Love to have some greenery in your Pennsylvania patio or deck? We have 8 PA shade plants just for you. Consider the following below to add some cheer and color to your landscape.
PA shade plants
These PA shade plants will look great in your yard
Hydrangea
Hydrangea is a unique flowering plant that breaks the norm when it comes to sunlight requirements.
You see, it doesn’t need to stay exposed to full sun in order to produce blooms- hydrangeas thrive best in shaded spots and will happily flower throughout a growing season.
Pick white hydrangeas for white clusters, while with the blue or pink varieties you can control the color by changing the soil’s pH. Alkaline will beget you pink flowers while an acidic medium gives you blue blooms.
Fern
Fern is a favorite shade plant in Pennsylvania because it grows so well and doesn’t require too much attention. It needs to be situated in a warm place though, and you might need to overwinter it when the cold season comes around.
As far as height and leaf shapes are concerned you can choose from more than 10,000 varieties. Plant them in the ground or in containers and you’ll instantly have greenery that lasts a long time.
Hosta
They’re bushy, super tough and can grow very well in shady and temperate environments. Hostas can grow in zones 3 to 8 and only need infrequent watering to thrive.
Although occasionally you’ll see bell-shaped flowers here and there, gardeners who pick hosta are in it for the interesting foliage. You can choose from several interesting specimens, with leaves that are blue, yellow or variegated and shaped like a heart or ribbed.
Impatiens
Impatiens is another shade flower that can grow in PA. If you don’t mind having an annual plant then you can plant impatiens in your garden. Water well and soon you’ll be treated to innumerable blooms that cover the dark green leaves.
It’s worth noting that impatiens have a dozen or so varieties, which means you get to choose a uniform color or a mix of pink, purple and red in your landscape or patio.
African Violet
Small, cute and feisty, African Violets can be planted just about anywhere in the shade. They love to get bright indirect light and will actually wilt and burn when they come into direct sun.
African violets need infrequent watering and only when the top two inches of the soil is dry.
It’s important to note that the velvet-like leaves do not like to get wet. You can either lift them up and make sure to water only the soil or observe bottom watering, where you put a saucer of mineral or purified water at the violet’s base and let the soil absorb the moisture.
Geranium
Geraniums are drought tolerant and pest-free. Beginner gardeners will delight at the ease at which these plants bloom throughout the year.
For the best results you should get a type that can thrive in shaded areas. It’s a perennial that can grow in zones 9 to 11, which means it might have to be treated as an annual in colder climates.
However, they’re small enough to be placed in containers and stay indoors as the winter and frost passes.
Japanese Rose
Kerria Japonica thrives in zones 4 through 9 and will likely bloom no matter where you put them. The shrub can reach up to 6 feet in height and tends to grow up and outwards. Those living in lower zones can put them in partial shade and protection from afternoon sun.
Japanese Rose won’t mind soil type and condition and grows in both moist and dry environments. When it blooms you’re treated to bright, golden yellow flowers that look like pompoms. What’s interesting is that it’s a rose plant that doesn’t have the thorn aspect of its traditional cousins.
Clematis
If you want spectacular purple flowers for your shaded PA landscape then the clematis is definitely a must-plant. It’s a perennial vine that can be turned into a shrub with the right cuts and pruning.
Clematis are similar to hydrangeas in that it produces flower buds on either old or new wood. The plant thrives where there’s rich soil, so don’t forget to put plenty of compost and organic material, as well as natural fertilizer.
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