Shrubs for deep shade

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by blubell, Jun 4, 2006.

  1. blubell

    blubell Member

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    Location:
    Vancouver, BC,Can
    Any suggestions for evergreen shrubs that would grow facing NNE against a fence with overhanging trees? The area does not receive any direct sun and is fairly dry.
     
  2. Gordo

    Gordo Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Camano Island, WA
    Might want to look on hortboard for similar thread. One possibility often for such conditions is Yew - there are some interesting cultivars available. I've grown variegated Elaeagnus in such a site. They get a bit leggy but can be pruned to maintain shape. For smaller shrubs you might look to our natives that thrive here - Mahonia, Sword Fern, Salal, Vancouveria.
     
  3. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada.
    possibly Aucuba
     
  4. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Maryland USA zone 7
    Helleri holly, boxwood, evergreen azalea, pieris might if there's enough bright light. Here's some that might work depending on your hardiness zone and how much bright light.

    Pieris japonica is evergreen and comes in some wonderful selections and several sizes. Lovely in bloom and four season interest as the leaves change color in winter and spring.
    http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=Pieris&btnG=Search&sa=N&tab=wi

    Camellia. Most of these get very large over time and can reach 25'. Mine have been in place for 27 years and I only started pruning them for height and width about 10 years ago. There are a couple of dwarf selections, but check the hardiness zones on these. If you are in zone 6, choose from this section - 'Hardy Camellia oleifera Selections and Hybrids' about halfway down the page. You should probably go with Ackerman's camellias. See the second link. The third link is for other cold hardy camellias.
    http://www.camforest.com/camellia.htm
    http://www.cspv.org/ackerman.htm
    http://www.cspv.org/suggestd.htm

    Dwarf hollies:
    http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILEVOMB.PDF
    http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILEVOMD.PDF
    http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/ilx_vom.cfm
    http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILECREB.PDF
    http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILECREC.PDF
    http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/ilx_bur.cfm
    http://www.floridata.com/ref/I/ilex_xne.cfm

    Mountain laurel - Kalmia come in several dwarf varieties. The taller ones tend to grow more open. This site doesn't have many pics, but they have a rather large selection. My daughter and I ordered some dwarf selections from there and were very pleased. They have grown beautifully over the last couple of years. They would be listed under Kalmia at this first site. These folks are retiring and closing their doors sometime this week or next, so you could only use this as a reference.
    http://www.roslynnursery.com/
    http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=Kalmia&btnG=Search

    Newt
     
  5. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Vancouver
    I have a big conifer shading the north-northwest side of my front yard, and have successfully grown a silver-leaved Cotoneaster, Ruscus (an odd suckering shrub, I keep it in a pot), and a boxwood there. Not quite evergreen shrubs but having the same impact are Acanthus mollis, almost evergreen here, and Euphorbia wulfenii.
     
  6. Weekend Gardener

    Weekend Gardener Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Coquitlam, BC
    I use two evergreen low growing shrubs in the full shade of our front yard: Sarcocca humilis and Skimmia japonica. Both give out incredible fragrances in full bloom. The foliage stay healthy and look good all year long. Even in the heat of summer, as long as the soil is kept moist. Skimmia gives us the additional bonus of bright red berries that last all winter long (if the birds are not too hungry over the winter). The texture of the folliage of the Skimmia contrasts particularly well with ferns.
     
  7. sue1

    sue1 Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Gabriola Island
    I have a couple of Acubas in shade, one is in deep shade, and they do just fine. They can grow quite tall and wide in only a few years.
     

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