Shade plants you can grow in your sunny Utah garden

SALT LAKE CITY — Despite being characterized as a desert state, several shade plants can survive and thrive in Utah.

Here are some options from KSL Greenhouse Host Taun Beddes and Brian Lloyd with Olson’s Greenhouse.

Impatiens

These are widely available, as they are one of the most common shade annual plants. Of the different varieties, the New Guinea impatiens can tolerate quite a bit of sun. They are on the newer side, with slightly fewer flowers but beautiful foliage.

“I always have double impatiens on my front patio. You can also do single impatiens or New Guinea impatiens … but I love double impatiens in planters on my patio that faces north on my front porch,” Lloyd said.

According to Beddes, impatiens should not be left on a south exposure.

“Look for the north side of your house to start with, and then as your trees and shrubs mature, you’ll find more and more spots to kind of tuck things away underneath,” Lloyd added.

Begonias

While not as popular as impatiens, begonias are also shade annuals that do well in Utah’s soil. They have red-tinted foliage and flowers that come in pink, white, and sometimes red.

“They do grow to be a little bit taller, but … let’s say you have a spot in a shaded location like in a rock garden, or you just need more of a focal point, those begonias might fill that use,” Beddes said.

“I love these tuberous begonias, especially the Proven Winner ones,” Lloyd said. “… They do great under larger shrubs or trees if you have … a filtered sunlight or a full shade area. Those provide a lot of intense, bright color, and they get big blooms.”

Hydrangeas

While the labels for hydrangeas might read “part sun” or even “full sun,” Lloyd explained that in Utah, that translates to “maybe a couple hours less shade every day.”

Specifically, the varieties that do well in Utah are the macrophylla, not the paniculata. According to Lloyd, they can get no more than two hours of sunlight in the early morning because they need the shade to survive here.

Phlox Candy Cloud

This is a new plant that was released in 2025. It’s a species cross between the creeping phlox and the woodland phlox.

“This new variety comes in the bright pink that normal creeping phlox does … but I’m putting it in all the part-sun areas or shade areas of my yard now, and it’ll take that part sun situation and provide that intense color. So if you loved creeping phlox but your rock garden is in mostly shade throughout the day, look for this new variety,” Lloyd said.

What other shade plants are there?

Those planting annuals may want to consider polka dot plants, which come in pink, white, and red and can be a good filler plant. There’s also a plant called torenia, which Beddes said works fairly well in the shade.

Several perennial options are available: hostas, Coral Bells, foamflowers, Brunnera, Japanese anemones, and more.

You can even look into some bushes. Beddes suggested English laurels, Japanese Euonymus, photinia, and yews.

“In your shade locations, what you need to look for (is) foliage. And then you can touch up with impatiens (and) begonias,” Beddes said.

Read more from the KSL Greenhouse show:

• Want some fresh sweet potatoes? Try growing your own at home
• Landscape watering with a smart controller
• A local horticulturist’s guide to growing potatoes

KSL Greenhouse is live on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.