Choosing planting

5 groundcover perennials to brighten up shady corners

Selection of groundcover perennial plants for shade

Contents

Modified the 2 February 2026 by Angélique 5 min. Difficulty: Débutant

The sunniest spots in a garden or on a terrace aren’t always easy to enhance. These shady corners can only be planted with plants that tolerate or prefer living in shade or partial shade. Tips for dressing a bare patch of soil under a tree or at the base of a border, the shade-loving groundcover perennials suited to shade brighten the least sunlit areas of your garden or terrace. They fit into a woodland corner, a shaded rockery or a dark, sunless bank. Easy to grow and low-maintenance, they help suppress weeds and can even be used as a lawn substitute. From periwinkle to Hosta, including Heuchera, Bergenia and ivy, discover our selection of shade-loving groundcover perennials to plant in shade, along with care tips and ideas for pairing with other plants.

Difficulty

Hosta 'Autumn Frost'

The Hosta ‘Autumn Frost’ is a plant that covers soils placed in shade or part shade. With its blue-green, margined leaves, it brings light and cheer to any dark corner of the garden or patio. Its thick, heart-shaped blue-green leaves margined with yellow are adorned with pale lavender bell-shaped flowers in July and August. Pendulous, they resemble clusters and have a light scent of orange blossom. Growing to a height of 40 cm and a width of 80 cm at maturity, this Hosta is a substantial groundcover for shade. Hardy to -20°C, it prefers cool soil.

To create a woodland feel, pair it with the base of trees with ferns, charming and unusual Solomon’s seals, and Brunnera in blue tones. This Hosta can also be grown in a container or around a pond with other moisture-loving plants such as Astilbes.

Variegated Hosta foliage

Bergenia Hybrid 'Baby Doll'

Bergenia Hybrid ‘Baby Doll’ – elephant ear plant is a small perennial reaching 25 cm tall at maturity. It features dense, heart-shaped leaves in a bluish-green hue that lasts all year. From April to May, it bears small clusters of pastel pink flowers that add a touch of delicacy around a purple centre. At the end of flowering, the pale pink of the flowers becomes brighter. The stems are sturdy, slightly velvety and tinged with copper-orange. This plant thrives in shade, partial shade and full sun. Hardy to -29°C, it grows easily in cool, humus-rich soil. It grows slowly and tolerates snow.

You can use this Bergenia in the garden, grow it in pots, or even use it as cut flowers for your bouquets. To cover a bank or fill the base of a border, pair it with primroses or oriental hellebores.

pink bergenia flowers

Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie' - coral bells

Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’ is a perennial plant with colourful foliage that is very decorative. It bears leaves from bright pink to purple that stand out in a garden or on a terrace. The leaves are rounded, evergreen in climates that are not too cold, and are adorned with red-purple veins. This reliable choice is among the best pink Heucheras. It forms a clump about 30 cm high by 50 cm wide. In June and July, spikes of white bell-shaped flowers rise above the foliage, adding to its delicacy. The white of the flowers contrasts with the bright red of the stems and the pink colour of the leaves. With rapid, vigorous growth, it forms a carpet-like habit and thrives in shade or part shade in cool, moist soil. It is hardy to -29°C.

This groundcover plant is distinctive. You can plant it at the foot of traditional white-flowered roses to create colour contrasts. At the base of shrubs in a border, it also blends harmoniously with blue hostas such as Hosta ‘Blue Cadet’, as well as grasses and ferns.

Purple Heuchera foliage

Vinca major 'Variegata' – variegated periwinkle

The Vinca major ‘Variegata’ – Variegated Periwinkle is a perennial plant that blankets woodland floors with charm. It grows quickly and forms a bright, light-catching carpet with its variegated and evergreen foliage and its blue spring flowers. The light-green leaves margined with cream-white bring a touch of light and spread across the bare soil thanks to long, woody stems. This 30 cm tall carpet at maturity is adorned with 4 cm blue flowers, veering toward violet from April to June. Hardy down to -34°C and vigorous, it is easy to grow in shade, in partial shade and even in full sun. It prefers cool, moist soil, but also tolerates poor soils and drought.

This large variegated periwinkle is ideal for carpeting the bare soil beneath trees or for filling a large container. You can pair it with woodland companions such as violets or lily of the valley.

Variegated periwinkle foliage

Hedera helix 'Goldchild' - common ivy

People often think of ivy as a climbing plant, but less often as a groundcover. It is nevertheless useful for covering bare soil in the shade of trees. Common ivy – Hedera helix ‘Goldchild’ is a perennial groundcover suitable for planting in shade or partial shade. Thanks to its evergreen foliage, it remains decorative all year round. It bears small heart-shaped leaves with yellow variegation on a pale grey-green background, which makes it bright. It lights up shaded spots in the garden with these light tones and brightens them. Of modest size, it grows up to 1.5 metres, creeping and clinging to the ground or to plants thanks to its climbing roots. It is adorned by discreet yellow-green flowering with a light fragrance in September and October. Its flowers are melliferous and give way to blue-black berries, which are not edible for humans but are appreciated by birds as a food source.

Use this variegated ivy as a groundcover under trees or in woodland-style settings. Pair it with fragrant violets, wood anemones – Anemone nemorosa, or lamiums to add floral touches to your shade-loving groundcover.

ivy with yellow variegated foliage