40 Shade Loving Perennials for Zone 3a (Edmonton and Calgary, AB)

Have a dark corner where the grass just isn’t growing? (Don’t we all?) Turn it into a shade garden!

Living as far north as we do, the harsh winter climate limits our options for perennials. And you can’t trust big box stores to carry hardy ones!

Loaded with photos, I’ve done my best to give you a wide selection of shade-loving perennials to consider for the low-sun corners of your Zone 3 or 4 Alberta shade garden.

Be sure to check out our post on easy to grow flowering perennials for Alberta while you’re here, and these plant exchange groups and events to save on your garden!

Ajuga/Bugleweed

Aquilegia/Colombine

Astilbe/False Goat’s Beard

Astrantia/Masterwart

Bergenia

Bishop’s Hat/Epimedium/Barrenwort/Horny Goat Weed

Bleeding Heart

Bunchberry/Creeping Dogwood

Comfrey/Symphytum

Coral bells/Heuchera

Creeping Jenny/Moneywort

Forget-Me-Nots

Great Forget-Me-Not/Heartleaf/Largeleaf Brunnera/Siberian Bugloss

Hostas

Jacob’s Ladder/Stairway to Heaven/Sweatroot

Lady Fern

Lady’s Mantle

Lamb’s Ear/Woolly Hedgenettle

Lamium/Dead-nettles

Lilac

Lily of the Valley

Lungwort/Pulmonaria

Martagon Lilies

Pasqueflower/Prairie Crocus

Periwinkle

Primrose/Primulas

Soapwort

Sweet Woodruff/Sweetscented Bedstraw

Trillium

Perennial Violets

More Perennials

I’m still working on gathering photos of these, but if the above list wasn’t long enough for you, here are a few more Zone 3 shade perennials for you to check out!

• Actaea/Baneberries/Bugbane/Cimicifuga/Cohosh
• Aruncus/Goat’s Beard
• False Solomon’s Seal/Treacleberry/Feathery False Lily of the Valley
• Ligularia (*with caution in a sheltered location)
• Meadow Rue
• Native Avens
• Ostrich Ferns
• Rodgersia
• Twinflower
• Wild Ginger/Canadian Snakeroot/Broad-Leaved Asarabacca (*with caution in a sheltered location)

Looking for more?

Check out these posts:

• 20 Easy to Grow Flowering Perennials for Zone 3a
• Save on Plants with Alberta Plant Exchanges
• Why you should be a plant mom
• Have you been to the University of Alberta Botanic Gardens lately?
• 5 reasons we love the St Albert Botanic Park

Keep in mind that perennials need some time to establish themselves. Newly planted perennials are usually much smaller than their final size. While some may reach their full size within a few years, others may take five to ten years or more to mature.

Be patient, enjoy the process, and take some time to smell the flowers!