Shade Tolerant Edible Plants

Got shade?  A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine was saying that she only has a small area in her backyard for a garden, and it is not ideal because it’s mostly shady.  She wanted to know what shade tolerant edible plants I thought she could grow in her garden.

While it’s true, most edible garden plants prefer full sun, there still quite a few that will give you yummy produce and tolerate the shady areas in your yard.

Here’s a few shade tolerant edible plants for her and you to try:

Asparagus — Asparagus is a semi-shade plant, but I know lots of people who have been successful growing it in full shade.  Keep in mind, though, that it takes a couple of years before you get a crop.

Celery — Try this one in the heat of summer, when most gardeners can no longer grow celery.  The shade can provide a cooler place for the celery to be happy.

Bush beans — They actually prefer full-sun, but they can totally be grown in shade if you don’t mind lower yields.

Spinach — Spinach loves the cooler weather, and the shade provides it long after spinach season would otherwise be over.  Try the New Zealand variety for even more success.

Carrots — Not only are carrots easy to grow, but once the roots get established, they do really well when planted beneath things like tomato plants or under a cucumber trellis. Carrots are one of my favorite companion plants! 

Strawberries — When we lived in Washington I always had great luck growing strawberries. Even in the shaded patches of my backyard garden. They’re worth a try!

Kale and Swiss Chard — Neither are my favorites but they sure are pretty to look at! 😉 

Honeyberries — I haven’t ever tried these, but apparently they are a cross between a blueberry and a grape.  You’ll need two of these for cross-pollination, though.

Lettuce — This is another one to try in the heat of summer.  Since it will normally bolt in hot weather, the shade can provide it a cooler place to thrive.

Arctic Beauty Kiwi — I really want to try these!  Apparently, it’s a vine that produces 10-15 pounds of fruit per year.   You’ll need 2 of them for pollination, but I’ve heard that they are shade tolerant and cold hardy.

And last but not least…

Mint — Mint is almost impossible to kill.  A lot of gardeners avoid it all together because they say it is invasive, spreading like wild fire.  It makes a great edible ground cover for a shady area though.

Is your vegetable patch in the shade? If so, what do you grow in the shade? 

Have a great day everyone,

~Mavis