Shade Lovers A-E
Last updated: 24/04/22
Actaea pachypoda ‘Misty Blue’
An elegant perennial with soft silvery-blue, ferny foliage that produces tall spires of fluffy cream flowers in late spring. These are followed by eye-catching white berries held on red stalks, Prefers fertile, moist but well-drained soil in part shade. Deciduous & fully hardy. HGT 75cm
Actaea simplex ‘Black Negligee’
A stunning perennial with almost black, ferny foliage that produces tall spires of highly fragrant white flowers with a flush of pink in late summer. Prefers fertile, moist but well-drained soil in part shade. Deciduous & fully hardy. HGT 1.5m
Anemone leveillei
A beautiful anemone that doesn’t mind a bit of sun. Leveillei forms a mound of deeply divided, softly hairy foliage in late Spring followed by slender spikes topped with lilac backed, white flowers with metallic blue stamens from May onwards. Happy in any reasonable soil in part shade/full sun. Fully hardy. Deciduous. HGT 75cm
Anemone nemerosa ‘Bressingham Blush’
A new & very pretty, woodland perennial selected from Bressingham Gardens. With deep green, divided foliage and producing single, star-shaped, blush pink, fragrant flowers in late spring. Prefers a humus rich soil in part shade. Summer dormant & fully hardy. HGT: 15cm
Anemone nemerosa Robinsoniana
A delightful little woodland perennial with deep green, divided foliage and producing single, star-shaped, pale lavender flowers in spring. Prefers a humus rich soil in part shade. Deciduous & fully hardy. Summer dormant. HGT: 20cm
Anemone sylvestris
More commonly known as the ‘Snowdrop Anemone’ this very pretty, hardy perennial has deep green, divided foliage and produces large, single white, fragrant flowers on tall stems in late Spring. Prefers a humus rich soil in part shade. Fully hardy & deciduous. HGT: 50cm
Anemonopsis macrophylla
Otherwise known as the ‘False Anemone’, this elegant Japanese woodlander slowly forms a mound of mid green, divided foliage in early spring followed by slender spikes with nodding, white flowers that have a sheen of lilac from July onwards. Prefers a damp, humus rich soil in part shade. Fully hardy & deciduous. HGT 75cm
Arisaema triphyllum – ‘Jack in the Pulpit’
An unusual, tuberous perennial with large, mid-green foliage divided into three ‘leaflets’ and producing pitcher shaped, green and dark purple striped spathes in early summer. Prefers a moist spot in full/part shade with humus rich soil. Deciduous. HGT: 60cm
Please note: spathe colour is naturally variable, photo is for guidance only
Asarum maximum ‘Ling Ling’
A rare & unusual little perennial with glossy, heart shaped, dark green foliage. Inspring it produces cup-shaped, purple-brown flowers with a distinctive white centre at ground level. Grow in fertile, moist but well drained, neutral soil in full/part shade. Fully hardy. HGT: 20cm
Astrantia major ‘Gill Richardson Group’
A lovely form of these traditional cottage garden perennials. Gorgeous. deep wine red blooms are produced on tall, wiry stems amidst fresh green foliage from June to Sept. Deciduous. Prefers fertile, well drained soil in part shade. Fully hardy. HGT 50cm
Brunnera macrophylla ‘Sterling Silver’
An improved form of ‘Looking Glass’ with larger, heart-shaped, silver foliage. Produces sprays of small, clear blue flowers in spring. Prefers fertile, moist but well drained soil in full/part shade. Deciduous & fully hardy. HGT: 50cm
Chloranthus japonicus
A beautiful & rarely offered woodlander originating from Japan. In spring, Chloranthus produces sturdy stems topped with glossy, dark green foliage from the centre of which, appear scented white flowers in summer. Deciduous & fully hardy. Happy in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full or part shade. HGT 30cm
Dicentra formosa ‘Bacchanal’ AGM
Another lovely form of the wild Dicentra, forming clumps of highly divided. silvery foliage and producing clusters of deep crimson, pendant flowers on upright stems from mid-Spring to mid-summer. Deciduous & fully hardy, prefers fertile, well drained soil in full or part shade. HGT 50cm
Dicentra luxuriant. AGM
A lovely form of the wild Dicentra, forming clumps of highly divided blue-green foliage and producing clusters of cerise pink, pendant flowers on upright stems from mid spring to late summer. Deciduous & fully hardy, prefers fertile, well drained soil in full/part shade. HGT: 40cm
Dicentra (Lamprocapnos) spectabilis. AGM
A traditional cottage garden plant, commonly known as ‘Bleeding Hearts’, it forms clumps of light green, ferny foliage and produces arching stems of soft pink, pendant flowers from mid spring to mid summer. Deciduous & fully hardy, prefers fertile, well drained soil in full/part shade. HGT: 60cm
Dicentra (Lamprocapnos) spectabilis Alba AGM
A traditional cottage garden plant, commonly known as ‘Bleeding Hearts’, it forms clumps of light green, ferny foliage and produces arching stems of snow white, pendant flowers from mid spring to mid summer. Deciduous & fully hardy, prefers fertile, well drained soil in full/part shade. HGT: 60cm
Digitalis parviflora
A beautiful, compact foxglove that produces tall spikes of rich, orange-brown, tubular flowers in early summer. Can be a perennial if spent flowers are removed immediately. Prefers a light, well drained soil in full/part shade. Fully hardy. HGT: 60cm
Disporum longistylum ‘Green Giant’
A rare, clump forming perennial originating from China. Green Giant produces tall stems of glossy, mid green foliage in Spring with small, greenish white starry flowers along them. Prefers humus rich soil in part or full shade. Fully hardy & deciduous. HGT 1.8m
Disporum longistylum ‘Night Heron’ AGM
A beautiful, clump forming perennial with tall stems of glossy foliage that emerge deep purple/black in Spring with small, greenish white starry flowers along them before maturing to dark green. Prefers humus rich soil in part or full shade. Fully hardy & deciduous. HGT 90cm
Please note – Some of our epimediums are only available in small numbers each year, so we strongly advise you to contact us to check availability before coming any distance to the nursery for specific varieties
Epimedium ‘Amber Queen’
A favourite of ours! ‘Amber Queen’ has bronzey foliage when young that fades to mid green & produces sprays of coppery orange, spurred flowers in spring and well into summer. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full or part shade out of cold winds. Will tolerate dry shade once established. Evergreen & fully hardy. HGT 45cm
Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Dark Beauty’
A very pretty epimedium found in the garden of the late Harold Epstein. Dark Beauty is a clump forming perennial with semi-evergreen foliage that emerges a lovely dark bronzy colour before ageing to green. Produces sprays of pink & white, spurred flowers in spring. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full/part shade. Fully hardy. HGT: 45cm
Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Shiho’
A lovely, clump forming perennial with semi-evergreen, mid-green foliage that emerges bronze in spring. Produces deep purple-red flowers with long spurs tipped white in early spring before the new foliage. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full/part shade. Fully hardy. HGT: 30cm
Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’
A relatively new epimedium bred in the USA by Darryl Probst. Pink Champagne produces soft pink flowers that darken to raspberry pink towards the centre, Re-flowers readily! Good foliage with bronze splashes in spring. Evergreen. Prefers humus rich soil in part shade. Fully hardy. HGT: 65cm
Epimedium ‘Pink Elf’
A relatively new form with evergreen, glossy, mid-green foliage Produces sprays of rose-pink, spurred flowers in spring. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full or part shade out of cold winds. Fully hardy. HGT 40cm
Epimedium ‘Pretty in Pink’
A beautiful, new & vigorous clump forming, perennial with semi evergreen foliage that emerges splashed with red in spring. Produces sprays of pink, spurred flowers with raspberry cups in spring. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full or part shade out of cold winds. Fully hardy. HGT 45cm
Epimedium x rubrum. AGM
A lovely, clump forming perennial with bronzy foliage when young that fades to mid green. Produces sprays of crimson flowers with yellow spurs in spring. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full or part shade out of cold winds. Will tolerate dry shade once established. Deciduous & fully hardy. HGT 25cm
Epimedium ‘Spine Tingler’
A much sought after variety, Spine Tingler is a beautiful semi evergreen epimedium with distinctive lance shaped foliage that emerges a deep bronzy-red in spring before ageing to mid green. Produces ‘clouds’ of star shaped yellow flowers in spring. Prefers a fertile soil in part shade. Fully hardy. HGT 30cm
Epimedium x warleyense ‘Ellen Willmott’
Named for the famous Victorian gardener, this lovely, clump forming perennial has bronzy young foliage that fades to a mid green. Ellen produces sprays of coppery-orange, spurred flowers in spring. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full/part shade out of cold winds. Will tolerate dry shade once established. Evergreen and fully hardy. HGT: 30cm
Epimedium x youngianum ‘Merlin’
A very pretty, deciduous epimedium forming clumps of delicate-looking, bronzy foliage which ages to fresh green. Merlin produces sprays of spurless, dusky violet & white flowers in spring. Prefers moist but well drained soil in full/part shade. Dislikes lime. Fully hardy. HGT: 20cm
Epimedium x youngianum ‘Tama Botan’
A lovely little Japanese hybrid epimedium. Tama Botan produces small lilac flowers above bronze flushed foliage in spring. The foliage later ages to mid green. Prefers humus rich soil in part shade. Fully hardy. HGT: 20cm
Euonymus fortunei ‘Wolong Ghost’ AGM
A rarely offered, creeping form of Spindle that can be wall trained. Wolong Ghost has evergreen, dark green foliage with prominent pale veins. Prefers a well drained, poor soil in part shade. Fully hardy. HGT: 60cm