14 Low Light Container Plants for Shaded Porches and Patios

Is your porch under a deep overhang or patio shaded by tall trees? These low light container plants will brighten them up!

Contributors: Janet Loughrey

At a glance

Pots in shade dry out more slowly than pots in full sun, so watch for waterlogging.
Use a well-drained potting mix and pots with drainage holes to keep roots healthy.
Begonia and impatiens tolerate sun or shade and bloom non-stop until frost, while coleus and caladium are grown for colorful foliage rather than flowers.
Perennials such as brunnera, coral bells, hosta, lungwort, pigsqueak and creeping Jenny return each year within their zone range.
Boxwood and Chinese fringe-flower add evergreen structure to a shaded container year-round.

Is your porch under a deep overhang or patio shaded by tall trees? These low light container plants will brighten them up!

Garden areas in part shade and full shade can present growing challenges, with many plants failing to thrive if there’s too little light. By choosing varieties of plants that are adapted to grow in low light conditions, you can create a stunning display despite the lack of sun.

Many shade plants perform well in patio pots, window boxes and hanging baskets, giving people with limited space or shady entryways plenty of beautiful options. Even apartment dwellers with a north-facing balcony or patio can create a beautiful display too.

When container gardening in the shade, consider the cultural requirements of the plants. For instance, pots in shade typically will not dry out as quickly as those in full sun. Make sure you use a well-drained potting mix like Proven Winners Premium Potting Soil and pots with drainage holes in them so the plants don't get too waterlogged.

Here are some of the best low light container plants for shade.

1. BEGONIA

Double Up^™ Red
Begonia semperflorens

Exposure: Sun or shade
Zones: Annual except in zones 10-11

This versatile bedding annual is tolerant of sun or shade, and is useful in shade container gardening. Begonias bloom all summer long until the first frost, with different colored flowers and foliage. Double Up^™ Red has rounded deep bronze leaves and bright red flowers for stunning contrast. One of the best potted shade plants, begonias add color to patios, decks and entryways.

2. BOXWOOD

Neatball^®
Buxus microphylla

Exposure: Sun or shade
Zones: 5-9

Boxwood is one of the most versatile landscape shrubs, with evergreen glossy foliage that is amenable to shearing into formal hedging. Tolerant of sun or shade, boxwood adds year-round structure and color to the landscape or containers. Use boxwood as a focal point in an entryway, along a pathway, or on a patio or deck. Neatball^® is a hardy variety with a compact habit and lush, dark green foliage.

3. HEARTLEAF BRUNNERA

‘Queen of Hearts’
Brunnera macrophylla

Exposure: Partial to full shade
Zones: 3-8

Also known as Siberian bugloss, this hardy herbaceous perennial produces large, heart-shaped, silver leaves and small, true blue flowers in spring that resemble forget-me-nots. ‘Queen of Hearts’ has silvery foliage and green veining, making it useful for brightening up shady areas. Plant in a container by itself as a showy focal point, or mixed with other shade plants like coral bells, foamflower and begonias for multi-seasonal interest.

4. COLEUS

ColorBlaze^® Chocolate Drop
Coleus scutellarioides

Exposure: Sun or shade
Zones: Annual except in zones 10-11

One of the most popular annuals and best shade plants for containers, coleus comes in an endless array of foliage colors, patterns and shapes. They are tolerant of varying light conditions from sun to shade. Use this versatile tropical plant as a showy focal point in a shady container, or in combination with creeping Jenny, wishbone flower, impatiens, ferns and caladiums. The deep crimson and green foliage of ColorBlaze^® Chocolate Drop coleus adds sophisticated color contrast to pots, with a mounded trailing habit suitable for window boxes and hanging baskets.

5. CRESTED JAPANESE PAINTED FERN

‘Crested Surf’
Athyrium niponicum

Exposure: Part shade to full shade
Zones: 3-8

'Crested Surf' Japanese painted fern is an herbaceous perennial with sword-shaped, silvery green fronds flushed with deep burgundy down the center. Unlike typical painted ferns, the tip of each frond is "crested", meaning it is split with frilly edges, giving the plant a unique texture. The intricate leaves brighten up partial to full shade areas. Combine it with other colorful plants such as caladiums, coral bells, impatiens and begonias for a stunning shade container gardening idea.

6. CORAL BELLS

Primo^® ‘Black Pearl’
Heuchera

Exposure: Sun or shade
Zones: 4-9

One of the most versatile perennials, coral bells can be grown in sun or shade, and are somewhat drought tolerant once established. The stunning black, evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage of Primo^® ‘Black Pearl’ has a shiny sheen with scalloped edges and rosy-purple undersides. Plant it in a brightly colored pot with 'Queen of Hearts' brunnera for eye-popping contrast, or in a neutral white, silver or gray container for a sophisticated look.

7. HOSTA

Shadowland^® ‘Diamond Lake’
Hosta

Exposure: Part shade to full shade
Zones: 3-9

This herbaceous perennial is one of the most popular garden plants for shade. Hostas can range from tiny cultivars a few inches across to giant specimens up to 6 feet wide. Shadowland^® ‘Diamond Lake’ is a large hosta with pale blue leaves that have a corrugated texture and wavy margins. Use it as a specimen in a large pot on your front porch, displayed along a pathway or on a shady patio as a showy focal point.

8. IMPATIENS

Rockapulco^® Rose
Impatiens walleriana

Exposure: Part shade to full shade
Zones: Annual except in zones 10-11

One of the best shade plants for pots are impatiens. This popular warm-season annual produces colorful blooms non-stop from summer into frost. Rockapulco^® Rose has a dense mounding habit, producing gorgeous double, bright pink, rose-like flowers on vigorous plants. Use it as a filler element in containers for shade paired with polka dot plants, coleus, wishbone flowers, caladiums and sweet potato vines.

9. LUNGWORT

‘Spot On’
Pulmonaria

Exposure: Part shade to full shade
Zones: 3-9

Lungwort is a hardy herbaceous perennial featuring lance-shaped, silver speckled green foliage topped with clusters of vibrant spring blooms—an excellent choice for containers in shade. It thrives in rich soil and moist conditions, preferring protection from hot afternoon sun. The silver speckled foliage of ‘Spot On’ lungwort is complemented by pink buds that open to rich blue flowers for a stunning two-toned effect. Plant lungwort in a shade container by itself or in combination with other moisture-loving shade plants such as impatiens, browallia, coleus and ferns.

10. WISHBONE FLOWER

Catalina^® Midnight Blue
Torenia hybrid

Exposure: Sun or shade
Zones: Annual except in zones 10-11

Wishbone flowers are warm-season annuals with brightly hued snapdragon-like flowers that bloom from summer into fall atop the mounded trailing foliage. They are perfect for use in shade patio pots, hanging baskets and window boxes as well as in the landscape. Try combining it with coleus, sweet potato vines, creeping Jenny or impatiens. Wishbone flowers are heat and shade tolerant, and are virtually maintenance-free with self-cleaning flowers. The vivid blue flowers of Catalina^® Midnight Blue are punctuated with a yellow throat for eye catching contrast.

11. CALADIUM

Heart to Heart^® ‘White Wonder’
Caladium hortulanum

Exposure: Sun or shade
Zones: Annual except in zones 10-11

Grown for their large, colorful leaves, caladiums are warm-season annuals that come in a range of eye-catching colors and patterns. While traditional caladiums could only grow in the shade, many Heart to Heart caladiums are versatile enough to grow in sun or shade. An example is Heart to Heart^® ‘White Wonder’ which has white heart-shaped leaves with slender green edges and a pink spot where the stem attaches to the leaf. One of the best shade plants for containers, caladiums make stunning thrillers and fillers for containers. Combine them with Rex begonias, ferns, impatiens and silver dichondra.

12. CHINESE FRINGE-FLOWER

Jazz Hands Mini^®Loropetalum chinense

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Zones: 7-9

Chinese fringe-flower is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with striking foliage and delicate tassel-like flowers in spring. Though most cultivars grow quite large when planted in the landscape where hardy, the dwarf variety Jazz Hands Mini^® is the perfect size for growing in shade containers on covered porches and patios shaded by tall trees. The ideal location will receive direct morning sun and some afternoon shade. Jazz Hands Mini has deep black-purple foliage and showy pink flowers for stunning contrast.

13. PIGSQUEAK

‘Miss Piggy’
Bergenia cordifolia

Exposure: Part shade to full shade
Zones: 4-8

This hardy perennial has large, thick cabbage-like leaves that are evergreen in warmer climates. In spring, upright stems produce clusters of pink flowers above the foliage. ‘Miss Piggy’ is a particularly robust selection with bright pink flowers that complement the glossy dark green foliage. Plant it in a decorative container by itself or with other shade lovers and display in a semi-shaded entryway or along a woodland path for multi-seasonal interest.

14. GOLDEN CREEPING JENNY

‘Goldilocks’
Lysimachia nummularia

Exposure: Part sun to sun
Zones: 3-10

Golden creeping Jenny is a creeping or trailing plant with small, rounded chartreuse leaves and yellow flowers in spring. Considered to be one of the best shade plants for containers, ‘Goldilocks’ makes a great spiller plant in upright containers, hanging baskets and window boxes. Combine it with hostas, lobelia, begonias and coleus in pots for partially shaded porches and patios.