Tropical and exotic plants that thrive in shade. So many gardens have difficult shaded spots that can easily be full of lush tropical plants and flowers. Many shade loving tropical plants and shade loving exotic plants have beautiful big leaves that come in all shapes and sizes. Browse our currently available shade loving plants and see how great your garden can look.
The darkest in a series of brand new stunning cold hardy Begonias. Begonia 'Dark Side of the Moon' produces nearly black, velvety leaves with scarlet red flowers. The bold foliage has a deep maroon underside.
These new hybrids are said to be hardy downs to USDA zone 7, that's below -10ºC! We're excited to test this claim in the Grow Paradise garden. Through summer sprays of delicate red flowers are held above the striking foliage.
Current size: Plug plant
The first in a series of brand new stunning cold hardy Begonias. Begonia 'Sterling Moon' has large palmate-shaped leaves that are patterned with silver and green flecking, perfect for illuminating shady spots in garden borders. The leaf underside is a rich coppery-maroon colour.
These new hybrids are said to be hardy downs to USDA zone 7, that's below -10ºC! We're excited to test this claim in the Grow Paradise garden. Through summer sprays of delicate rosy pink flowers are held above the striking foliage.
Current size: Plug plant
A hardy shade loving Begonia with eye-catching orange blooms! This selection of Begonia sutherlandii produces lush green leaves for shaded areas with a profusion of small tropical orange blooms. This resilient hardy Begonia sutherlandii produces tiny bulbils along its stems helping it to reproduce and come back bigger and better every year. The blooms really work to brighten dark areas of the garden. A really easy to care for plant that has long been a favourite of ours.
Current size: Established plants in 12cm pots.
These beautiful evergreen variegated leaves really brighten up dark spots in a garden and look very exotic. A relatively fast growing shrub that can reach heights of 2m+, but tolerates hard pruning well. Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web' has survived -6°C in the Grow Paradise garden and continues to thrive. In autumn white ivy-like flowers are produced and are followed by dark berries, providing food for pollinators and bird life.
Current size: 40cm tall, including pot.
A rarer variegated form of this reliable tropical style evergreen shrub. Large palmate glossy green leaves are adorned with a really attractive variegation, making Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' a great addition for shaded areas of any garden. A relatively fast growing shrub that can reach heights of 2m+, but tolerates hard pruning well. Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' has survived -6°C in the Grow Paradise garden and continues to thrive. In autumn white ivy-like flowers are produced and are followed by dark berries, providing food for pollinators and bird life.
Current size: 40cm tall, including pot.
A compact, clump-forming grass-like perennial with glossy evergreen leaves. Liriope mascari 'Purple Explosion' is an incredibly useful plant in UK gardens, providing a lush evergreen edge to your borders or pathways throughout the year. We use Liriope mascari 'Purple Explosion' as an evergreen foil for deciduous shrubs in the Grow Paradise garden. From late summer into autumn these resilient evergreen plants produce spikes of small deep purple flowers followed by very ornamental spherical black fruit that is loved by birds.
Current Size: 2ocm, including pot.
This is a wonderful variegated evergreen grass-like perennial. Each of the narrow leaves is mostly white with a thin green stripe through the centre, making Ophiopogon intermedius 'Aztec Grass' a brilliant plant for brightening up those dark areas in your garden. This resilient plant grows equally well in shade as it does in full sun making it a very versatile addition to any garden. In July and August this plant will produce spike of tiny white flowers followed by dark berries. Ophiopogon intermedius 'Aztec Grass' is very hardy, though some foliage may get frosted back in severely cold weather. This variegated form of Opiopogon is one that is not seen for sale in the UK very often.
Current Size: 25cm tall, including 8cm diameter pot.
A beautiful frost hardy evergreen ground covering plant, with tiny white flowers on tender upright stems that dance on a gentle breeze. The unassuming Saxifraga stolonifera is a delightful plant with intriguing silvery veined olive toned leaves with a reddish-purple underside. It is commonly known as the strawberry begonia. Saxifraga stolonifera is semi-hardy and is not often seen growing outside. Although dainty this plant has survived -5ºc in the Grow Paradise Nursery Garden. Take inspiration from its use as a house plant and place on the edge of pots and hanging baskets, for an abundance of foliage at eye level. Saxifraga stolonifera is a perennial that would be a perfect addition to a wide variety of planting schemes with its array of complimentary tones.
Current size: Sold in a 9cm pot.
An eye-catching evergreen variegated plant that will produce clouds of orchid-like blooms in summer. Saxifraga stolonifera 'Tricolour' is a spreading perennial that produces masses of rounded hairy leaves with a broad pink to white margin. In mild gardens is will remain evergreen, providing a unique and colourful ground cover throughout the year. It can also be grown in a hanging basket or container, where it's spreading stolons and young offsets will hang down providing visual interest. In summer delicate flower stems are held 30cm high and are covered in flowers that resemble miniature white orchids. We have used Saxifraga stolonifera as ground cover in the Grow Paradise garden for years, with it surviving a dry -6ºC unscathed.
Current height: 10cm, including pot.
Known as 'Spanish Moss, this is a rootless hanging epiphytic perennial that is widespread in the tropics and sub-tropics where it hangs from large trees. Tillandsia usneoides silvery branching stems can reach several metres long. These unusual plants uptake water that is trapped by the tiny silver hairs that cover the cylindrical leaves. Scented, tubular, yellow-green or pale blue flowers are produced in late spring or autumn. Try draping this plant over the larger shrubs and trees in your summer garden for an authentic jungle look. It's extremely easy to care for when grown both indoors and outdoors in summer.
Supplied as a bunch around 30cm+ long.