Hi, 

I also have a balcony that is mostly shaded and have found some successful plants that grow well in containers! Mine is eastern facing, so a tad more sunlight, but when the sun is higher in the sky in mid-summer, the roof line tends to shade it more. 

Many vegetables need about 6 hours of sunlight to produce and thrive, but leafy greens tend to prefer cooler weather. Being on a northern balcony will allow you to grow these most of the summer, whereas locations with more sun it will likely be too hot for them to grow, and they will bolt or set flowers and seed more quickly and die. Lettuce, cilantro, arugula, Asian greens (mustards mostly), baby kale, spinach, and radishes would all work well. Self-watering containers (either homemade constructed ones or store-bought) are helpful if you have wind and when the weather gets hot. This will help to keep the potting media from drying out so quickly. 

Many native plants can do well in shade, depending on the size of the container. You will want to make sure it is deep enough for roots to expand. Starting with smaller-sized plants is helpful too. We just shared a reel on our social media (if you use Facebook) that highlights a mixed container planted for mostly shade. It used native plant cultivars (since some cultivars are more compact than the original species) mixed with some non-native but noninvasive plants that pollinators prefer. Here is a short list of small shrubs and perennials: 

Shrubs:

• Deirvilla lonicera or Bush honeysuckle - look for a dwarf variety
• Aronia melanocarpa - black chokeberry - edible fruit!
• Distillium 'coppertone' 
• Hypericum prolificum or St John'swort

Perennials- you can search these resources since there are many choices - most you can filter for shade: 

• Xerces Society
• Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
• Adkins Arboretum plants for the mid-Atlantic region
• Lady Bird Johnson center - plant collections for Maryland

When you are pairing container plants, be sure to search for similar growing conditions. You know you need shade or part-shade adaptable plants but also pair plants that prefer wetter soils or drier soils. 

Let us know if you have further questions. 

Emily