• Whites and pastels stand out under shade trees.woodland garden image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
  
  Dark colors are hard to see in shade, so use white and pastel flowers and variegated foliage in shady areas. When choosing plants to grow under a shade tree, consider the amount of moisture your plants will receive. Trees use a lot of water, and those with shallow roots such as Norway and silver maples and beeches leave the surrounding soil so dry that few plants will grow there. Use container plants in areas where lack of moisture will be a problem.
  
  

Spiderwort

• Spiderwort blooms in white or purple.Tradescantia in sunlight image by Jeff from Fotolia.com
  
  Spiderwort grows 1 to 2 feet tall with a spread of up to 2 feet. The 1-inch, 3-petaled flowers appear in clusters above the foliage and bloom from late spring to midsummer. The flowers open in the morning and close at midday. A cluster will usually have only one flower open at a time. Spiderworts prefer a moist, fertile soil and will tolerate boggy soil. This plant is hardy in United States Department of Agriculture zones 5 to 9.
  
  

Indian Pink

• This clump-forming perennial grows 1 to 2 feet tall with a spread of up to 1-1/2 feet. The showy red and yellow flowers point straight up and bloom in early summer atop 18-inch stems. Indian pink prefers a moist, organically-rich soil and is winter hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9.
  
  

Pentas

• Pentas blooms in 3-inch clusters of star-shaped flowers.pentas, fleurs ??toil??es image by Unclesam from Fotolia.com
  
  Pentas grows 3 to 4 feet tall and blooms most of the year in frost-free areas. The 3-inch flower clusters bloom in white and shades of pink, lavender and red. The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Pentas make good cut flowers that will last 3 to 5 days in the vase. The plants prefer fertile, well-drained soils and will tolerate sandy, clay and acidic soils. These tender perennials do well in USDA zones 8B to 11.
  
  

Surprise Lily

• Surprise lily, also called magic lily or naked lady, produces large, attractive pink flowers atop stems completely bare of foliage in late summer. The foliage emerges in winter, long after the flowers are gone, and disappears in spring. Deciding where to plant these naked, top heavy plants can be a challenge. Surround them with other plants that will provide foliage in summer, leaving room for the daffodil-like foliage in winter. Surprise lilies thrive in most soils and are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10.
  
  

Primrose

• Primrose forms a neat, low-growing plant with attractive flowers.amaranthine flowers of primrose image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
  
  Primrose forms a neat, low-growing plant. Clusters of flowers in a wide range of colors sit in the center of the plant. These little plants get lost in a border, but they stand out under shade trees and as edgings along paths and walkways. Primrose needs an organically rich soil that will hold moisture. A layer of mulch will help keep the soil evenly moist. Primrose is winter hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8.