Designing A Butterfly Garden In Full Shade In Zone 4

New england aster tolerates full sun to light shade.

Designing a butterfly garden in full shade in zone 4. Pictured here is a blue violet variety of the perennial. Azalea does very well in shade but only some varieties are hardy to zone 4. The stained glass patterns of butterfly wings will add an extra dimension to this colorful garden bed which bursts with easy to grow perennial and annual flowers that are irresistible to these pretty creatures.

Even if a plant is rated for full shade if it s languishing try moving it. Beautiful foliage like bronzy or caramel coral bells and puckered variegated solomon s seal and blue hosta make the need for flowers incidental. The spruce marie iannotti shade gardening used to be considered a challenge.

Picking shade plants for zone 4. A variety of blossoms offers nectar to adult butterflies while leafy food sources such as parsley nourish the larvae. A must in any butterfly garden asters come in a variety of colors and are drought tolerant.

Thankfully there s been an explosion of shade perennials on the market and your shade garden can be as colorful and varied as any full sun border. Clouded sulphur colias philodice. Heliopsis flowers are tough plants that grow in average to heavy clay soils in areas as cold as zone 4.

When planting shade plants for zone 4 it s important to pay attention to the plants needs. They bloom in the late summer to early fall and require full sun.