Shade-Loving Plants Perfect for Northern-Facing Yards

Northern-facing yards in Billings and throughout Montana tend to get far less direct sunlight than their southern-facing counterparts. While that might seem like a challenge when planning your landscaping, it’s actually a great opportunity to explore a wide variety of shade-loving plants that thrive in cooler, lower-light conditions. At Horizon Landscape Management, we’ve helped many homeowners transform their shadier spots into lush, inviting spaces.

Whether you’re working with full shade or a few hours of morning light, here are some plant varieties that will love the conditions—and love you back with color, texture, and reliability.

Understanding Shade Levels in Your Yard

Before selecting your plants, it helps to know the level of shade you’re working with:

Full shade: No direct sunlight; often found on the north side of buildings or under dense trees.

Part shade: Gets a few hours of early morning or late afternoon sun.

Dappled shade: Filtered light through tree branches; often ideal for woodland-type plants.

Many northern-facing yards in Montana have a mix of full and part shade, depending on trees, fences, and building angles. Knowing this will help guide your plant selection.

Top Shade-Loving Perennials for Montana Landscapes

Hostas
Known for their striking foliage, hostas come in a wide range of greens, blues, and variegated varieties. They’re hardy, low-maintenance, and thrive in full to part shade.

Astilbe
These fluffy, plume-like flowers bloom in summer and bring a pop of pink, red, or white to shady beds. Astilbe prefers consistently moist soil, so mulching is a plus.

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis)
With delicate, heart-shaped blooms and fern-like foliage, bleeding hearts are a spring favorite for shady areas. They’ll go dormant mid-summer, so pair them with ferns or groundcovers for seasonal balance.

Ferns (such as Lady Fern or Ostrich Fern)
Ferns thrive in the cool, moist conditions of shaded beds. Their soft texture adds contrast to other broad-leafed plants like hostas and ligularia.

Coral Bells (Heuchera)
These colorful perennials come in shades ranging from lime green to deep burgundy. They tolerate shade well and provide year-round interest with their evergreen foliage.

Brunnera (False Forget-Me-Not)
With heart-shaped, silvery leaves and tiny blue flowers in spring, brunnera is perfect for deep shade and adds a touch of elegance to shady corners.

Groundcovers That Shine in the Shade

If you’re looking for something low and spreading to fill gaps or reduce weeding, try these shade-tolerant groundcovers:

Lily of the Valley: Fragrant and tough, this plant spreads easily.

Pachysandra: Evergreen with a carpet-like growth habit.

Sweet Woodruff: Delicate, star-shaped leaves and small white flowers in spring.

These options create a lush base layer and help retain soil moisture—an added bonus in Montana’s drier climate.

Design Tips for Shade Gardens

Use contrast: Pair light and dark foliage to add depth and interest.

Incorporate textures: Mix leafy plants with different shapes—like ferns, hostas, and heuchera—for a dynamic look.

Don’t forget mulch: Mulch helps conserve moisture and reduces weeds in shady spots that can be tricky to maintain.

Add structure: Shade gardens benefit from boulders, pathways, or decorative features like birdbaths to enhance visual appeal.

Let’s Bring Life to Your Shady Yard

At Horizon Landscape Management, we specialize in turning overlooked, under-lit spaces into beautiful garden retreats. Northern-facing yards in Montana might not get the most sun, but with the right plant choices, they can become some of the most inviting areas of your property.

Contact us at https://horizonlandscapemt.com to schedule a shade garden consultation, and let’s put those cool, quiet corners to work with plantings that thrive.