In the hobby garden, the term penumbra raises important questions. Don't puzzle over its importance and the significant impact it has on your plant choices. Read a compact definition with practical information here. Browse through clear lists with the most beautiful semi-shade plants for the garden, perennial border and balcony.

Many plants also thrive in semi-shade

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What does penumbra mean?
  3. Beautiful semi-shade plants
  4. Penumbral bed planting plan tips
  5. Balcony planting partial shade
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. the essentials in brief

    • Partial shade is created by trees, hedges and walls as a fluctuating shade front with an average of 4 hours of sunshine per day.
    • Beautiful perennials for semi-shade are cyclamen, wood anemone, splendor spar, boletus aster and cranesbill species.
    • Flowering shrubs such as hydrangeas, numerous varieties of roses and clematis as vigorous climbing plants thrive in partial shade.

    What does penumbra mean?

    Partial shade is often mentioned in location descriptions for plants. This term specifies the lighting conditions in the garden as an important criterion for the right choice of plants. Penumbra is not just a cross between sun and shade, but is subject to permanent changes over the course of the day. The following definition sums it up:

    • penumbra: a shadow front that fluctuates during the day, caused by trees, hedges or walls with an average of 4 hours of sunshine per day

    A bed in partial shade is sunny for up to four hours during the day and shaded for the rest of the time. Partial shade prevails, among other things, on the west and east side of a wall or along a privacy hedge planted in a north-south direction. Depending on the orientation, plants in a partially shaded location benefit from mild morning sun or blazing afternoon sun. Changes over the course of the year are the rule and are closely related to the position of the sun. If the front garden was still sunny in spring, it may be shaded by the house in the afternoon in summer.

    In the video below, the term penumbra is explained as distinct from other location descriptions such as full sun, sunny, shade, and full shade.

    youtube

    Beautiful semi-shade plants

    By definition, plants in partial shade can enjoy the sun for a maximum of 4 hours a day. This premise limits the choice of plants for the design in the garden and front yard a little. However, creative hobby gardeners do not have to do without lavish blooms in their green realm. The following tables provide an overview of which floral beauties are impressively staged as perennials, cushion perennials, flowers and flowering shrubs in partial shade:

    Perennials for partial shade - a selection

    perennials botanical name cushion perennials botanical name Perennial flowers botanical name
    columbine Aquilegia vulgaris elf flower Epimedium diphyllum Large-flowered girl's eye Coreopsis grandiflora
    cyclamen cyclamen gold droplets Chiastophyllum oppositifolium Hussar buttons Sanvitalia speciosa
    Bergenia Bergenia Evergreen cleft lip Mazus reptans Levkoje Matthiola incana
    Bush Wind Roses Anemone nemorosa Cushion Bellflower Campanula portenschlagiana mug mallow Lavatera trimestris
    Funkie hosta Porcelain flowers evergreen Saxifraga x urbium marigold Calendula officinalis
    Japanese anemone Anemone japonica Snow carpet evergreen Sedum spurium star coin flower Melampodium paludosum
    liverwort Hepatica nobilis snail knotweed Bistorta affinis marigold tagetes
    splendor pier Astilbe japonica star moss Sagina subulata jewelry basket Cosmos bipinnatus
    Tawny Aster Aster novae-angliae Carpet Aster Aster ericoides var. pansus White Bertrams sheaf Achillea ptarmica
    cranesbill geranium White periwinkle Vinca miro zinnia Zinnia elegans

    The climbing plants under the perpetually blooming summer flowers transform trellises and house facades into a blossom fairy tale. Mallow and zinnia in our table are not the only permanent bloomers that like to stage themselves as eye-catchers in a partially shaded location. Boasting a tireless display of blooms until the first frost, annual climbers like sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus), lavish bell vines (Cobaea), hardy nasturtiums (Tropaeolum) and the legendary black-eyed susan (Thunbergia alata). The floral climbing artists are also satisfied with partial shade, as long as the location is warm and sheltered from the wind.

    Flowering shrubs - hardy, for partial shade and easy to care for

    The ball hydrangea also blooms profusely in semi-shade

    flowering shrubs botanical name ground cover botanical name climbing shrubs botanical name
    ball hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla Fat Man/Shadow Green Pachysandra terminalis Clematis evergreen Clematis armandii
    Japanese camellia Camellia japonica ivy Hedera helix Gold Honeysuckle Lonicera x tellmanniana
    laurel rose Kalmia latifolia cinquefoil Potentilla tridentata climbing hydrangea Hydrangea anomala
    sour thorn Berberis vulgaris cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon Climbing Rose/Rambler pink
    Evergreen snow heather Erica carnea Red carpet berry Gaultheria procumbens pipe winch Aristolochia macrophylla

    The above table lists climbing and rambler roses as representative of the royal flowering splendor of roses in partial shade. Although the queen of flowers prefers a sunny location, once-blooming rambler roses also tolerate a spot with fewer hours of sunshine. We would like to recommend the premium variety 'Bobby James' in white flowers. Among the climbing roses that bloom more often, the ADR rose 'Laguna' stands out with its abundance of pink flowers and a fruity scent.

    digression

    Grass beauties for partial shade

    Ornamental grasses round off the imaginative design of perennial beds and front gardens with filigree lightness. In a partially shaded location with counted hours of sunshine, selected beauties of grass fulfill this demanding task with flying colors. Prime examples are: golden Japanese mountain grass 'Aureola' (Hakonechloa macra), the white-margined sedge 'Snowline' (Carex conica) and the enchanting snow marbel (Luzula nivea). These ornamental grasses are also easy to care for, evergreen and hardy.

    Planting plan tips for a picturesque penumbra bed

    The combination of plants of different sizes makes it possible to create a large bed where all the plants can be seen clearly

    With a well thought-out planting plan, the bed in the semi-shade becomes a jewel in the garden. First, use a plan sketch to determine the shape so that the bed planting is embedded harmoniously in the overall picture of your creative garden design. The next step is to create the concrete planting plan. The following tips summarize important criteria for the perfect plant composition in the picturesque penumbra bed:

    • leading perennials: high perennials, flowering shrubs and climbing plants as a backdrop and in the center form the framework
    • companion plants: half-height flowers and bushes accompany the main perennials
    • filler plants: low cushion perennials and ground covers act as gap fillers
    • breakdown: 10-15% leading perennials, 30-40% companion plants, 50-60% filler plants

    Raised flagship perennials are best presented as solitaires. Accompanying and filler plants are shown to their best advantage in small groups. The larger the perennial bed, the more frequently a plant variety can be represented as tuff. The border is reserved for cushion perennials and ground cover. In the small front garden and semi-shady rock garden, you can create spatial depth with the right choice of plants. Position perennials and flowers with blue blossoms or dark foliage in the background. In the foreground, plant small, floral room openers with pastel-colored flowers and light green, small leaves.

    tips

    A richly laid table awaits bees in a semi-shady location. Proven seed mixtures ensure a bee-friendly bed design in partial shade and a rich nectar buffet. The specific bee pastures in premium quality include 'Veitshöchheimer bee pasture semi-shade', 'Bingenheimer Saatgut bee pasture' and 'Schönhagener bee pasture'. Balcony gardeners use the 'Mössinger Bienenweide' seed mixture, which is perfect for partially shaded flower boxes and tubs.

    Balcony plants for partial shade - ideas for boxes and tubs

    The beautiful autumn anemone can also cope with less sun

    The penumbra dominates on the balcony on the east or west side of the house. Plants that are content with a bit of sunshine in the morning or afternoon are in demand here. You can achieve lush balcony planting in partial shade, easy to care for and representative with these floral specialists:

    flower box

    • Bergenia autumn bloom (Bergenia): blooms in spring and autumn, height of growth 25-40 cm (also beautiful in tubs)
    • Mountain Cranesbill (Geranium nodosum): flowering period from May to September, growth height 20-30 cm
    • Busy Lizzie (Impatiens walleriana): flowering period from May to October, height of growth 20-25 cm
    • Globe primrose (Primula denticulata): flowering period March to June, growth height 10-30 cm
    • Lantern flower (Physalis gigantea): flowering period from summer to autumn, height of growth 40-60 cm

    pot plants

    • Autumn anemone (Anemone Japonica): Flowering period September to November, growth height 80-100 cm
    • Lily hosta (Hosta Plantaginea): flowering period from August to October, growth height 50-80 cm
    • White foxglove (Digitalis purpurea): flowering period from June to the first frost, growth height 120 cm
    • Hardy fuchsia 'Tom Thumb' (Fuchsia): flowering period from July to October, height of growth up to 50 cm

    For the fruit snack garden on the partially shaded balcony, we recommend the 'Sylvia' (Prunus avium) pillared cherry, the Ballerina 'Flamenco' (Malus) pillared apple and the 'Saphira' (Pyrus communis) pillared pear. The 'BrazelBerry' blueberry is a compact, hardy bush with fruity berry delights and is also popular in large flower boxes (€16.99).

    frequently asked Questions

    Which houseplants are suitable for a place in the semi-shade?

    Morning or evening sun is enough for the enchanting shamflower (Aeschynanthus) to unfold its decorative tubular flowers. On the west or east window sill, the elegant single leaf (Spathipyllum) does not take long to present its bright white bracts with the impressive spadix flowers. The tropical arrowhead (Alocasia) comes up with breathtaking ornamental leaves. The easy-care cobbler's palm (Aspidistra elatior) demonstrates its majestic presence in partial shade in living rooms and conservatories.

    What is the difference between umbra and penumbra?

    When an object is illuminated by a single light source, it casts a shadow. Two light sources are required to create an umbra. In this case, the illuminated object casts two shadows that partially overlap. The shaded area from which a light source can be seen is called the penumbra. The area of the shadow from which no light source can be seen is called the umbra.

    Are there aromatic herbs that thrive in semi-shade?

    A colorful array of tasty herbal treasures thrive in the partially shaded location. These include parsley (Petroselinum crispum), chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), dill (Anethum graveolens), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and oregano (Origanum vulgare). Of course, spicy sage (Salvia) and spicy chives (Allium schoenoprasum) should not be missing here. Not to forget catnip and cat grass, so that your cat doesn't go away empty-handed.

    Can you plant tomatoes in partial shade?

    If you place tomatoes in semi-shade, you will look in vain for plump, aromatic fruits. Tomato plants are native to the sun-drenched tropical regions of South America and prefer a sunny to full sun location. Tomatoes are best kept in a partially shaded location only during the cultivation and hardening phase.

    tips

    If you create a vegetable bed in semi-shade, you can still draw from the full when choosing plants. Write down delicious types of cabbage, such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or kale, for the planting plan. Bush beans, peas, cucumbers, kohlrabi, carrots, leeks, radishes, beetroot, all kinds of salads as well as spinach and onions give you a rich harvest.

Category:

Garden design