Shade Plants For Zone 6 (10 Shade Tolerant Plants For Zone 6) | GreenUpSide (2024)

Some plants buckle under the pressure of falling temperatures, while others are cold-tolerant and can survive harsh winters. Some plants can even tolerate shade while surviving the frost and snow that is common in Zone 6.

So, what are some shade plants for Zone 6? Shade plants for Zone 6 include: Elaeagnus, English Laurel, Evergreen Huckleberry, Foxglove, Leopard Plant, Lyreleaf Sage, Nippon Lily, Shiny Bristle Fern, Siebold’s Wood Fern, and St. John’s Wort. Some of these plants have attractive foliage or flowers for you to enjoy!

Of course, some of these plants can survive in full sun while acting as ground cover or providing shade to other nearby plants.

In this article, we’ll talk about 10 shade plants for Zone 6. We’ll also take a look at what they need for light, water, and other important growth factors.

Let’s get started.

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10 Shade Plants For Zone 6

There are plenty of shade tolerant plants that can thrive in Zone 6, but here are 10 to start with:

• Elaeagnus
• English Laurel
• Evergreen Huckleberry
• Foxglove
• Leopard Plant
• Lyreleaf Sage
• Nippon Lily
• Shiny Bristle Fern
• Siebold’s Wood Fern
• St. John’s Wort

Let’s begin with

Elaeagnus

Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus reflexa) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces silvery leaves with showy and fragrant tiny (less than 1 inch) cream flowers in spring or early summer.

Elaeagnus needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Elaeagnus needs can tolerate full shade, partial shade, or full sun. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).

Elaeagnus can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 6 to 12 feet.

You can propagate Elaeagnus by cuttings or seeds.

You can learn more about Elaeagnus from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Elaeagnus from Wilson Bros Gardens.

English Laurel

English Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces green leaves with showy and fragrant tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in spring, summer, or early fall.

English Laurel needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

English Laurel needs can tolerate full shade, partial shade, or full sun. It prefers neutral to alkaline soil (pH of 6.6 to 8.4).

English Laurel can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 12 to 25 feet, with a width of 10 to 25 feet.

You can propagate English Laurel by layering, stem cuttings, or seeds.

You can learn more about English Laurel from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find English Laurel from Wilson Bros Gardens.

Evergreen Huckleberry

Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces green leaves with showy and fragrant tiny (less than 1 inch) white and pink bicolor flowers in spring.

Evergreen Huckleberry needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Evergreen Huckleberry needs can tolerate full shade, partial shade, or full sun. It prefers acidic soil (pH of 4.5 to 6.0).

Evergreen Huckleberry can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 6 feet, with a width of 5 feet.

You can propagate Evergreen Huckleberry by cuttings or by seeds from the berries.

You can learn more about Evergreen Huckleberry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Evergreen Huckleberry from One Green World.

Foxglove

Foxglove (Digitalis parviflora) is a perennial that produces green leaves with showy bicolor flowers in late spring, summer, or early fall.

Foxglove needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Foxglove needs can tolerate full shade, partial shade, or full sun. It prefers acidic soil (pH below 6.0).

Foxglove can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 12 to 16 inches, with a width 12 to 16 inches.

You can propagate Foxglove by division or by seeds.

You can learn more about Foxglove from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Foxglove from Swallowtail Garden Seeds.

Leopard Plant

Leopard Plant (Farfugium japonicum) is a perennial herb that produces showy and tiny (less than 1 inch) yellow flowers in summer or fall.

Leopard Plant needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Leopard Plant needs can tolerate full shade or partial shade. It can tolerate a range of acidic to neutral soil (pH of 5.6 to 7.5).

Leopard Plant can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 18 to 24 inches, with a width of 24 to 30 inches.

You can propagate Leopard Plant by division or offsets.

You can learn more about Leopard Plant from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Leopard Plant from Plant Delights.

Lyreleaf Sage

Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata) is a perennial evergreen herb that produces plum-colored leaves with tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in late spring or early summer.

Lyreleaf Sage needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it can be used in xeriscaping. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Lyreleaf Sage needs can tolerate full shade, partial shade, or full sun. It can tolerate a range of acidic to alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0).

Lyreleaf Sage can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 18 inches, with a width 12 inches.

You can propagate Lyreleaf Sage by seeds.

You can learn more about Lyreleaf Sage from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Lyreleaf Sage from Prairie Moon Nursery.

Nippon Lily

Nippon Lily (Rohdea japonica) is a perennial evergreen herb that produces green leaves with tiny (less than 1 inch) pale yellow flowers.

Nippon Lily needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Nippon Lily needs can tolerate full shade, partial shade, or full sun. It can tolerate a range of acidic to alkaline soil (pH of 5.1 to 7.8).

Nippon Lily can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 6 to 12 inches.

You can propagate Nippon Lily by division or seeds.

You can learn more about Nippon Lily from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Nippon Lily from Direct Gardening.

Shiny Bristle Fern

Shiny Bristle Fern (Arachniodes davalliaeformis) is a perennial evergreen herb.

Shiny Bristle Fern needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Shiny Bristle Fern needs can tolerate full shade or partial shade. It prefers neutral soil (pH of 6.6 to 7.5).

Shiny Bristle Fern can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 1 to 2 feet.

You can propagate Shiny Bristle Fern by division.

You can learn more about Shiny Bristle Fern from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Shiny Bristle Fern from Plant Lust.

Siebold’s Wood Fern

Siebold’s Wood Fern (Dryopteris sieboldii) is a perennial evergreen fern.

Siebold’s Wood Fern needs moderate to wet moisture levels.

Siebold’s Wood Fern needs can tolerate full shade or partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).

Siebold’s Wood Fern can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet, with a width of 1 to 3 feet.

You can propagate Siebold’s Wood Fern by division.

You can learn more about Siebold’s Wood Fern from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Siebold’s Wood Fern from Plant Delights.

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a perennial shrub that produces showy yellow flowers in summer or early fall.

St. John’s Wort needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.

St. John’s Wort needs can tolerate full shade, partial shade, or full sun. It prefers acidic soil (pH of less than 6.0).

St. John’s Wort can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 12 inches, with a width of 3 to 4 feet.

You can propagate St. John’s Wort by division, stolons and runners, or by seeds (the plant is self-fertile).

You can learn more about St. John’s Wort from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find St. John’s Wort from Plant Delights.

Conclusion

Now you know about 10 shade tolerant plants for Zone 6 and how to take care of them. They might provide inspiration to help you to improve your landscape – even if the winters are cold!

You can learn about shade gardens (and some good plants to include) here.

Looking for exotic fruit that grows in Zone 6? Check these out!

You might also want to read my article on evergreen shrubs for Zone 6.

I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.

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