What to plant
What to plant in a shady bed in zone 5
For a shady bed in zone 5: Spreading yew 'Densiformis', Autumn fern, Astilbe 'Fanal', Hairy alumroot 'Caramel' and Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'. 27 plants of 5 kinds for a 12 × 6 ft bed.
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
The plant list
12 × 6 ft · Zone 5 · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic
Taxus × media 'Densiformis'
Structure · Back of bed · 3-gallon pot · 4.5 ft apart · grows 3–4 ft tall · Foliage plant
Autumn fern
× 7
Dryopteris erythrosora
Grass · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Japanese painted fern 'Pictum' or Japanese forest grass 'Aureola'.
Astilbe × arendsii 'Fanal'
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1.5–2 ft tall · Jun–Jul
Can't find it? Use Lenten rose or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.
Heuchera villosa 'Caramel'
Filler · Middle of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.5 ft apart · grows 1–1.5 ft tall · Aug–Sep
Can't find it? Use Lenten rose or Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost'.
Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'
Edge · Edge of bed · 1-gallon pot · 1.3 ft apart · grows 0.75–1 ft tall · Foliage plant
Can't find it? Use Japanese sedge 'Evergold' or Foamflower.
Kinds
5
Plants
27
Coverage
82%
Mulch
9 bags
Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 82% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.
- Zone 5
- Midwest summers (e.g. Wisconsin)
- under 2 hours of sun
- Classic style
- 12 × 6 ft bed
When to plant in zone 5
- Spring planting
- mid-May to mid-June
- Fall planting
- early September to early October
- Typical last spring frost
- late April to mid-May
- Typical first fall frost
- late September to mid-October
Typical dates for zone 5. Your own dates can differ by two weeks or more; check with a local nursery or extension office.
Why these rules
Shade means under 2 hours of direct sun, typically on the north side of a building or under trees. Flowers are fewer, so the list leans on foliage shape, texture and evergreen structure; under trees, roots compete for water, so plan to water through the first summer.
Zone 5 only describes winter: the coldest night of an average year falls between -20°F and -10°F. This list was composed for the Midwest, with humid summers and cold continental winters, so plants that fail in those summers were left out even where the zone says they would survive.
We let the engine choose the style with the most eligible plants for these conditions; here that is classic. A classic bed is tidy and symmetrical: evergreen structure at the back, then layered flowers in front.
The sample bed is 12 × 6 ft: 5 kinds and 27 plants. Taller plants go at the back, grasses and mid-height flowers in the middle and low plants along the front edge, each planted in a group so the bed reads as one planting. Quantities come from each plant's spacing, so a bigger or smaller bed changes the numbers, not the logic.
Also eligible
Every other plant in our table that passes the same rules (30 in all, including the 5 above). Swap any of these in within the same role.
Show the 25 other eligible plants
Structure
Grass
Filler
Edge
- Barrenwort 'Sulphureum'
- Bugleweed 'Bronze Beauty' (invasive in District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia: don't plant it there)
- European wild ginger
- Foamflower
- Japanese pachysandra (invasive in District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia: don't plant it there)
- Spotted dead nettle 'Beacon Silver'
- Sweet woodruff
Questions and answers
- How many plants do I need for a 12 × 6 ft bed?
- This list uses 27 plants of 5 kinds for a 12 × 6 ft bed (72 sq ft), spaced so they cover about 82% of the bed when mature. Add 9 bags of mulch (2 cu ft) to cover it 3 inches deep.
- When should I plant in zone 5?
- In zone 5, plant in spring from mid-May to mid-June, or in fall from early September to early October. Typical last spring frost is late April to mid-May and first fall frost late September to mid-October; your own dates can differ by two weeks or more.
- What if I can't find Autumn fern?
- Use Japanese painted fern 'Pictum' or Japanese forest grass 'Aureola': they fill the same role and pass the same rules. Every plant on the list shows two substitutes like this.
- How many plants pass these conditions?
- 30 plants in our table pass the rules for under 2 hours of direct summer sun in zone 5. The ones not used in the sample bed are listed above by role.
How this page was made
This page was generated from FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules: the same rules engine that builds paid lists filtered the table for the conditions above, picked plants by role and worked out quantities for the sample bed. No person or chat model chose these plants, and no named expert has reviewed this list.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants
More guides
Same need, other zones
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- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 5
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 5
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 5
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 5