Eastern exposure flowers? You betcha!

Think you can’t have a lovely flower garden with an eastern exposure? Think again, my fellow gardener. We all know that some flowers fry in the blazing sun of a summer afternoon. For these flowers, a western exposure can mean certain death.

A garden with an eastern exposure – where the sun shines on the soil in the morning and is blocked by trees or structures in the afternoon–is ideal for these flowers.

Thankfully for the eastern exposure gardener, there are a great many flowers that thrive under these conditions.

Perennial flowers that bask in an eastern exposure

Imagine pops of yellow from the shade! Fernleaf yarrow (Achillea filipendulina), hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9, can provide the pop.

I know, it doesn’t appear to be particularly delicate, does it? It does love full sun but thrives as well with an eastern exposure.

This sunny yellow member of the aster family will flower for you from summer through fall.

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If you require a variety of color in your eastern exposure garden, consider the pelargonium (Pelargonium spp.)

Although commonly called “geranium” at gardening centers, pelargoniums belong to an entirely different genus. Hardy to U.S.D.A. zones 10 and 11, pelargoniums bloom in pink, white, red and salmon and can be purchased in both single- and double-blooming varieties.

Then, there is the glorious astilbe (Astilbe chinensis). Hardy to USDA zones 4 through 9, they do well with some afternoon shade, especially in warmer regions. Deep shade may curtail the flower show, however, so choose the planting spot carefully.

Annual flowers for sunny mornings and shady afternoons

Impatiens offer the eastern exposure garden an explosion of soft color. These annual beauties bloom in small white, pink, salmon and red flowers. Impatiens love the shade so should do quite well in the eastern exposure bed.

Impatiens are hardy to USDA zones 10 and 11.

For an even larger color palette, consider growing begonias. These flowering annuals are native to the forest understory so although their care requirements vary by species, most thrive in areas with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Finally, the fuchsia. Many gardeners are fortunate enough to live in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, where the fuchsia is perennial. But that doesn’t stop others from growing it and treating it as an annual.

It’s the ideal plant for the eastern exposed garden. You’ll find more than 100 species in the Fuchsia genus, but those typically sold in gardening centers are the ones we refer to here.

We’re rather fond of the “spiller” cultivars that look amazing in a hanging basket. This plant even does well in deep shade, my fellow gardeners.

Flowering trees

The Pacific dogwood (Cornus natalli) is a deciduous tree that grows from 20 to 50 feet in height. Spring and summer are show times for this dogwood, when it blooms in small white flowers that make the tree appear to be covered in snow.

Best of all, this dogwood thrives in shady spots and requires little maintenance.

The western redbud (Cercis occidentalis), takes on a shrubby appearance if left alone, so it is typically trained into a small tree. It grows 12 to 20 feet in height with an equal spread and bears striking bright pink flowers in early spring.

‘Jane’ magnolia is a deciduous small tree. She will bloom for up to one month from the middle of April to May and, quite possibly, once more in summer. Hardy to USDA zones 4 through 8, she tolerates the cold well.

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Flowering shrubs that thrive with an eastern exposure

No self-respecting east-facing garden would be complete without at least one hydrangea bush. Whether you choose one that blooms in the big round flowers (H. macrophylla) or the panicles of the H. paniculata, the hydrangea is the quintessential eastern exposure flowering plant.

Hardiness zones for hydrangeas depend on species. The popular “Anabelle” H. arborescens cultivar grows best in U.S.D.A plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, while H. macrophylla prefers the warmer zones: 6 and above.

Are those purple flowers not amazing? Rhododendrons love to bloom and they don’t mind doing so in partial shade. Hardy to USDA zone 8, it apparently doesn’t mind a little chill either.

Ah, the camellia. I call this the perfect flower. So symmetrical and the colors are soft and, well, flowery. Camellias are hardy to zone 9 and thrive with a bit of shade in the afternoon.

Happy eastern exposure planting!