35 Annuals that Do Well in Shade (A to Z Photo Database)

Search for beautiful annual flowers that do well in shade here in our flower and plant database.

Welcome to our directory of annuals that do well in shade. If you want to design a garden, check out these garden design software options.

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Photo Gallery

 To learn more about each item in the gallery, click the toggle button below images to learn more about that plant/flower that provides key information (and in many cases an instructional video). Ordered A to Z.

Angel Wings (Caladium bicolor)

Common Name:

Angel Wings

Scientific Name:

Caladium bicolor

Type:

Annual

Water:

Moderate

Soil PH:

5.6 to 6.5

Flower Color:

pink

Special Characteristics:

Container, Easy to grow

Hardiness Zone(s):

9 to 10

Height At Maturity:

12" to 24"

Sun:

Full Shade, Partial Shade

Sub Type:

Houseplant

Buzzy Lizzy (Impatiens walleriana)

Common Name:

Buzzy Lizzy

Scientific Name:

Impatiens walleriana

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

6.1 - 7.5

Flower Color:

Pink, rose, red, lilac, purple, orange, white & bicolors

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

10 to 11

Height At Maturity:

6"-24"

Sun:

Full Shade

Sub Type:

Houseplant, Groundcover

Coleus (Plectranthus Scutellarioides)

Common Name:

coleus

Scientific Name:

Plectranthus scutellarioides

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

6.1 to 7.8

Flower Color:

Light Blue White. White, Inconspicuous/none

Special Characteristics:

easy to grow, container

Hardiness Zone(s):

10 - 11

Height At Maturity:

6" to 36"

Sun:

Full Shade, Partial Shade

Sub Type:

Houseplant

Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica)

Common Name:

Fuchsia

Scientific Name:

Fuchsia magellanica

Type:

Annual

Water:

Average

Soil PH:

5.6 to 7.5

Flower Color:

Fuchsia, Purple, white

Special Characteristics:

Attracts birds and butterflies

Hardiness Zone(s):

6 to 9

Height At Maturity:

4' - 10'

Sun:

Full shade, Partial shade

Sub Type:

evergreen

Golden corydalis (Corydalis aurea)

Common Name:

Golden corydalis

Scientific Name:

Corydalis aure

Type:

Perennial

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

6.1-7.8

Flower Color:

Yellow

Special Characteristics:

Poisonous

Hardiness Zone(s):

5-9

Height At Maturity:

6-12"

Sun:

Full Shade

Sub Type:

Groundcover

New guinea impatiens (Impatiens Hawker)

Common Name:

New guinea impatiens

Scientific Name:

Impatiens Hawker

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium mosture

Soil PH:

5.5 to 6.5

Flower Color:

orange, red, pink, white, purple and lavender

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

10 to 12

Height At Maturity:

18" to 48"

Sun:

Partial Shade

Sub Type:

Groundcover

New guinea impatiens (Impatiens Hawker)

Common Name:

New guinea impatiens

Scientific Name:

Impatiens Hawker

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium mosture

Soil PH:

5.5 to 6.5

Flower Color:

orange, red, pink, white, purple and lavender

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

10 to 12

Height At Maturity:

18" to 48"

Sun:

Partial Shade

Sub Type:

Groundcover

Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)

Common Name:

Polka Dot Plant

Scientific Name:

Hypoestes phyllostachya

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

5.1 to 5.5

Flower Color:

Lilac

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

10 to 11

Height At Maturity:

12"-24"

Sun:

Full Shade

Sub Type:

Houseplant

Rex Begonia (Begonia rex cultorum)

Common Name:

Rex Begonia

Scientific Name:

Begonia rex cultorum

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

5.7 to 6.2

Flower Color:

Flowers not showy

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

10 to 11

Height At Maturity:

12"-18"

Sun:

Full Shade

Sub Type:

Houseplant

Swedish ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus)

Common Name:

Swedish ivy

Scientific Name:

Plectranthus verticillatus

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

6.1 to 7.5

Flower Color:

White

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

10 to 11

Height At Maturity:

24" to 36"

Sun:

Full Shade, Partial Shade

Sub Type:

Herb

Tuberous Begonia (Begonia Tuberhybrida)

Common Name:

Tuberous Begonia

Scientific Name:

Begonia Tuberhybrida

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

5.5-5.8

Flower Color:

White, yellow, orange, pink, red

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

9 to 11

Height At Maturity:

12"-18"

Sun:

Full Shade

Sub Type:

Houseplant

Wishbone flower (Torenia Fournieri)

Common Name:

Wishbone flower

Scientific Name:

Torenia Fournieri

Type:

Annual

Water:

Moderate moisture

Soil PH:

6.0 to 6.5

Flower Color:

yellow, pink, purple, blue and white

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

2 to 11

Height At Maturity:

6" to 12"

Sun:

Partial Shade to full shade

Sub Type:

Groundcover

Wishbone Flower (Torenia fournieri)

Common Name:

Wishbone Flower

Scientific Name:

Torenia fournieri

Type:

Annual

Water:

Medium

Soil PH:

5.6 to 7.5

Flower Color:

Pale violet and dark purple bicolor

Special Characteristics:

Container

Hardiness Zone(s):

2 to 11

Height At Maturity:

6"-12"

Sun:

Full Shade

Sub Type:

Groundcover

Yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Common Name:

Yellow wood sorrel

Scientific Name:

Oxalis stricta

Type:

Annual

Water:

Needs Moderate Moisture

Soil PH:

4 to 5

Flower Color:

Yellow, white, pink, red, orange

Special Characteristics:

Deer resistant

Hardiness Zone(s):

5 to 11

Height At Maturity:

0" to 12"

Sun:

Partial Shade

Sub Type:

Groundcover

If you’re looking for annuals that do well in locations that get some sun and are partly shady throughout the day, you’re in the right spot.

This is our main gallery in which these are the flowers we feature.

TIP: It’s important you actually know whether a particular spot is partly shady before running out and buying a bunch of annuals (which can add up in price). The key is to monitor a particular garden throughout the day. If it gets a few hours of sun and is shady the rest of the time, that’s what you’re looking for.

For each flower listed below, we provide some key information about each so be sure to check it out. We hope this list of annuals helps with your garden planning.