Herbaceous perennials are plants that live more than two years and do not form woody stems so that they die back to ground level each fall. Hostas, of course, are part of this group of plants as are thousands and thousands of other commonly grown landscape plants.

Fortunately, hundreds of species of plants also share the ability of hostas to grow and thrive in low light conditions. Some of these plants developed in woodland areas where they adapted to full sun in the early spring before the leaves came onto the trees. Others found their niche on the edge of the forest where they received full sunlight for at least part of each day. Still others found their fate tied to the shade at the middle of the woods where they rarely received any direct sunlight but survived on the light reflected from the nearby environment.

Here are just a few of the more common herbaceous perennials that are used in combination with hostas in shade gardens:

Species

Common Name

Aconitum sp. Monkshood
Actaea pachypoda White Baneberry
Actaea racemosa Black Cohosh
Actaea rubra Red Baneberry
Actaea simplex Bugbane
Adiantum sp. Maidenhair Fern
Aegopodium podagraria Goutweed (Invasive)
Ajuga reptans Bugleweed
Alchemilla mollis Lady's Mantle
Anchusa azurea Italian Bugloss
Anemone sp. Anemone
Aquilegia sp.  Columbine
Arisaema sp. Green Dragon, Cobra Lily, Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Asarum europaeum European Wild Ginger
Asplenium trichomanes Maidenhair Spleenwort
Aruncus dioicus Goatsbeard
Asarum  sp. Wild Ginger, European Ginger
Astilbe sp.  Astilbe
Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'  Japanese Painted Fern
Athyrium sp.  Lady Fern
Bergenia sp. Bergenia
Brunnera macrophylla Siberian Bugloss
Caltha palustris Marsh Marigold
Campanula sp. Bellflower
Carex morrowii var. expallida Japanese Sedge Grass
Chasmanthium latifolium Northern Sea Oats
Cheilanthes sp. Lip Fern, Lace Fern
Chelone lyonii Turtlehead
Chrysogonum virginianum Goldstar
Convallaria majalis Lily-of-the-Valley (Invasive)
Dennstaedtia punctilobula Hay-Scented Fern
Dicentra exima Bleeding Heart
Dicentra spectabilis  Old-fashioned Bleeding Heart
Digitalis sp. Foxglove
Disporum lanuginosum Fairy-Bells
Doronicum cordatum Leopard's Bane
Dryopteris sp. Ferns
Epimedium sp. Barrenwort
Eupatorium rugosum White Snakeroot
Fallopia japonica variegata  Japanese Fleece Flower
Festuca ovina glauca  Blue Fescue
Filipendula sp. Dropwort
Galium odoratum Sweet Woodruff
Geranium sp. Cranesbill
Hedera helix English Ivy
Helleborus niger  Christmas Rose
Helleborus orientalis  Lenten Rose
Heuchera sp. Alumroot, Coralbells
Ligularia sp. Ragwort
Liriope spicata Creeping Lilyturf 
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower
Lysimachia punctata Loosestrife
Marsilea quadrifolia Water Clover Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich Fern
Mertensia virginica Virginia Bluebells
Onoclea sensibilis Sensitive Fern
Osmunda cinnamomea Cinnamon Fern
Petasites giganteum Giant Butterbur
   
Petasites  'Variegatus'  Variegated Butterbur
Phalaris arundinacea var picta Ribbon Grass
Phyllitis scolopendrium Hart's-tongue 
Physostegia virginiana Obedience Plant
Polemonium caeruleum Jacob's-ladder
Polygonatum  'Variegatum'  Variegated Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum biflorum Small Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum commutatum  Giant Solomon's Seal
Polypodium glycyrrhiza Licorice Fern
Polypodium vulgare Common Polypody
Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas Fern
Primula sp. Primrose
Pteridium aquilinum Bracken Fern
Pulmonaria  Lungwort
Rodgersia aesculifolia  
Rodgersia pinnata  
Rodgersia tabularis  
Sanguinaria canadensis  Bloodroot
Smilacina racemosa False Solomon's Seal
Thalictrum sp. Meadow Rue 
Tiarella cordifolia  Foam Flower
Tricyrtis hirta   Toad Lily
Viola sp.  Violet
Woodsia spp. - Woodsia - I (moist to wet soils)
Many varieties of ferns, grasses, ground covers, and woodland plants are excellent companion plants.
 
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