Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, happy in loam soil, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Oklahoma · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Shade in Oklahoma
Woodland wildflowers, ferns, and groundcovers that thrive in the dappled and full shade under trees and on the north side of the house. Oklahoma sits in a landscape of Cross Timbers & mixedgrass prairie, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its continental, hot summers character. The list below — led by Foamflower and Wild Geranium — is filtered to species genuinely native to Oklahoma and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 6–8. Shade is an opportunity, not a problem — the eastern woodland flora is one of the richest in the world. Most shade natives evolved under a deciduous canopy, so they do their growing in cool, moist spring soil and want a yearly mulch of fallen leaves rather than bare, raked dirt. Match the depth of shade to the plant, and a bare patch under a maple becomes the loveliest part of the garden.
The plants
17 native species for Oklahoma
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, spreading 1.5–2 ft; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, happy in rocky and loam soil and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, good through zone 8 — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; for clay and loam ground and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, spreading 3–5 ft and it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — spreading 15–25 ft and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — for clay and loam ground and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
A woodland native that handles part to full shade, white cones flowers and it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; rose pink flowers and it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; for loam ground and it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, flowering as it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, cold-hardy to zone 3, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
A woodland native that handles part to full shade, for clay and loam ground and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, cold-hardy to zone 3.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — hardy in zones 3–9.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, 1.5–2.5 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Sourcing
Where to find these in Oklahoma
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.