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Good annuals for shade/blazing afternoon sun

Ashley Smith zone 5a

last year

What are some annuals that thrive in mostly shade all day but blazing sun from 3:00pm on? I'm looking for something to put in front of the limelight hydrangeas and boxwoods in front of my west facing porch. Preferably something that mounds and makes a statement. Last year I did diamond frost euphorbia which did ok, but thot I'd try something else this year, so I'm up for suggestions. I also did sun coleus, but the heat and sunlight were almost too much for them. Any suggestions? Zone 5 IA

Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Petunias, lobelia, wax begonia and torenia will all do well in part shade. And quite sun tolerant as well.
mxk3 z5b_MI
last year
I consider what you have to actually be full sun. Late afternoon/evening sun is strong in intensity. Rather than seeking shade plants that tolerate full sun (very few), you need to focus on full sun plants that tolerate part shade. Heliotrope, salvia, geranium, ageratum, pentas all full sun plants that can thrive on the spectrum from part shade to full sun, as examples.
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I have a dry shade bed which gets some late afternoon sun, and some of the things that do well there are hostas, foxgloves, astilbes (which I planted before knowing they needed more moisture! But they seem to do well here anyway, luckily for me!), lady's mantle, lilies, bleeding hearts, columbines and primsroses. Small spring-blooming bulbs and also daffodils do well too. There are also some heucherellas and anemones, monkshood, and cyclamen, although these are in the shadier end of the bed. Groundcovers in this bed include vinca, sweet william, and chrysogonum. I do need to do some supplemental watering in the heat of summer, maybe twice a week depending on heat and rainfall, but most of these plants are doing well. The sun hits hardest the side of the bed with the hostas and chrysogonum, and that groundcover is really doing well. I think I have more problems in this bed with roots than with the hot afternoon sun. I amend the soil every year also with compost and shredded leaves. Good luck! :) Dee
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I'd love so see the suggestions anyone has for this problem, too. Doesn't everyone have this spot somewhere in their yard? I have a ~5 foot wide planting bed next to the west side of my house, and am grappling with the same problem. Mine does get winter sun. It gets the burning afternoon sun (only, with full shade all morning) all year round (though, of course, the sun's gentler in winter). It seems like every plant I read about that takes "full sun to partial shade" really means "lots of lovely morning to mid-day sun with some shade protection from precisely the nasty afternoon blaze" we're trying to deal with. I love the "yellow wave" phormium, and I'm in San Diego, too, but inland more, and I thought the lighter leaved phormiums need protection from hot afternoon sun? I'd love to be wrong about that! Help! Laura
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I am in SW WA and have a similar problem. We're on a hill and have woods around us, except the SW exposure of the house. It gets 3-4 hours of hot afternoon sun. We have white stone siding and the whole area gets exceedingly warm. Many things I've tried there wilt in the pm, and/or just don't do well. The best perennial I've found is something that was tagged "Texas Sage" and it's one of those greggii sages. Loves it there. One cultivar, Hot Lips, is really happy - I bought a whole mess of them. Another plant that does well, surprisingly, is fleabane. It's low growing habit probably keeps it cool. And of course, there's always Walker's Low Nepeta. I know these aren't climbing, but they might help someone. I myself am heading out first thing tomorrow for some clematis and some of Zoomermom's suggestions.
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My herb garden gets about 3 hours of sun (afternoon sun) a day and does very well. It also get reflected light as it is against the house with very light siding. I grow tarragon, basil, lavender, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, parsley, chives and am blanking on the rest.
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Iowa Blooms z 5
last year
I have a similar situation with a west facing hydrangea. Last year I tried a few different plants. I am going with annual Vinca, Angelonia and sweet alyssum for this year as they did the best.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
sun from 3 to sunset is 6+ hours.. which is basically considered full sun ...

and shade plants will not like the sun during the high heat of the day ...

imo.. use all sun plants.. which most annuals are ... they usually need a lot of sun.. to go from seed to procreation.. more seed.. in one growing season...

and the usually issue in sun in the heat of the day.. is not the sun per se.. in and of itself .. its the plants inability to pump enough water during the heat of the day... allowing the sun to burn tender tissue...

so use a deep mulch..and make sure the plants a well watered.. in the morning.. so they go into the sun part of the day fully hydrated ..

why doesnt anyone every suggest marigolds.. are they just so passe???

ken
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
" I consider what you have to actually be full sun "

Full sun is considered to be 6 or more hours of uninterrupted sun. If the sun does not hit the area until 3pm, then it cannot be 6 uninterrupted hours and therefore not full sun. And especially with late day sun, which is low on the horizon and less intense than midday sun.
Ashley Smith zone 5a
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Thankyou all for your suggestions! Vinca has been on my mind so I may try that. I have vinca seed on hand and I also have wave petuniapetunias started so I may try t those there too.
mxk3 z5b_MI
last year
At high summer in Michigan Zone 5, 3 pm to sunset is indeed 6 hours of full sun. Evening sun is unrelenting, hot sun. And we get a lot of hot, sunny days in summer. This is not the PNW. My reply (and I'm dragging Ken into it with me) is based on experience growing in zone 5.

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