Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, for rocky and loam ground and it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Louisiana · Zones 8–9
Native Plants for Shade in Louisiana
Woodland wildflowers, ferns, and groundcovers that thrive in the dappled and full shade under trees and on the north side of the house. For Louisiana, the right natives are shaped by Mississippi Delta & Gulf Coast Prairie and a hot, humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Wild Bleeding Heart and Smooth Hydrangea to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Louisiana and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–9. Shade is an opportunity, not a problem — the eastern woodland flora is one of the richest in the world. Most shade natives evolved under a deciduous canopy, so they do their growing in cool, moist spring soil and want a yearly mulch of fallen leaves rather than bare, raked dirt. Match the depth of shade to the plant, and a bare patch under a maple becomes the loveliest part of the garden.
The plants
16 native species for Louisiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–9 · see this collection in other states.
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; spreading 3–5 ft and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — turban red flowers and it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, hardy in zones 3–8, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, hardy in zones 3–8 and it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, foamy white flowers, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — cold-hardy to zone 3 and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, cold-hardy to zone 5 and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, red & yellow flowers and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, 10–15 in tall — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; cold-hardy to zone 5 and it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, spreading 10–20 ft, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
A woodland native that handles part to full shade, for clay and loam ground and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, happy in rocky and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — 2–4 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Sourcing
Where to find these in Louisiana
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.