Six shade-loving plants for autumn

Discover some of our favourite shade-loving plants to grow - add some to your garden for splashes of late colour, year after year.

Japanese anemones

Japanese anemones such as Anemone hupehensis var. japonica 'Pamina', shown here, can start flowering as early as July and continue well into autumn. They are perfect for shade but can cope with sun, too.

Acers

Japanese maples such as Acer palmatum 'Orido-Nishiki', pictured, look stunning in autumn, when their leaves turn shades of yellow, orange and red.

• How to grow acers

Autumn crocus

Autumn crocuses, or colchicums, are bulbs that bloom in September and October. Their large blooms appear suddenly from bare earth. Colchicum 'Waterlily' has unusual, double flowers.

• How to grow crocuses

Checkerberry

Gaultheria mucronata (checkerberry, or pernettya) has glossy berries and evergreen foliage, making it an attractive addition to an autumn container - they like acid soil, so plant in ericaceous compost.

Skimmia japonica 'Rubella'

Skimmia japonica 'Rubella' is a compact plant with reddish leaves and dark red flower buds that form in autumn, opening in spring. It's ideal for growing in an autumn or winter container display.

• How to grow skimmia

Beauty berry

Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion', or beauty berry, is one of the most unusual shrubs you can find, with its eyecatching violet, bead-like berries. It will grow in full sun or dappled shade.