Ideal Ornamental Plants for a Shaded Patio

Adding plants to a shaded patio is not required nor is necessary. But most people really do exert some effort just to add greens and flowers. There are other reasons but the most obvious and usual purpose is for decoration. Aside from that, the benefits of plants and flowers are amazing.

Usually, patio places that are fully roofed or partially covered with awnings and patio umbrellas are not designed for planting or gardening but that does not mean you cannot get the benefits of having plants for your patio. But the type of atmosphere, which is vital for plants to live, is different within a patio setup. The solution is that you just have to select the right plants.

Here some plants that can be used inside a shaded patio.

Coleus
This ornamental plant is grown for its leaves. This perennial plant can usually grow up to 1 meter with multicolored leaves. These plants can live under a partial shade structure like awnings, shade sails, or outdoor umbrellas in a patio.

Caladiums
Commonly known as elephant ear, this is also an ornamental plant grown for their large and multicolored arrowhead-shaped leaves. Colors can be in combination of green, white, red, and pink forming a pattern like those in Coleus.  This plant, grown from tubers, is very easy to cultivate that can grow up to 2 feet in height. This plant prefers partial shade so they are well suited in a patio setup.

Begonias
Begonias are flowering perennial plants that can be grown on pots. They are easy to cultivate and can grow from six to eight inches in height. With a wide array of species and flower colors in different hues, these can be a great ornament for a patio or deck. Different species can live in a variety of environment conditions and many of them are well suited for partly shaded place.

Forget-me-not
One of the most famous ornamental plants, forget-me-not is a flowering plant that can live well in pots. This perennial plant can grow up to one foot only so you can easily add and incorporate them in a patio furniture setup and decoration. Because they can live in a partial sun and shade environment, they can be a charm to a patio.

Ferns
There are many species of ferns used for landscaping and ornaments. Usually, they are grown as additional accents to other plants especially flowers.

Some well known ferns:

• Boston fern
• Ostrich fern
• Japanese Painted fern
• Wood fern
• Maidenhair fern
• Asparagus fern
• Cinnamon fern