Easy-Care Plants for Your Shaded Patio

Are you seeking the perfect plants to grace your shaded patio? Look no further. Green Things has you covered with our selection of robust, shade-tolerant succulents and other low-light lovers to help you create a cool desert oasis for lounging and relaxing while the sun is doing its thing! Here is a list of our favorite, easy-care, shade-tolerant patio plants for your home.

1. African Milk Tree Plant (Euphorbia trigona) is a succulent spurge plant native to South Africa that grows from 6 to 8 feet tall. It has a unique, upright growth habit with 3-angled branches that are scalloped and have spines. It produces small, yellow flowers in the summer months. There is also a red variety, E. trigona ‘rubra,’ sometimes called ‘Royal Red,’ that sports tints of burgundy and red on leaves and stems. The Euphorbia trigona also requires very little maintenance and can tolerate temperatures as low as 25°F but it is best to protect them if it will be 35°F or colder.
2. Candelabra Tree (Euphorbia ingens) is a large, fast-growing, evergreen succulent that can reach heights up to 30 feet or more when mature. It is hardy to 25°F but it is best to protect them if it will be 35°F or colder. This plant produces yellow-green flowers in the fall and has long, spiny leaves that are green to grayish-green in color.
3. Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) is a slow-growing, evergreen perennial that can reach up to 10 to 15 feet high when mature. It can be damaged and must be protected in temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This plant has a trunk that is bulbous at the base and sports long, slender leaves that often reach to the ground. It produces white flowers in the summer months and has long, slender leaves that are green or grayish-green in color. Extra care should be taken when watering this plant. It is a succulent and stores water in its trunk.
4. Tropical Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a showstopper in the Tucson landscape and is hardy to 24°F. It is an evergreen shrub with large, oval leaves that are deep green with lighter veins running throughout them. Performing well in the desert southwest, Tropical Bird of Paradise can grow to 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. This plant produces unique orange-red flowers with bright purple accents that resemble tropical birds in spring and fall. The blooms are excellent for cut flower arrangements.
5. Asparagus Fern (Asparagus densiflorus) is hardy to 24°F and is a common houseplant frequently grown on a shady Tucson patio. This one can really take the heat, but be sure to keep it evenly moist so it will look its best. Asparagus fern is a vigorous grower, and with its bright green, soft, needle-like foliage, it can grow to 3 feet long by 2 feet wide. It is perfect for hanging baskets, in pots, or even as a ground cover. This plant produces tiny white flowers intermittently from late spring through early fall. Clusters of red berries follow the flowers.
6. Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) is another common houseplant that may be grown outside in Tucson during frost-free days and moved inside for the winter. This evergreen perennial has trailing stems that support silver-banded, dark green leaves with distinct purple undersides. Small clusters of purple-pink flowers bloom on and off throughout the year. The Wandering Jew prefers moist but well-draining soil.
7. Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida), hardy to 25°F, is a thick-leaved, evergreen perennial with gorgeous purple-violet leaves with a silvery underside. This plant can grow up to 3 feet tall. It produces small three-petaled purple or pink flowers from late spring through early fall and can withstand periods of drought.
8. Elephant’s Food (Portulacaria afra), hardy to 30°F, is an evergreen, succulent, small tree or shrub growing up to 8 feet tall. This drought-tolerant plant features thick, rounded leaves with dark green on top and lighter veins running throughout them. Elephant Food makes an excellent specimen for Bonsai.
9. Cane Yucca (Yucca elephantipes), hardy to 25°F, this upright thornless yucca can slowly get to be 15′ tall but will typically be much smaller in containers. They are low maintenance and provide interesting architecture to your patio.
10. Arabian Jasmine (Jasminum sambac), hardy to 20°F, is a sweetly-scented shrub that reaches 6′ – 8′ in height. It like moist soil and regular feeding spring through fall with an acidifying fertilizer. They have intensely fragrant white blooms that appear from spring through fall. They are a great, less fussy alternative to Gardenias.