List of Shade & Cold tolerant plants (vegetables, herbs, flowers)

Greens (lettuce, cabbage, spinach) and root vegetables (beets, potatoes, turnips) are the best choices for shady gardens. To clarify, the greens and root vegetables perform better in full sun during the colder months, while they perform better in the shade during hot Summer months.

Steve Albert of Harvest to Table wrote on the topic Vegetables and Herbs for Growing in Shade stating that the advantages of growing vegetables in shade include: 1) Leafy crops grown in partial shade will be succulent and free of bitter taste; 2) A partially shaded garden allows for a longer growing period for cool-season crops; 3) Afternoon shade protects crops from the hot summer sun. 

 

photo source: The Garden of Eaden

Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants grow poorly in shade, however. What I have noticed with Tomatoes grown in partial shade , they focus on growing tall to reach sunlight, instead of focusing on growing a strong stable stalk to support large fruits.

Steve Albert lists some of his own tips for growing in shade, for example: 1) Choose vegetables and herbs adapted to shade; 2) Start crops for shady gardens indoors to speed harvest; germination and early seedling growth can begin under optimal conditions before transplanting to the shady site; 3) Pruning away low tree branches and thinning out high branches will allow more sunlight to reach the garden; 4) Painting nearby walls or fences white will allow more light to bounce into the garden. I have even seen gardeners use aluminum foil to reflect light; 6) Grow crops in containers so that they can be moved into sunny spots as the seasons change.

In the tables below, I have listed Vegetables, herbs, and flowers adapted to growing in partially shaded gardens. A partially shaded garden receives at least  2-6 hours of direct sun according to Steve Albert. This list also includes vegetables and herbs that can be grown in colder (climates) or during cooler months (Spring & Fall): 

Vegetables & Greens

Arugula	Beets	Broccoli	Brussels sprouts	Cabbage	Carrots
Cauliflower	Celery	Chard	Cilantro	Endive	Escarole
Garlic	Horseradish	Kale	Kohlrabi	Leaf lettuce	Leeks
Mustard	Napa cabbage	Parsnips	Peas	Potatoes	Radishes
Rutabagas	Salsify scallion	Sorrel	Spinach	Turnips	Watercress

 Herbs 

Angelica	Basil	Black Cohosh	Bloodroot	Catnip	Chervil
Chives	Costmary	Downy Rattlesnake Plantain	Garden cress	Germander	Ginger
Goldenseal	Lemon balm	Lovage	Mint	Parsley	Rosemary
Solomon’s seal	Spikenard	Sweet flag	Sweet woodruff	Thyme	Wood Poppy

Flowers & Perennials

Alpine	Alstilbe	Anemone	Balsam	Bee balm	Beefsteak Plant
Bergenia	Browallia	Brunnera	Coleus	Cowslip Primrose	Ferns
Foamy bells	Fuchsia	Hostas	Impatiens	Jacob's Ladder	Lilyturf
Lobelia	Oxalis	Perilla	Polka-dot plant	Torenia	Viola

The picture below demonstrates growing shade tolerant Vegetables, greens, and flowers in a polyculture system. 

photo source: Shawna Coronado

Above I mentioned growing varieties of Hostas, Ferns, Lilyturf, and other shade tolerant Perennials which you can see demonstrated in the photo here:

photo source: Dirty thoughts a gardening life