Plant Encyclopedia
Discover plants for your garden — filter by sun, water, bloom time and more.
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11 plants
PerennialsAstilbe × arendsii
False Spirea
False Spirea is an elegant shade plant with feathery plumes in pink, red, or white above deeply cut foliage. It blooms from June to August, and the plumes retain their ornamental value even when dried. Astilbe thrives in moist, shady spots where many other plants struggle.
PerennialsChelone obliqua
Turtlehead
Turtlehead gets its name from its unusual flower shape that resembles a turtle's head. The pink, lip-shaped flowers appear in dense spikes from August to September. This sturdy plant thrives in moist, shady spots and is perfect for waterside planting.
PerennialsHosta sieboldiana
Hosta
Hosta is the quintessential shade plant, valued for its large, blue-green, ribbed leaves. Light purple or white bell-shaped flowers appear on tall stems in July and August. Over the years the plant forms substantial clumps that give a shaded border a lush character.
PerennialsLigularia dentata
Leopard Plant
Leopard Plant is an imposing foliage plant with large, rounded, dark green leaves that often sport a purple-brown underside. From July to September, striking orange-yellow, daisy-like flowers appear on sturdy stems. The plant looks its best at pond margins and in moist, shaded borders.
Ground coverLysimachia nummularia
Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny is a fast-spreading, trailing ground cover with round, coin-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers in June and July. The plant spreads via long runners, forming a dense, green carpet. It is ideal for moist spots and pond margins.
FernsMatteuccia struthiopteris
Ostrich Fern
Ostrich Fern is a majestic fern with large, elegantly arching, bright green fronds that mimic the shape of ostrich feathers — hence the name. The fronds can reach 150 centimetres tall and form a beautiful, funnel-shaped rosette. In autumn, separate dark brown fertile fronds appear in the centre of the plant. The fern spreads via underground runners.
HerbsMentha spicata
Spearmint
Spearmint is a vigorously growing culinary herb with bright green, aromatic leaves and small purple flower spikes in summer. Its refreshing menthol scent makes it indispensable for teas, cocktails, and desserts. Mint spreads rapidly via runners and should be planted within boundaries.
FernsOsmunda regalis
Royal Fern
The Royal Fern is the largest native fern in Europe and looks truly regal with its broad, elegantly arching, bipinnate fronds that can reach two metres tall. In summer, brown spore-bearing plumes appear at the tips of some fronds, giving the plant a flower-like appearance. In autumn, the foliage turns beautifully bronze to golden yellow.
PerennialsRodgersia pinnata
Featherleaf Rodgersia
Featherleaf rodgersia is an imposing foliage plant with large, pinnate, bronze-green leaves that emerge with a striking bronze tint in spring. The plume-shaped pink flowers appear in June and July, towering above the foliage. An architectural plant for moist, sheltered spots.
PerennialsTrollius chinensis
Chinese Globeflower
The Chinese globeflower is an elegant moisture-loving perennial with open, bowl-shaped flowers in warm orange to yellow. The blooms appear in May and June above finely divided, palmate foliage. This plant thrives along pond margins and in moist borders.
PerennialsZantedeschia aethiopica
Arum Lily
The arum lily is a stately perennial with large, funnel-shaped white spathes surrounding a yellow spadix. Its glossy, arrow-shaped leaves create lush ground-level foliage. This plant thrives in moist to wet conditions and flowers from June to August.