Which edible plants grow in the shade

But in spring and fall I grow in full shade. Above: Many leafy greens perform well in shade. From nasturtiums to lettuces, cresses, kales, and pea shoots, you will be able to grow you own salad bowls without hours of direct sun. Above: If I had to pick one plant for president of the shade garden it would be arugula.

Not only does it germinate reliably and fast, but my shade-grown arugula has been fuller and more prolific than the sun-exposed crops of other years. Above: Planted in succession in early spring, cold-loving spinach can be harvested until warm weather begins. Above: There is a cornucopia of mustard varieties to choose from, and they relish the protection that shade gives them from summer sun.

Even better, they prefer the cooler weather at each end of the growing year. Above: A wild salad green with deeply toothed leaves, minutina Plantago coronopus is also commonly called erba stella or bucks-horn plantain. Yours will, too. Above: I first grew Malabar spinach one garden ago, on our terrace in Harlem.

Its succulent leaves on twining stems are very attractive and the large leaves make a good dinner read more about it here. This warm-weather edible vine evolved in tropical forests and loves to ramble over trellises, tuteurs, and fences. Above: Sheep sorrel Rumex acetosella and garden sorrel Rumex acetosa prefer shady conditions. The super-sour leaves are a good lemon replacement in salads and make delicious sauces and soups, especially when combined with the rich textures of butter or cream.

Above: Nutty daylily tubers, oniony daylily spring shoots, and cucumber-ish day lily buds and flowers are all edible. The invasive plant thrives in semi-shady conditions. I braise the tubers and pickle the buds every summer. Stuff the flowers like squash or use them to thicken soups. Above: I plant garlic cloves in November to harvest the bulbs in summer. During May and June, when the sun is higher in the sky, my garlic patch receives about four hours of direct sun and less to none over late fall, winter, and early spring.

Chives fare even better. Above: I planted seed potatoes in spring and dug beautiful fingerlings in late July. They received from three to six hours of sun a day during their growing period. They were delicious. Be sure to support them in large wire cages. Above: Indispensable parsley prefers to have some shade, and cilantro and chervil will be slower to bolt. In the same family, celery is a difficult crop at any time if your goal is succulent stems there is a reason it is one of the most pesticide-laden conventionally grown crops , but I cultivate it for its lush leaves which I use in soups, salads, and salts great on a cocktail glass rim.

Highly versatile in the kitchen, especially if you like Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisine, mint is also indispensable in the drinks department. Above: Basil prefers shade in hot summer climates, and my Thai and purple basil crops grew to forest-like proportions—the first in all-day shade, the second with a few hours of afternoon sun. Above: Perilla, red leaf shiso—this purple-leafed herb self-seeds so readily that it may become a pest.

So as a general rule, edible plants, like other types, have to be chosen selectively, beginning with your geographic location. Lumbered with low light, a gardener must be particularly vigilant to support the growing crops by providing optimum soil and water conditions.

Other things could help too … a little more room between plants and careful weeding both bring returns. Some obvious tasks: get rid of all the branches possible to clear a pathway of light to the crops, minimise the presence of tree roots which suck up water meant for the crops, and look at the way air can circulate around the garden beds because both plants and surrounding built structures can encourage the kind of moisture which invites moulds and other diseases.

Plastic foil mulches can increase photosynthesis and productivity due to higher light levels and are often used for commercial growing. As an alternative, bright and light painted surfaces to walls or fences will catch the sun and encourage plant activity.

There are exciting choices for the shady garden: wasabi, ginger, fiddlehead and swamp ferns and Eruca sativa , the easily grown annual known as rucola, rocket or, in the US, arugula. A climber such as the chocolate vine Akebia quinata , is quite happy in shade. Alpine strawberries make a pretty border in these conditions, particularly if the fruit hangs over the edge.

Yet some gardeners do well with sun-deprived gooseberries, blackberries and raspberries. Also to try rhubarb fine as long as it has plenty of manure and water , spinach, silverbeet, chard, radish and kale, endive and pak choy, sweet potatoes Chinese use the juvenile leaves for greens , yams, Swiss chard and kohlrabi.

Maggie Knight has written garden columns for publications including Good Housekeeping and T he Melbourne Herald before spending almost twenty years in Europe, where she became involved in community development projects. She is now a consultant for sustainable and creative businesses and mentors for the Victorian Government sponsored Small Business Mentoring Service. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission.

There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my page so I can continue to provide you with free content! They thrive pretty much anywhere and are so abundant even in shaded areas. Most of the plant is edible! Sweet Violets — V iola odorata. Sweet violets, also know as English Violets, Wood Violets or Common Violets, have cute little purple or white and purple edible flowers and make a beautiful carpeted ground cover.

In fact in Perth, WA I find they do better in the shade. Chives — Allium schoenoprasum. I have chives planted in the shade year-round and they do well. They add great oniony freshness to omelettes and the flowers are also edible. Kale — Brassica oleracea var. Kale grows well in the shade due to its large leaves being able to sustain adequate energy.

It does grow at a slower rate like most plants in the shade which I like because although I like kale it is much easier to keep up with it.