Top 9+ annual plants that actually prefer shade

These plants are happier with some shade.

Annuals are a quick, inexpensive way to add pops of color to your yard, fill in bare spots in your flower beds, and add punch to your entryway. Since they only stick around for a season, you’ll want to get their planting and care just right. Before you purchase and plant annuals, make sure they are compatible with the area where you want to plant them. You don’t want to spend time constantly watering wilted plants once summer’s heat peaks or trying to save yellowing, straggly plants by transplanting them. Many annuals thrive in bright sunlight, but there are some annuals you should never plant in full sun. These plants are happier in the shade.

01 of 09

Sweet Alyssum

• Botanical Name: Lobularia maritima
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full sun
• Soil Type: Moist, well-draining, clay, loam, sand
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)

Fill out your flower beds and containers with mat-forming sweet alyssum. Mounds of fragrant white flowers spill and spread, blooming from spring to the first frost. It can tolerate droughts, but afternoon shade will help it survive dry conditions. If your sweet alyssum slows flower production in the summer, cut it back by a third to encourage flowering. 

02 of 09

Larkspur

• Botanical Name: Delphinium spp.
• Sun Exposure: Partial shade
• Soil Type: Moist, rich, well-draining
• Soil pH: Slightly alkaline (6.5-7.5)

Some varieties of larkspur thrive in a sunny garden, but that shouldn’t stop you from growing this classic flower. Look for Delphinium exaltatum or D. tricorne, which thrive with less sunlight. Full shade may be too much and cause them to droop, so plant these tall flowers where they will get dappled sunlight or morning sun and afternoon shade. Hummingbirds are drawn to the tall spires with deep blue blooms. 

03 of 09

Impatiens

• Botanical Name: Impatiens walleriana
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade
• Soil Type: Rich, moist, well-drained
• Soil pH: Neutral to slightly acidic (6.0-8.0)

Garden impatiens thrive when grown in some or even full shade. Extra water can help, but too much sun may leave your plant with burnt leaves. Plentiful blooms appear all summer long without deadheading since these are self-cleaning plants. If they become leggy in the summer heat, cut off the top third of the plant to encourage fuller growth. If you only have space for sun-loving plants, look for SunPatiens, which can handle more sunlight.

04 of 09

Coleus

• Botanical Name: Coleus scutellarioides
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade
• Soil Type: Rich, well-draining
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)

Save room in your flower garden for brightly colored coleus. While this annual doesn’t produce significant flowers, its foliage comes in a stunning array of bold colors—magenta, lime green, chartreuse, and red—that rival your garden’s most beautiful blooms. Besides color, leaves may be oval, pointed, scalloped, patterned, or veined or bordered with contrasting color. Cut the tall flower spikes when they appear to keep your plant from becoming leggy and to extend its life. 

05 of 09

Begonias

• Botanical Name: Begonias spp.
• Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade
• Soil Type: Moist, well-draining, loamy
• Soil pH: Acidic (5.5-6.5)

Begonias prefer bright, indirect light rather than full, intense sun. Plant them where they’ll get morning sun and afternoon shade, which will keep their leaves from scorching. While they don’t thrive in the sun, they do like humidity and moist soil that mimics their native tropical and subtropical habitat. There are many varieties of begonias, and they may have colorful blooms in shades of red, orange, pink, yellow, or white, or their foliage may be eye-catching in shades of green, bronze, and deep red.

06 of 09

Caladium

• Botanical Name: Caladium spp.
• Sun Exposure: Partial shade
• Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic (5.5-6.5)

Brighten the shady spots in your yard with boldly colored caladiums. Large, heart-shaped leaves can feature variegated, bi-color, spotted, edged, or veined patterns in red, green, pink, or white. They are tropical perennial plants, but they are grown as annuals in many regions since they don’t survive cold temperatures. A few hours of morning sun followed by afternoon shade makes their color more vibrant.

07 of 09

Wishbone Flower

• Botanical Name: Torenia fournieri
• Sun Exposure: Partial shade
• Soil Type: Well-draining, loamy
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)

This flower got its name from the wishbone-shaped stamens in its blooms. Hummingbirds love to visit the tubular flowers, and its trailing habit makes it a great option for hanging baskets, containers, and borders. Wherever you plant it, make sure it gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Since wishbone flowers like regular moisture, humidity and shade will keep them from drying out.

08 of 09

Fuchsia

• Botanical Name: Fuchsia x hybrida
• Sun Exposure: Partial shade, dappled sunlight
• Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (5.5-7.0)

While hardy fuchsia can survive winters, hybrids are grown as annuals. They need some shade in hot climates. Grow them in hanging baskets where hummingbirds will drink the nectar from their lantern-like blooms, or in flower beds or containers where the flowers will spill over the edges. Choose from pink, lavender, purple, gold, white, orange, and yellow showy blooms. Keep the soil moist because fuchsia plants don’t tolerate droughts.

09 of 09

Trailing Lobelia

• Botanical Name: Lobelia erinus
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Type: Moist, well-draining, sandy loam
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)

Edge your flower beds with blue-blooming trailing lobelia. In colder regions, this variety can tolerate full sun but it needs afternoon shade to avoid heat stress. Apply balanced fertilizer every two to four weeks, and keep the soil consistently moist to keep it from drying out. Cutting lobelia back during hotter weather can boost flower production in the fall.