diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
index 81f8aa4ee4d4..076e719df208 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_axes.py
@@ -3076,8 +3076,7 @@ def get_next_color():
             if shadow:
                 # Make sure to add a shadow after the call to add_patch so the
                 # figure and transform props will be set.
-                shad = mpatches.Shadow(w, -0.02, -0.02)
-                shad.set(zorder=0.9 * w.get_zorder(), label='_nolegend_')
+                shad = mpatches.Shadow(w, -0.02, -0.02, label='_nolegend_')
                 self.add_patch(shad)
 
             if labeldistance is not None:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
index 490148ed0794..5811cba39ada 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
@@ -645,7 +645,14 @@ def __init__(self, patch, ox, oy, props=None, **kwargs):
         self.patch = patch
         # Note: when removing props, we can directly pass kwargs to _update()
         # and remove self._props
-        self._props = {**(props if props is not None else {}), **kwargs}
+        if props is None:
+            color = .3 * np.asarray(colors.to_rgb(self.patch.get_facecolor()))
+            props = {
+                'facecolor': color,
+                'edgecolor': color,
+                'alpha': 0.5,
+            }
+        self._props = {**props, **kwargs}
         self._ox, self._oy = ox, oy
         self._shadow_transform = transforms.Affine2D()
         self._update()
@@ -658,13 +665,7 @@ def _update(self):
         # Place the shadow patch directly behind the inherited patch.
         self.set_zorder(np.nextafter(self.patch.zorder, -np.inf))
 
-        if self._props:
-            self.update(self._props)
-        else:
-            color = .3 * np.asarray(colors.to_rgb(self.patch.get_facecolor()))
-            self.set_facecolor(color)
-            self.set_edgecolor(color)
-            self.set_alpha(0.5)
+        self.update(self._props)
 
     def _update_transform(self, renderer):
         ox = renderer.points_to_pixels(self._ox)