Delphiniums

dtlove129 · Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:07 pm

Does anyone know if I can plant Delphiniums in an area that is shaded by trees? I'm not going to say the area is dense shade, but it is shady. I have an area beside my fence where my Buttercups grow and I thought about putting these behind them so it isn't so bland when they die off here soon.

I have started these inside and could really put any of them there if you know of one of these that would do best:
Dephinium
Cherry Wine Rudebeckia
Shasta Daisys
Black Eyed Susans
Foxglove
Columbine

I want to use the Delphiniums because of their height and this is the most protected area in my yard from wind.

pow wow · Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:23 am

The foxglove might do fine in light shade but I'm afraid all on your list do love the sun. Would you consider astilbe or virginia bluebells?

dtlove129 · Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:46 am

pow wow wrote:The foxglove might do fine in light shade but I'm afraid all on your list do love the sun. Would you consider astilbe or virginia bluebells?

Thanks Pow Wow, I just read somewhere 10 minutes ago that foxglove can handle shade. Also, biennial. Does that mean it will bloom next year and then die off or does that mean it blooms every 2 years?

I already have some astilbe in the area.

pow wow · Thu Mar 22, 2012 11:10 am

Hi John,
They are a short lived biennial. So they live a couple years but they self seed so they are good naturalizing plants. I planted my first foxgloves last spring, they didn't flower and I am counting on them to live a couple years so they can self seed.

rainbowgardener · Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:53 pm

The columbine would also do well in a shady location, but I don't think the delphinium would make it. They definitely like sun.

rainbowgardener · Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:00 pm

It's not letting me edit the post, so PS. Other tallish things that would do well in shade include the astilbe someone mentioned, bleeding heart, large ferns, large hostas, solomon seal, toad lily, cimicifuga (bugbane). The native solomon seal is a spring ephemeral that disappears early, but there's a lovely hybrid version with white variegation on the leaves that lasts all season. I think it is a much under-used shade plant.