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What to plant

What to plant in a shady bed in zone 7

For a shady bed in zone 7: Smooth hydrangea 'Annabelle', Lilyturf 'Big Blue', Bleeding heart, Siberian bugloss 'Jack Frost' and Mondo grass. 44 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

This zone guide is read nationwide but composed for the Mid-Atlantic, leaving out plants listed as invasive there. Plants listed as invasive in other states are marked in red: don't plant them in those states.

12 × 6 ft · Zone 7 · Under 2 hours of sun · Classic

Kinds

5

Plants

44

Coverage

91%

Mulch

9 bags

Mulch: 0.67 cu yd at 3 in deep (9 bags of 2 cu ft). Plants cover about 91% of the 72 sq ft bed when mature.

  • Zone 7
  • Mid-Atlantic summers (e.g. Virginia)
  • under 2 hours of sun
  • Classic style
  • 12 × 6 ft bed

When to plant in zone 7

Spring planting
mid-April to mid-May
Fall planting
late September to late October
Typical last spring frost
late March to mid-April
Typical first fall frost
late October to mid-November

Typical dates for zone 7. 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 7 only describes winter: the coldest night of an average year falls between 0°F and 10°F. This list was composed for the Mid-Atlantic, with hot, humid summers and real winters, so plants that fail in those summers were left out even where the zone says they would survive. Plants listed as invasive in any state of the region were left out too.

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 44 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 (35 in all, including the 5 above). Swap any of these in within the same role.

Show the 30 other eligible plants

Questions and answers

How many plants do I need for a 12 × 6 ft bed?
This list uses 44 plants of 5 kinds for a 12 × 6 ft bed (72 sq ft), spaced so they cover about 91% 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 7?
In zone 7, plant in spring from mid-April to mid-May, or in fall from late September to late October. Typical last spring frost is late March to mid-April and first fall frost late October to mid-November; your own dates can differ by two weeks or more.
What if I can't find Lilyturf 'Big Blue'?
Use Japanese forest grass 'Aureola' or Japanese painted fern 'Pictum': 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?
35 plants in our table pass the rules for under 2 hours of direct summer sun in zone 7. 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

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