Best new shade perennial introductions for 2025
Shade gardens are the perfect place to get creative with texture, color, and form, and the newest perennials for 2025 deliver plenty of inspiration! If your shady beds are packed with the classics you love, now’s the time to shake things up with some exciting new varieties. These introductions bring fresh foliage, unique flowers, and standout performance to even the dimmest corners of your garden. Whether you’re reimagining an old favorite spot or adding a new shade border, these plants are sure to shine. Let’s explore the best picks for your garden next year!
‘Dream Catcher’ epimedium (Epimedium hybrid)
The out-of-the-ordinary blooms of ‘Dream Catcher’ epimedium have a rose-red and yellow color combination that will add a spark to your shade garden. Its long-lasting flowers sit on tall stems above the mound of foliage so they’re easy to see and enjoy near a shady path or patio. But this tough perennial isn’t just a pretty face. Plants thrive even in dry shade without much work — just cut off dead foliage in late winter. In addition, deer and rabbits won’t nibble the wiry stems and green leaves, which get a bronze flush in cool weather.
Type Perennial
Best features Rosy-red sepals with large yellow wings in mid- to late spring
Light Part to full shade
Size 18 to 24 in. tall, 24 to 36 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 5 to 8
Introducer: Walters Gardens, Inc.
Source: Local garden centers
‘Frostline’ brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla)
In addition to the large silver leaves with a lacy silver overlay, ‘Frostline’ has a chartreuse edge to give your shade garden a special glow. Clusters of small true-blue flowers provide a charming show in spring. And deer and rabbits usually leave brunnera alone.
Type Perennial
Best features Chartreuse halo along the edge of each leaf
Light Part to full shade
Size 10 to 12 in. tall, 15 to 18 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 4 to 9
Introducer: Darwin Perennials®
Source: Local garden centers
‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ hosta (Hosta hybrid)
Give beds and borders a sense of movement with this new hosta. It has an extra-wavy leaf with a creamy white edge that extends from leaf tip down the length of the petiole, or stem. Hummingbirds frequent the tubular white flowers that rise above the foliage in midsummer.
Type Perennial
Best features Long, extra-wavy leaves
Light Part to full shade
Size 18 in. tall, 22 to 29 in. in bloom, 28 to 32 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Introducer: Walters Gardens, Inc.
Source: NH Hostas & Companion Plants, 603-879-0085
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‘Endless’ hellebore (Helleborus hybrid)
When you want lots of flowers that last from late winter to late spring, ‘Endless’ hellebore is the plant you need. Green to white blooms face upward instead of nod, as many hellebore flowers do, so they’re easier to enjoy. Its glossy deep green foliage is evergreen and looks great all year.
Type Perennial
Best features Lots of upward-facing blooms
Light Part to full shade
Size 14 to 18 in. tall and wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 5 to 9
Introducer: Monrovia®
Source: Local garden centers
Nova® ‘Cobalt’ pulmonaria (Pulmonaria hybrid)
Instead of the usual pink to purple blooms, ‘Cobalt’ starts out blue and stays that way through spring. Its silver spotted leaves begin to emerge as the flowers fade, forming a tidy mound of handsome foliage for the rest of the season.
Type Perennial
Best features Cobalt blue flowers in spring
Light Full to part shade
Size 12 to 18 in. tall, 14 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 4 to 9
Introducer: Terra Nova® Nurseries Inc.
Source: Sooner Plant Farm, 918-453-0771
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