10 Shade Loving Australian Native Plants | Ultimate Backyard (2024)

For gardening enthusiasts who have the common challenge of shaded areas, there’s good news: not all Australian native plants demand full sun to flourish.

In fact, many thrive in the dappled light of a forest understory or the cool, shadowed nooks of urban gardens.

Regardless of the reason for your lack of direct sunlight, there’s likely a native plant that can bring life and colour to that space.

In this guide, I’ve listed some of my favourite Aussie natives that are both beautiful and perfectly suited for those less sunlit areas of your garden.

Acacia verniciflua (Varnish Wattle)

For those gardeners who love wattles as much as I do, this species will grow and flower happily in the shade. It has shiny willowy foliage and beautiful pom-pom-type yellow flowers in spring.

This wattle can grow into a small tree and reach a height of around 9 metres. However, it’s unlikely to grow this tall when planted in a shady spot in the garden.

As with most wattles, this plant is hardy and will handle most soil types.

Alpinia caerulea (Native Redback Ginger)

This is an interesting native plant that grows well in a shady position in the garden. It has glossy golden-green leaves that are rusty red on the undersides.

This allows you to add some foliage colour to your shady garden areas. The plant produces creamy-white flowers and these are followed by dark blue berries that are loved by birds.

This is a lovely clumping plant and the stems can be trimmed right down to the ground if your plant becomes a little untidy. New shoots will grow again from the underground rhizomes.

Asplenium australasicum (Bird’s Nest Fern)

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Anyone who lives in Queensland will be familiar with the bird’s nest fern. But, these beauties will also grow in warm and cool temperate areas around the country.

If you have a large shady spot to fill, these stunning ferns can add quite a dramatic statement to your garden. Although epiphytic, they will grow in moist but well-drained soil and are perfect for planting under trees or among rocks in your garden.

However, you can often find this native fern mounted on a board at local nurseries or garden centres. These can easily be attached to a large tree or to a fence.

Bird’s nest ferns can also be grown in large containers that you can place out among your trees. Just make sure you use a good well-draining mix suitable for these plants.

Dianella caerulea (Blue Flax Lily)

This is another easy-care plant that will grow well in the shade. It’s a clumping perennial with strappy green leaves.

Dianella caerulea will produce tallish stems with small bright blue flowers in spring and summer. These are followed by blue berries that are loved by birds.

As with other plants that grow from underground rhizomes, it can be cut back quite severely and will quickly resprout.

Dicksonia antarctica (Soft Tree Fern)

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This lovely tree fern is just perfect for a shady spot in your garden. It will grow a nice trunk that will continue to reach upwards.

This is a particularly hardy and low-maintenance species that will just continue to thrive in your garden as long as it gets enough moisture.

The only maintenance that you’ll have to do is cut off the dead fronds. This can easily be done with a pair of secateurs or loppers. Try to cut them as close to the trunk as possible.

Helmholtzia glaberrima (Stream Lily)

If you’re looking for a native plant that will flower well in the shade, have a look at the stream lily. It has beautiful dark green strappy leaves and large panicles of pretty pink or white flowers.

The flowers appear in summer and the plant can reach a height of up to 2 metres. It grows from underground rhizomes and can also be grown in pots.

You can cut off dead or damaged foliage at the base and new leaves will appear. If the clump gets too large, you can easily dig it up and divide it into smaller sections.

Hymenosporum flavum ‘Gold Nugget’ (Native Frangipani)

If you’re looking for a dense understory plant, then this native frangipani cultivar might be a good choice. It only reaches a height and width of around 0.5 metres.

The leaves are large and glossy and the plant produces lovely scented yellow flowers in summer. This cultivar will grow well in a range of different climates but should be protected from frosts.

Libertia paniculata (Branching Grass Flag)

This is another plant that has strappy leaves and will flower in shady positions in the garden. In spring and summer, the plant produces attractive star-shaped white flowers.

This is a great understory plant in areas that have fairly moist soil. As it grows from underground rhizomes, it will easily spread.

Although it’s an Australian rainforest plant, it will grow in warm and cool temperate areas and can tolerate light frosts.

Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’ (Mat Rush)

I just love the hardiness of lomandra and this particular cultivar is quite outstanding in its appearance. It will handle a shady spot in your garden but can also handle some sun.

To keep your Mat Rush looking neat, you can easily give it a tidy-up once a year by removing the spent flower stalks and any dead foliage.

Viola hederacea (Native Violet)

I’ve written a lot about the native violet as it’s one of my favourite natives to plant in shady spots in the garden.

It’s one of those plants that needs minimal care and will spread along the ground to cover large areas over a period of time.

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