The Low-Maintenance Perennial That'll Thrive In Shady Areas Where Other Plants Won't

Having a shady backyard can feel like a gift, especially on hot, sunny summer days when you're looking for a reprieve from the heat. However, when it comes to gardening, that same shade can really limit what you're able to plant. Luckily, there are a handful of low-maintenance perennial flowers that thrive in shady yards. So, if you're looking to create a garden oasis in your backyard, consider planting trout lily (Erythronium americanum) to bring a little beauty to your shadiest areas.

In addition to its ability to thrive in shade, trout lily — also known as fawn lily or dog tooth violet— will also produce beautiful flowers and foliage with minimal effort on your part. The flowering plant is often found in the wild, growing under the shade of tall trees. However, it looks great in garden spaces as well. So, if you've already planted more hostas than you can handle and are looking for a colorful addition to your shady backyard, this might be the plant you're searching for.

As a wildflower, the trout lily prefers a woodland environment, so planting near trees and shrubs in your yard would be ideal. You will get the best blooms from trout lilies when they are planted in partial shade with moist, well draining soil. Ideal for USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8, the trout lily typically blooms in the spring and then goes dormant for the rest of the year. During this phase, you may start wondering if your perennial is dead or just dormant. But, keeping the soil moist will help your trout lilies stay alive all year round.

There are a handful of varieties of the trout lily and the plant's lily-shaped blossoms come in a range of colors including yellow and purple. Although the trout lily is considered a low-maintenance perennial plant that hardly needs any attention to thrive, it does have some needs that can't be ignored. For example, trout lilies despise being transplanted, so before you go putting bulbs in the ground, make sure you're happy with their placement. Best of all, the pretty blooms attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. The specialized Andrena miner bees are particularly fond of the flowers.