• Create a backyard oasis with shade-loving shrubs.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  Shade-loving shrubs grow well in areas that can be cloudy for months at a time, such as the Northwest and the Great Lakes region. But many shade-loving shrubs do well in other areas of the country, as well, especially in landscaping that doesn't get much sun.
  
  

Japanese Maple

• This plant produces stunning fall colors.japanese maple image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
  
  The Japanese maple is classified as a small tree or large shrub. This plant thrives in shady areas and even colder climates. The plant can survive in full sun, but as summer sets in, the leaves begin to wither and die. The foliage changes from deep green to brown, red or amber in the fall. Yellow flowers bloom in the spring. This plant, which can reach a height of 7 feet, grows best in well-drained, moist, fertile soil. Don't choose this plant if you live in an overly sunny area of Arizona or Texas. Japanese Maple shrubs thrive in the Northwest and rainy areas across the country.
  
  

Bleeding Heart

• This variety is called an old-fashioned bleeding heart.wet bleeding heart 02 image by Michael Cornelius from Fotolia.com
  
  The bleeding heart is a shade-loving shrub that produces heart-shaped flowers with a small tear drop on the bottom. Some types produce flowers that look almost identical to a heart, while other types bloom bell-shaped blossoms. The colors are typically dark pink and white at the bottom, but bleeding hearts also produce pure white, cream-colored and red blossoms. The foliage is deep green and oval-shaped or long, depending on the species. Old-fashioned bleeding hearts are the most classic because of their ideal heart-shaped flowers. Most types grow an average of 1 to 3 feet high. Plant your bleeding hearts in moist, well-drained, fertile soil.
  
  

Burning Bush

• The burning bush is another shade-loving plant that stands apart. The foliage is dark green throughout most of the year, but the leaves turn bright red in the fall. This shrub can reach heights of up to 15 feet. It grows in full sun, but also does extremely well in the shade. Cover your shrub in the winter to protect it from the elements. Burning bushes grow well in moist, well-drained fertile soil.