DENVER, Colorado — I'm often asked what plants can be grown on a shaded patio or porch. The truth is that there aren't many flowers that will thrive in dense shade but there are plenty of foliage plants. And they're growing in your house right now. They're useful indoors or out. 

Many houseplants thrive in low light and can be grown outside. It's not as if they evolved indoors. Good examples include philodendron, pothos, spider plants and mother-in-law's tongue. They're best grown in shade or they will burn. 

You can propagate some of these easily. Pothos get scraggly, so pruning keeps them lush and full. The cuttings root easily in water. Spider plants dangle offshoots right in front of you. Just cut them off--the roots are ready to go--and stick them in soil. Mother-in-law's tongue, so named because the tips are sharp, can be divided relatively easy. 

All of these can be used in patio pots. Other easy-to-grow houseplants that can vacation outside in shade are umbrella tree, ferns, ficus tree, wandering Jew, peace lily, English ivy and Swedish ivy. 

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