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Alabama Shade-Loving Native Annuals and Perennials

About 25 percent of the plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

Native Plants, Native Perennials, Native Annuals, Alabama Native Plant, Alabama Native Perennials, Alabama Native Annuals

From the northern mountains to the southern coastal plains, Alabama’s landscape is carpeted with a rich array of wildflowers and native plants. It is home to over 3000 species of native lycopytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and flowering plants. Alabama’s relatively mild winters, especially in the lower regions of the state, can support many non-native species, and they are beginning to make their way across the landscape. Regrettably, some of these exotic immigrants are invasive and are threatening the native flora and ecology of the state.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species, and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially lead to increased soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants.

  • First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers, and pesticides or use less water.
  • Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats.
  • Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.

Here is a list of Alabama native annuals and perennials that are well-suited for plantings in shady gardens.

  • Never collect native plants from the wild as it will deplete natural ecosystems. 
  • When possible, plant species grown straight from local seed sources. These native originals are the best choice, as they co-evolved with specific wildlife, which supports migration, breeding, and other seasonal interdependencies.

Guide Information

Plant Type Annuals, Perennials
Exposure Shade
Native Plants Alabama, Southeast, United States

Alabama Shade-Loving Native Annuals and Perennials

Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry)
Anemone quinquefolia (Wood Anemone)
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the Pulpit)
Asarum canadense (Canada Wild Ginger)
Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead)
Dodecatheon meadia (Shooting Star)
Erythronium albidum (White Trout Lily)
Erythronium americanum (Yellow Trout Lily)
Eurybia divaricata (White Wood Aster)
Hepatica americana (Roundleaf Liverleaf)
Impatiens capensis (Orange Jewelweed)
Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf)
Mertensia virginica (Virginian Bluebells)
Mitella diphylla (Bishop’s Cap)
Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny Spurge)
Podophyllum peltatum (May Apple)
Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)
Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink)
Thalictrum thalictroides (Rue Anemone)
Tiarella cordifolia (Foam Flower)
Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia Spiderwort)
Trillium flexipes (Nodding Wakerobin)
Uvularia grandiflora (Bellwort)
Viola rostrata (Long Spurred Violet)
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Middle South Lower South
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Plant Type Annuals, Perennials
Exposure Shade
Native Plants Alabama, Southeast, United States
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Middle South Lower South

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