California native plants that grow in full shade

California native plants that grow in dry shade

What we are calling full shade is shade under a dense canopy of evergreen trees, not under a deck or other solid structure. Some light must penetrate in order for the plants to photosynthesize.

Don't forget that our full shade may not be like your full shade. Most people can give a little more sun to many of these plants. Look on each individual plant's description (the links) to get more precise information about each plant's needs or to order it.

2. Aristolochia californica, Dutchman's pipe

This is also called Sierra Giant Pipe Vine. Dutchman's pipe is a vigorous vine with heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are totally strange. They are green with reddish brown stripes and reddish brown petals. It is deciduous. The flowers emerge first, then the leaves. It is the larval food plant for the Pipe vine swallowtail. It does fine in our demonstration garden with no extra water, don't forget we only 20 inches of rainfall. The background picture for this page is of Dutchman's pipe. In it the leaves have not appeared yet.

4. Fragaria californica, California Strawberry

What these strawberries lack in size, they make up for in flavor. They are rich and sweet. They also make an excellent groundcover. They like a little extra water, as they are native in coastal areas where they receive extra rainfall from fog drip and to sierras where they receive extra rain.

6. Heuchera maxima, Island Alum Root

Island alum root has huge, juicy, light green leaves and tall flower stalks with little cream colored pendulant flowers. In the demonstration garden it needs a little extra summer water. We have it about a yard away from the birdbath with lots of mulch.

8. Heuchera rubescens glandulosa, Jack o the rocks

This hearty alum root tolerates -10 deg F. It grows to 3 ft tall and has tall reddish flowers.

10. Iris douglasiana, Douglas Iris

Douglas iris is a delicate native iris with purple flowers. It is very drought tolerant in the shade. It likes a little mulch.

12. Keckiella breviflora, Bush penstemon

This delicate little bush penstemon has light purple flowers with dark purple stripes. It has shiny gray foliage and arching gray stems. This bush penstemon is happy in full shade.

14. Lonicera ciliosa, Orange Honeysuckle

This is a delicate little honeysuckle with large bright orange flowers. It grows in full shade on north facing slopes in Northern California. We put it near the birdbath in the demonstration garden so it would get a little extra moisture.

15. Lonicera hispidula, California Honeysuckle

This showy little honeysuckle has large pink flower clusters and large clasping leaves. It is very drought tolerant and can handle shade.

18. Monardella villosa subserrata, Coyote Mint

Coyote mint has light purple flowers and a minty fragrance. It likes to grow under coast live oaks and is very drought tolerant. It is a great butterfly flower. It grows about a foot tall.

20. Pityrogramma triangularis, Goldeback Fern

This little fern likes full shade. Goldback fern goes dormant when it gets to dry. It can't take a lot of mulch. Gold back fern likes the protection of a rock. It is called gold back fern because the spores on the underside of the leaves turns gold as the mature.

Currents, are great for attracting birds and butterflies to your garden.

To learn more about currants and gooseberries in a shade garden, see our Ribes Page

22. Ribes malvaceum

This is a colorful pink current. It likes shade and is drought tolerant. The leaves are fragrant. Hummingbirds love it!

24. Ribes aureum gracillimum, Golden currant

Golden currant has shiny bright green leaves and no fuzz. It has yellow flowers and small black fruits. The fruits are small and sweet. It grows 3 to 6 ft tall.

26. Rosa gymnocarpa, Wood Rose

The wood rose is a delicate little native rose. The flowers are fragrant with a single layer of pink petals. It grows 3 to 6 ft tall.

28. Rhododendron occidentale, Western Azalea

This native Rhododendron has white flowers. It likes moist areas and full shade.

30. Salvia spathacea, Hummingbird Sage,

Hummingbird sage grows about a foot tall with a 2 to 3 feet burgundy flower spikes. The leaves are fragrant. It spreads by underground rhizomes and makes a great ground cover. Hummingbirds love it. It likes leaf litter and full or part shade. It is native under coast live oaks.

Walk through the Yerba buena.

31. Satureja douglasii, Yerba Buena

Without water it just goes deciduous in summer, coming back lush with the first rain.

This Yerba Buena was planted 12 years ago and the three plants we planted have become one big plant, 6-9 ft across and 3-6 inches tall. It smells clean and minty and makes a very low, only a few inches, groundcover.

32. Scrophularia atrata, Black Figwort or Bumble Bee Plant

Bumblebee plant has tall flower stalks with lots of little black flowers. Bumble bees and other interesting insects enjoy it. The Chalcedon Checkerspot butterfly lives on this species and sequesters Iridoid glycosides from the plant, making the larva poisonous and adults unpalatable.

34. Spiraea douglasii, Western Spiraea

Western spirea is a beautiful open shrub with arching branches and attractive foliage. It has great fall color and large pink flower clusters in spring. It grows 4 to 5 ft tall. It grows in moist forest areas so it may need a little extra water.

36. Symphoricarpos mollis, Southern California Snowberry

Southern California Snowberry is shorter and more compact than S. albus. It is also very drought tolerant.

38. Vaccinium ovatum, Huckleberry

Huckleberry is a shrub related to the blueberry. It likes full shade in moist forested areas. It has light pink umbel flowers, reddish bark and shiny green foliage.

40. Viola pedunculata, Johnny-jump-ups

Our wild violets, or Johnny-jump-ups, are happiest in clay soil under blue oaks. However they are also under Chamise, Ceanothus, and coast live oak. They seem to not be able to tolerate a lot of leaf litter. They get buried. The yellow flowers are a great addition to salads.

42. Whipplea modesta, Yerba de Selva

Yerba de salva is a low growing herbaceous plant with small white flowers. It is happy in full shade. It is native along the coast ranges under the forest canopy.

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1. Asarum caudatum, Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger is a really neat little perennial with heart-shaped leaves that likes full shade. Wild ginger smells spicy in a nice way. The flower is the best thing about this plant there are three petals with 1 to 2 inch spur-like projection. The inside is white with a red center. The flowers are about 0.5 to 1 inch wide. It is native in the redwood forest and yellow pine forest so it may need a little moisture.

3. Elymus condensatus, Giant Wild Rye

Giant Rye is a huge grass. It likes full shade. You can find it along the coast under the full shade of coast live oaks. It is not aggressive. It has a better form when given some sun. It is happy in the shade but it tends to look a little leggy. It receives no water.

5. Heuchera micrantha, Alumroot

Alumroot is a dainty little perennial with reddish green foliage and dainty cream-colored flower clusters that may reach 3 ft in hight. It is happy in the shade with a little moisture as it is from climates with rainfall higher than our 15 in. It is cold tolerant to about 0 deg F.

7. Heuchera merriamii, Siskiyou Alum Root

This is a delicate little Alum root with scalloped leaves and pendulant little cream colored flowers. It is native at high elevations.

9. Holodiscus discolor, Cream bush

Cream bush is a very elegant shrub. It has arching branches, with soft light green foliage and large cream colored flower clusters. The flower clusters turn a chocolate color after a while and hang around through the winter. It works great in flower arrangements. You can use it like a classy babies breath. It loves shade and is drought tolerant.

11. Iris hartwegii, Sierra Iris

This pretty yellow Iris likes moist shade or wet sun. It goes deciduous in the winter. It forms a neat little clump spreading slowly by short underground rhizomes.

13. Lepechinia fragrans, Wallaces Pitcher sage

Wallaces Pitcher sage is a shrub with light purple flowers. It has large fragrant clasping opposite leaves. It does well in part or full shade and is drought tolerant.

16. Lonicera interrupta, Chaparral Honeysuckle

Chaparral honeysuckle is very drought tolerant. It has pretty little yellow flowers, purplish stems, and clasping gray green leaves.

17. Mahonia pinnata, California Barberry

This Mahonia is erect and not as bushy it has the same yellow flowers and berries. California barberry is more drought tolerant. The leaves are very holy like.

19. Montia perifoliata, Miner's Lettuce

Miner's lettuce is an edible little wildflower that often comes up under oaks. It is a sign you have a healthy garden. Don't pull it up. When it is done doing its thing, it will disappear.

21. Ribes indicorum, Chaparral current

Chaparral currant is a very drought tolerant Ribes that grows in shady areas in the chaparral. It has delicate white flowers that are liked by hummingbirds.

23. Ribes sanguineum glutinosum, Pink flowered currant

Pink flowering currant likes full shade. It is deciduous. It has large fragrant leaves and large pink flowers. He hummingbirds really like it. It is drought tolerant.

25. Ribes viburnifolium Catalina Perfume

This is an evergreen currant (no spines), with dark green foliage. It grows from 1 to 3 ft tall. Catalina Perfume has fragrant foliage. It is very drought tolerant and loves full shade.

27. Rubus parviflorus, Thimbleberry

Thimbelberry grows wild under redwoods. It likes moist areas in full shade. The berries are pink and resemble raspberries. It grows 3 to 6 ft tall.

29. Solanum xanti hoffmannii, Purple nightshades

This purple nightshade grows 2 to 3 ft tall. It has dark purple flowers and grows well in full shade. It is very drought tolerant.

Sages in the shade? That's right! To look at more sages click here

33. Smilacina stellata, False Solomons Seal

False solomons seal likes moist deep shade. It is native in coastal forest where it receives fog drip. It sends out a stem with large opposite leaves terminating in a white cluster of flowers. It spreads my underground rhizomes.

35. Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus, Snowberry

Snow berry is a delicate small shrub with a lacy habit. It has small pink flowers and fat snow white berries. It is very drought tolerant and happy in full shade. It goes deciduous but the white berries hang around for a long time after the leaves are gone.