiny, white flowers bloom among small, vibrant greens that make up the foliage of this perennial.
Campanula Rotundifolia
Campanula rotundifolia is a type of bellflower. These lavender-flowered plants grow well in the intense Colorado sun.
Virginia Bluebells
Virginia bluebells are another type of perennial that produces bright blue flowers. Get these bluebells planted before early spring, since they are known to be gone by early summer.
Bigroot Geraniums
Bigroot geraniums grow large pink and purple flowers during the spring in full sun or part shade. Mix and match with other perennials to enjoy color throughout the year.
Lady’s Mantle
Lady’s mantle is a great way to add more greenery to your Colorado garden. Tiny, yellow flowers bloom among large leaves on this old-fashioned European perennial.
Lenten Rose
The Lenten rose is a hybrid of the hellebore rose. Flower buds grow during the summer and bloom in the late winter months. Mature plants can produce 50 or more flowers.
Grasses
Here are a few perennial grasses that can handle Colorado’s unique climate and pair beautifully with the shade perennials Colorado gardeners love. These hardy varieties add movement, texture, and subtle color to your shaded garden spaces.
Elymus Canadensis
Elymus canadensis is a type of perennial grass that grows well in Colorado gardens. It only grows a few feet tall and thrives in cooler climates. This plant is perfect for those who prefer low-maintenance plants.
Festuca Saximontana
Festuca saximontana is the scientific term for Rocky Mountain Fescue. This short grass only grows up to 2 feet tall, but is a great way to take up emply space in a perennial garden.
Denver Botanic Gardens
If you ever get a chance to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens, I highly recommend it. This beautiful public garden grows all types of plants, including shade-tolerant perennials, mature trees, and native plants at a high elevation.
Although not perennials, the large pond with water-wise plants is a must-see when you visit this garden located in the Front Range of Colorado.
Shade Perennials Colorado FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions about shade perennials Colorado gardeners will want to know about.
What kind of perennials do well in shade?
As stated above, there are a variety of perennial plants that do well in shade. Make sure you know how much or how little shade your garden has before planning your Colorado perennial garden.
Many shade-loving perennials thrive in the cooler, protected conditions that shady areas provide, especially those adapted to woodland environments. Choosing plants that naturally grow in dappled forests or deep understories will give you a garden that returns reliably year after year.
What plants grow well in heavy shade?
Many perennials grow beautifully in deep shade, including hellebore flowers, colorful coral bells, Oregon grape holly, sweet woodruff, and Virginia bluebells. These plants naturally thrive in woodland environments, making them reliable performers even in the darkest corners of your garden.
Choosing a mix of foliage texture and bloom times will help your full-shade perennial garden stay interesting and vibrant throughout the growing season.
What flowering bushes like full shade?
Oregon grape holly thrives in full shade because it’s naturally adapted to woodland and forest-edge environments, where sunlight is minimal. Its thick, leathery leaves are designed to handle low-light conditions without losing vigor, and it maintains strong evergreen growth even under dense tree canopies.
Unlike many shrubs, it still produces bright yellow spring flowers in deep shade, making it one of the few reliable flowering bushes for dark Colorado garden areas.
What shrubs grow in dry shade in Colorado?
Oregon grape holly is the best performer, staying healthy and blooming even under dense trees. Skunkbush sumac can tolerate dry shade once established, and wax currant may survive there, though flowering will be minimal.
Shade Perennials Colorado Conclusion
I hope this guide helps you feel more confident choosing the right plants for those tricky shady spots in your garden. With so many beautiful shade perennials Colorado gardeners can rely on, you’re sure to find a few favorites that bring color and life to even the darkest corners. Have fun experimenting, and happy planting!