This deer resistant shade recipe offers vibrant foliage and texture with hardy perennials—ideal for woodland gardens in zones 4–8

Featured Plants

'Pink-a-Blue' Pulmonaria
DRESSED UP® 'Evening Gown' Heuchera
'Jack of Diamonds' Brunnera

Seasonal Progression

Use this foliage centric shade recipe to keep your garden glamorous and the deer at bay. Begin with the silver speckled foliage of Pink-a-Blue Pulmonaria and Jack of Diamonds Brunnera; these are early flowering perennials that will wake up early in spring and give you immediate returns. After the flowers fade, the leaves will hold interest through summer and into fall. DRESSED UP® Heuchera will add constant foliage color from spring through autumn (and later as they are semi-evergreen). Tall scapes of flowers appear in summer for added interest.

Environmental Requirements

Light

Full Shade, Part Shade

Moisture

Light, Moderate

Soil

Loose, Well-drained

Zones

4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Features

Fantastic Foliage, Deer Resistant, Long Season of Interest, Low Maintenance, Shade Tolerant

Perennials in this EZ Scape™

'Pink-a-Blue' Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

Deer & Rabbit Resistant • Spotted Leaves • Spring Interest

Height: 16-18″
Spread: 22-24″
Zones: 3-9
Primary Season of Interest: Spring
Secondary Season of Interest: Summer & Fall (Foliage)
Care Tips: Grows best in filtered sun or part shade and organic, moist soil. Keep watered during dry spells.

Close up of DRESSED UP Evening Gown dark purple coral bells
DRESSED UP® 'Evening Gown' Coral Bells (Heuchera)

DRESSED UP® Coral Bells (Heuchera)

Fantastic Foliage Texture • Semi-Evergreen • Deer Resistant

Height: 12-14″
Spread: 20-24″
Zones: 4-9
Primary Season of Interest: Spring through Fall (Foliage)
Care Tips: Thrives in part shade but will grow in sun or shade. Plant in humus-rich, well-drained soil. Trim back tattered foliage in early spring. Salt tolerant.

'Jack of Diamonds' (Brunnera macrophylla)

Pollinator Friendly • Deer & Rabbit Resistant • Fantastic Foliage

Height: 16-18″
Spread: 28-36″
Zones: 3-8
Primary Season of Interest: Spring
Secondary Season of Interest: Summer and Fall (Foliage)
Care Tips: Best in full shade and consistent, moist soils. In the north, morning sun is tolerated. Use mulch in winter.

Expand this Recipe

Delicate white blooms tower above green foliage on 'Chantilly Lace' Goatsbeard
'Chantilly Lace' Goat's Beard (Aruncus)
Fuzzy pink-purple blooms rise above dark foliage of 'Dark Side of the Moon' Astilbe
'Dark Side of the Moon' (Astilbe)