Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
2 ratings

Monday - May 25, 2009

From: St Augustine, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Flowering plants for shade in St. Augustine FL
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I would like to know what flowering plants I can purchase that grow in a shaded area in St Augustine Florida

ANSWER:

From our Recommended Species for Florida, we have chosen 13 herbaceous blooming plants and 1 low shrub that will bloom in part shade or shade. We consider "sun" to be 6 hours or more of sun a day, "part shade" 2 to 6 hours of sun, and "shade" less than 2 hours. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center recommends only plants native not only to North America but to the area in which the plant is being grown. All of these plants are known to grow in or very near to St. John's County in Northeast Florida on the Atlantic coast. They are all commercially available and if you have difficulty locating them, go to our Suppliers section, type in your town and state in the "Enter Search Location" and you will get a list of native plant nurseries, seed companies and landscape and environment specialists in your general area.

Blooming plants for shade in St. Augustine, FL

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) - perennial, 2 ft tall, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, low water use, sun or part shade, blooms orange, yellow, May to September

Coreopsis nudata (Georgia tickseed) - perennial, 3 to 6 ft. tall, blooms pink April and May, high water use, part shade

Gaillardia pulchella (firewheel) - annual to 2 ft tall, blooms red, yellow, brown May to August, sun or part shade, medium water use

Ipomopsis rubra (standing-cypress) - biennial, to 4 ft tall, blooms red, orange, yellow May to July, medium water use, sun or part shade

Lobelia cardinalis (cardinalflower) - perennial to 6 ft tall, blooms red May to October, low water use, sun, part shade or shade

Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine) - perennial, to 3 ft tall, blooms blue, purple May and June, sun or part shade, medium water use

Rudbeckia hirta (blackeyed Susan) - annual or short-lived perennial, to 2 ft tall, blooms yellow June to October, medium water use, sun, part shade or shade

Salvia coccinea (blood sage) - annual or perennial, blooms white, red, pink February to October, medium water use, sun, part shade or shade

Viola lanceolata (bog white violet) - perennial, blooms white April to June, medium water use, part shade or shade

Viola sororia (common blue violet) - annual, to 10 inches tall, blooms white, pink, blue, purple March to May, high water use, sun or part shade

Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry) - perennial, to 5 ft tall, blooms white, pink May to July, low water use, part shade


Asclepias tuberosa

Coreopsis nudata

Gaillardia pulchella

Ipomopsis rubra

Lobelia cardinalis

Lupinus perennis

Rudbeckia hirta

Salvia coccinea

Viola lanceolata

Viola sororia

Callicarpa americana

 

 

 

 

 

More Shade Tolerant Questions

Grasses for yard in part shade and shade
January 11, 2009 - I have a shady yard with no grass whatsoever in San Marcos, TX. Since there are no roots to anchor the soil, the air (and the house) is full of dust. I want to plant a native grass that does well in f...
view the full question and answer

Wildflowers for a shady spot in IL
February 26, 2011 - I have a low-sun spot on the side of my house in Chicago, IL. I would really like to turn this spot into a wildflower garden. Could you suggest some native IL flowers that might work in this spot? ...
view the full question and answer

Plants for a shady hillside in WI
June 07, 2011 - I would like to know what kind of plants I could plant on a northern exposure hillside to stop erosion. At the bottom of the hill is a lake. Also would putting rocks from the area as natural retaining...
view the full question and answer

Groundcover for sun/part shade in Austin
May 07, 2008 - I live in Southwest Austin and I have a small backyard that has part sun/part shade. I have no grass in the backyard and my soil is not the healthiest, so I would like to plant some groundcover versus...
view the full question and answer

Non-blooming crape myrtle in Italy, TX
June 25, 2008 - It's Italy, TX, again! Thanks for the advice and links, and I'll study those..but here's where I'm stumped on crape myrtle. I have two (almost) trees because they've been planted over 15 years ...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.