Native Plants for Dry Shade: 9 Proven Performers You Can Count on

Overview

Dry shade is one of the toughest spots in any garden, where sunlight and moisture are limited and tree roots dominate the soil. Yet, with the right plant choices, this tough spot can still become a thriving, low-maintenance part of your native landscape. This is where resilient, well-adapted native plants for dry shade truly shine.

This article highlights 9 reliable performers – native species that don’t just tolerate dry shade, but thrive in it. Whether you’re planting beneath established trees, along shaded fences, or in tricky woodland corners, these plants offer structure, colour, texture, and resilience.

These native plants for dry shade are hardy, widely cultivated, and proven in real-world conditions. From groundcovers to shrubs, these natives bring life to dry, shady gardens, with far less water, maintenance, or fuss.

Australian Native plants for dry shade

1. Dichondra repens
2. Viola hederacea
3. Lomandra
4. Dianella
5. Correa
6. Crowea
7. Plectranthus
8. Prostanthera
9. Gastrolobium celsianum

Groundcovers

1. Dichondra repens (Kidney Weed)

Dichondra repens is a soft, mat-forming groundcover with small, rounded green leaves. It forms a dense, low-growing carpet that is ideal for filling in shaded, dry areas where other plants may struggle to establish.

Why it works: As the lowest-growing among native plants for dry shade, Dichondra repens adapts well to low-light, low-moisture environments once established. Naturally found in sheltered woodlands and moist forests, it tolerates dry conditions in shaded gardens, especially when supported with mulch and occasional deep watering.

2. Viola hederacea (Native Violet)

Viola hederacea is a charming groundcover known for its delicate purple and white flowers and deep green, heart-shaped leaves. It is a tough grower that spreads quickly, creating a vast, low-spreading cover.

Why it works: Native Violet is one of the most dependable native plants for dry shade. While naturally found in damp, sheltered forest areas, this species is surprisingly tolerant of dry conditions. Its creeping habit makes it ideal for softening edges, covering bare soil beneath trees, or adding colour and texture to dark garden spots where few plants thrive.

Grasses

3. Lomandra spp.

Lomandras are hardy, grass-like plants with strappy foliage and a naturally tidy, clumping habit. While technically not true grasses, they’re widely used in native and dry-climate garden designs for their year-round form, resilience, and adaptability to harsh growing conditions.

Popular species and cultivars include:

• Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’: A compact, fine-leaved variety with excellent form and smaller flowers, growing to 60 cm.
• Lomandra longifolia ‘Katrinus Deluxe’: An upright and compact form with large clusters of fragrant yellow flowers, growing 70 cm tall.
• Lomandra longifolia: Naturally compact with a dense clump, featuring strappy, glossy-green leaves and yellow flowers, reaching 1 m at maturity.
• Lomandra hystrix ‘Katie Belles’: A stunning tall variety with perfumed flowers, attaining 1.8 m in height.

Why it works: Lomandra is a standout performer among native plants for dry shade due to its deep root system, strong drought tolerance, and ability to thrive with minimal light. Found naturally in woodland and forest edges, it’s highly adaptable to growing beneath trees with limited moisture and sunlight.

4. Dianella spp. (Flax Lilly)

Dianellas are strappy, tufted perennials valued for their tough nature, colourful berries, and violet-blue flowers. With an exceptional adaptability to shade and dry conditions, they are highly suited to low-maintenance, shadowed landscapes.

Popular species and cultivars include:

• Dianella prunina: Forms upright clumps, with striking, twisting, blue-grey foliage, reaching about 50 cm in height. Cultivars like ‘Utopia’, ‘Rainbow Twist’, and ‘Blue Stream’ offer beautiful foliage variations.
• Dianella revoluta: More upright and highly architectural in form, with long, narrow, green to blue-green foliage, sometimes slightly curled, attaining 1 m tall at maturity. Cultivars like ‘Petite Marie’ and ‘Little Rev’ are its dwarf varieties, reaching 30 cm in height. ‘Revelation’ has a medium height of 60 cm, while ‘Seaspray’ is a tall variety that grows over 1 m tall.
• Dianella caerulea: A highly adaptable, upright variety with blue-green leaves, growing to 1 m tall. The popular dwarf cultivar ‘Little Jess’ grows to only 30 cm tall. Other cultivars like ‘Emerald Fountain’, ‘Cassa Blue’, ‘Breeze’, and ‘Lucia’ are taller varieties reaching 40 – 70 cm. ‘King Alfred’ and ‘Goddess’ can grow to 1 m.
• Dianella tasmanica: A more graceful variety with arching, dark green foliage, often reaching a height of 1 m or more. Cultivars like ‘Silver Streak’, ‘Cherry Red’, ‘Splice’ and ‘Tasred’ feature stunning leaf variations and grow to 50 – 70 cm tall.

Why it works: Naturally growing in diverse habitats, including woodlands, heathlands, shrublands, grasslands, and along waterways, Dianella has evolved to handle low light, poor soils, and seasonal dryness. It’s one of the most reliable native plants for dry shade, thriving beneath trees, in shaded courtyards, or along sheltered building edges.

Shrubs

5. Correa spp. (Native Fuchsia)

Correas are hardy, evergreen shrubs prized for their dainty bell-shaped flowers and soft, textured foliage. Blooming through the cooler months, they bring colour to shaded garden spaces, blending beautifully into their surroundings.

Popular species and cultivars include:

• Correa alba: Also known as White Correa, featuring pale, felted foliage with white star-shaped flowers. The cultivar ‘Coastal Pink’ features pink flowers, attaining 2 m in height.
• Correa pulchella: Also known as Salmon Correa, which grows to a height of 1 m, with pink-red, orange, or white flowers. Cultivars like ‘Little Cate’ and ‘Autumn Blaze’ are low-growing or prostrate, reaching only 30 cm tall. ‘Amber Chimes’, ‘Orange Glow’, and ‘Remarkable Rocks’ are taller cultivars that feature different flower colours.
• Correa reflexa: Comes in various varieties and cultivars from prostrate groundcovers to upright shrubs, with narrow oblong or rounded leaves and tubular, bell-shaped flowers of colours from green and yellow to red and pink, growing to 50 cm – 1.5 m high.
• Correa ‘Dusky Bells’: A low-growing hybrid between Correa reflexa and Correa pulchella, featuring eye-catching, dark pink, bell-like flowers. It grows to 1 m tall.

Why it works: Correas are classic native plants for dry shade, naturally found in coastal scrub, dry woodlands, and forest understorey environments. They perform well in filtered light, tolerate extended dry periods, and require little maintenance.

6. Plectranthus spp.

Plectranthus are soft-foliaged, shrubby perennials often grown for their textured leaves and pale lilac to purple flower spikes. Many forms are sprawling or mounding, making them excellent fillers for shaded, dry areas where softer contrast is needed.

Popular native species and cultivars include:

• Plectranthus argentatus: A rounded, bushy shrub clothed in silvery green, broad foliage with a velvety texture, often used as a contrast plant, reaching 90 cm tall. The reflective foliage is highly desirable to light up dim spaces.
• Plectranthus parviflorus: A clumping shrub that often spreads horizontally, featuring fleshy and delicately patterned leaves, reaching 70 cm tall. The cultivar ‘Blue Spires’ has stunning white fringed leaves.
• Plectranthus graveolens: Also known as Bush Basil, a low-spreading, vigorous shrub with basil-scented, broad, heart-shaped leaves, growing to 1 m tall.

Why it works: Although not strictly native across the entire genus, many Plectranthus species originate from Australia. The selected few are excellent native plants for dry shade due to their proven resilience under tree canopies and long-standing use in Australian gardens. They thrive with little input once established.

7. Crowea saligna (Willow-leaved Crowea)

Crowea saligna is a compact, evergreen shrub admired for its pink, star-shaped flowers and narrow to elliptical, bright green foliage. It blooms from late summer through autumn, adding great visual interest in shady areas. It can reach 1.5 m tall.

Popular cultivars include:

• Crowea saligna ‘Star Blush’: A smaller variety that reaches 60 cm – 1 m in height.
• Crowea saligna ‘Large Flower’: Features eye-catching, large, pink flowers to 4.5 cm in diameter. It grows to 1 m tall.
• Crowea ‘Poorinda Ecstasy’: A hybrid with Cowea exalata, known for its large, bright pink flowers, growing to 1 m at maturity.

Why it works: Crowea saligna is well-suited for shaded gardens because it often thrives in filtered light or semi-shade under tall trees. The plant and its cultivars requires afternoon sun protection, especially in hotter climates.

8. Prostanthera spp. (Mint Bush)

Prostantheras are aromatic, medium-sized shrubs, with some occasionally developing into small trees. They are celebrated for the fragrant foliage and a profusion of flowers in shades of purple, mauve, or white. Their aromatic foliage, bursts of colourful flowers and tidy forms make them highly suited to hedging or screening in shaded gardens.

• Prostanthera rotundifolia (Round-leaved Mint Bush): A compact, fast-growing, spreading shrub that can reach 1 – 2 m in height, featuring attractive, small and rounded leaves and stunning purple or lilac flowers.
• Prostanthera phylicifolia (Spiked Mint Bush): An erect shrub with more linear, oblong, rosemary-like foliage and showy white or pale purple flowers, attaining a height of 1 – 2 m.
• Prostanthera nivea (Snowy Mint Bush): A taller species of the family that can attain 4 m, with linear, cylindrical, grey-green to bright green leaves and white to mauve flowers with yellow spots.
• Prostanthera lasianthos (Victorian Christmas Bush): Another taller variety of the Prostanthera family, reaching over 4 m, with attractive bright yellow-green to dark green, spear-shaped foliage and stunning orchid-like white to pale mauve flowers.

Why it works: Many Prostanthera species naturally thrive in the sheltered understory of open forests and dry gullies. They prefer dappled shade or part shade conditions. While they can grow in full sun, leafy species benefit from afternoon shade protection in hotter climates.

9. Gastrolobium celsianum (Swan River Pea):

Gastrolobium celsianum is a naturally compact, low to medium shrub featuring grey-green, lance-shaped leaves with silver undersides and striking bright red pea-like flowers that attract nectar-feeding birds.

The plant can reach 1 m tall and 3 m wide at maturity. Its bushy nature and good responsiveness to pruning make it highly desirable for low hedging or boundary planting.

Why it works: Gastrolobium celsianum is a versatile plant known to adapt to various growing conditions. While often found in moist depressions within mallee shrublands and woodlands, it tolerates extended dry periods well and thrives beneath taller plants or as an understorey planting, making it one of the most suitable native plants for dry shade.

Final Words

While the native plants for dry shade listed here are tough and adaptable, it’s worth noting that deep, heavy shade with little filtered sunlight will still limit their growth and flowering.

Most species will tolerate low light, but many will grow and bloom more optimally with at least a few hours of filtered sun. Even minimal exposure to morning or dappled light can make a noticeable difference in plant vigour and seasonal colour.

If you’re working with deep, constant shade and little direct sunlight, consider measures that improve light exposure of the planting area, such as pruning overhanging branches or using light-coloured mulch and hardscape to reflect more light into the space.