Lush, Big-Leaf Plants for a Shady Pacific Northwest Garden

If you’re a sun-loving gardener, finding yourself presented with a woodland garden or an otherwise shaded area of the landscape can feel a little overwhelming, and maybe even disappointing. But as soon as you discover the multitude of wonderful lush and leafy plants that actually prefer to grow in shade here in the Pacific Northwest, you’re going to start wishing you had a few more sun-deficient areas to plant up.

Whether you’re dealing with dappled, partial, or deep shade, there are plenty of shade-loving ground covers, perennials, grasses, ferns, shrubs, and even trees for you to experiment with. Prefer to add some drama? Consider incorporating high-impact plants with big, showy foliage. Not only will they provide texture and color, but lush and leafy plants can anchor the garden, or provide accents or focal points. And often they make the perfect backdrop for flowers or plants sporting a more delicate appearance. You can always add buzz to a shady spot with classics such as hostas or some ferns, but for extra excitement, check out the choices below.

(Gunnera tinctoria, Zones 7–10)

One of the largest perennials on the planet, this moisture-loving giant make an oversized statement edging streams or ponds or planted directly into bog, rain, or water gardens. Chilean rhubarb is a clump-forming, herbaceous colossus, but it is so fast-growing it rapidly refills its given space every single spring. Each palmate leaf can measure up to 5 feet across and is carried on a huge, sturdy, somewhat spiky stalk that can reach 10 feet tall! Remarkably easy to grow (with shade and water), a single plant gets 10 feet tall and up to 14 feet wide in 5 years. Now you can understand why it’s other common name is “dinosaur food.”

(Aeonium ‘Cy