Topic: Small pot plant for total shade

[Plocket]

As it says above - can anyone help me and suggest a plant for a small pot which I have in a shady spot. I haven't put holes in the pot yet so it could be a small bog plant! It doesn't get any direct sunlight at all. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you.

[Mimi]

Hostas are very good in that kind of place Plocket. Just be careful of the dreaded slugs and snails though because they love that kind of place just as much as they love hostas ;)

[Kerry]

hi plocket :)
hosta, as mimi suggested, or a fern? I've several ferns in my shady spot, the hart's tongue fern is evergreen so you'd have winter interest. alchemilla also do well, acid green colour, pulmonaria with beautiful red/blue (or white) flowers springtime, if cut back after flowers have faded you get fresh foliage, hardy geranium, heuchera, liriope, purple flowers in autumn, with evergreen strappy leaves... or a combination how small is the pot!? If it's not too small, and it has no drainage a great dramatic plant I stumbled across is astilboides tabularis which is like a (very!) baby gunnera with plume of white flowers this time of year. :)

[Plocket]

Kerry and Mimi - lovely suggestions, thank you very much. I already have a number of hostas and ferns so want to find something different. I will look into the ones you suggested and report back!

[allotment_chick]

Hi Plocket - you could try a small bamboo - they do well in pots providing you keep up with the watering and feed them now and then.  

Alchemilla mollis (Lady's Mantle) grows nearly anywhere and its light leaves and frothy green flowers are one of my faves.
AC x

[Plocket]

Thank you AC - I'll certainly look into that.

[allotment_chick]

Just remembered - the bamboo I grow in a pot is pleioblastus.  If you google it you might get some hits.
AC x

[William O]

Persicaria affinis "Darjeeling red" or Persicaria vaccinifolia
Actually they are intended for groundcover in shady spots. They are members of the knotweedfamily. The first one also gives nice red candlestick flowers from  may/june up to september. The second one should flower later in the year but didn't do much last year, still hoping for this year.
They aren't  really plants for pots, but it could work.

[john_miller]

As you don't give very many qualifications, Plocket, why not consider using a tender plant normally used as a houseplant? Something with variegated foliage would brighten up a shady spot.

[Plocket]

That is an excellent idea John - especially as I can't see the spot from the house so could bring it in over winter. Thanks for that suggestion!

[john_miller]

Not my idea, Plocket, just one I got from various books. What this does is change summer watering of houseplants from a chore (like my Kalanchoes, whose foliage is unattractive but are great winter bloomers) to maintaining part of a decorative garden.
  One plant I am having big problems with presently is Stromanthe sanguinea 'Tristar'. It is a beautiful foliage plant, in my opinion, but almost seems allergic to light. If your tree provides heavy shade perhaps you could consider that?  For lighter shade and if you don't want to drill holes in your pot, how about Alocasia macrorhiza 'Variegata or 'Seven Colours'?