A collection of the most ornamental herbaceous plants growing in shade and semi-shade-loving and examples of their morphological diversity.

Shade – a place not exposed to the sun. According to their light requirements, plants are classified as light-loving (heliophytes), semi-shade-loving and shade-loving (sciophytes). The light requirements of plants vary according to climate, latitude, altitude, growing conditions, and other factors. The colder the climate, the more light a plant needs. However, light requirements also depend on the fertility of the soil and the amount of minerals the plant receives. Compared to light-loving plants, tall plants have a hygromorphic structure, which is characteristic of moisture-loving plants.

Growing in a plant community means that plants block each other's light. Plants growing in the shade have difficult growing conditions, receiving little light, moisture, and minerals. For example, those growing in the shade of trees receive on average 3 times less light. Direct sunlight produces 34-37% of the active rays, whereas only about 10% of the active rays in shade. Leaves absorb most of the active radiation, but some are reflected off the leaf surface or pass through.

Shade plants are not affected by a lack of light in terms of their ornamental qualities. Plants that receive less sun adapt to grow under these conditions, although varying light levels do cause phototropism (tilting towards the light source). Light-loving plants differ from tall plants both anatomically and physiologically. The leaves of understory plants are thinner due to the lesser development of the static parenchyma - the cells in the upper part of the leaf. Their cells are larger and the number of stomata per unit area is much smaller, which means that carbon dioxide is slower to reach the inside of the leaf. Leaves have larger chloroplasts and a higher concentration of chlorophyll. As a result, even small amounts of light are more abundantly 'absorbed' and assimilated more vigorously. The cone network of xylems and phloems is not as dense as that of the light-loving species. If the light flux is weak at the growing point, the leaves grow in a particular order on the stem. The leaves are arranged in a single plane perpendicular to the direction of the sun's rays, so as not to block each other's light. However, they produce less organic matter.

VU Botanical Garden has launched a collection of shade and partial shade plants for 2020. The collection will be located on the eastern edge of the old Kairėnai Manor Park, in the shade of linden avenue. The collection is intended to provide visitors with an introduction to shade-loving introduced herbaceous and semi-woody herbaceous perennial ornamental plants and their morphological diversity.

		Calla lily (Zantedeschia) 'Black Magic' Perennial, tuberous plant. Grows up to 80cm tall. Leaves are long-petioled, cordate, white-spotted, dark green, and glossy. The inflorescence consists of a yellow sepal and a yellow cob, the ground part is black. Blooms 2 months after planting.
		Spring pheasant's eye (Adonis vernalis L.)  Perennial herbaceous rhizomatous plant. Produces 3-4 stems. Leaves 2-4, palmately compound. Blooms are solitary, large, and yellow. It flowers from April to June.
		Yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) 'Flore Pleno' Perennial herbaceous rhizomatous plant. Plant 20-30cm tall, 40cm wide. Glabrous, bare, branched stems. Leaves are large, cordate, bright green, with a curled margin. Flowers are solitary, full, large, 2-4 cm wide, deep yellow. Flowering April-May, 2-3 weeks.