Shady Garden Shrubs

Shady Garden Shrubs

One of the challenges to gardening is selecting plants that grow in part-shade to shade. The way I define part-shade to shade to my retail customers is like walking into a forest. At the outer edge of the forest you are in full sun light and as you enter the forest the light begins to be part-shade as you look around some plants are receiving sun whereas other plants are receiving shade. This is part-shade a little bit of sun and a little bit of shade from sun rise to sun set. As you enter into the middle of the forest the sunlight cannot be seen and this is what would be defined as shade or full shade. As you exit the forest the sunlight becomes brighter and the plants in the forest are receiving part-shade again; and as you walk out of the forest you are in full sunlight again.

The palette of shady garden plants to choose from is numerous. There are shrubs, perennials, annuals, and trees. There are numerous plants in each category and we will discuss Shady Garden Shrubs: Shrubs are defined as plants with multiple stems, but some shrubs can reach a mature height of 20 feet or more when not pruned. Some shrubs that can reach 20 feet or more can be trained to be trees with a central leader stem. 

Arrowwood Viburnum – Viburnum dentatum: Zones: 2-8. Height: 6-10 feet. Spacing: 6-8 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: Privacy shrub, small tree, specimen, borders.

Aucuba – Aucuba japonica: Zones: 6-10. Height: 6-10 feet. Spacing: 5-7 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Hedge, screen, containers, accent, specimen.

Azalea – Rhododendron spp.: Zones: 4-9. Height: 2.5 to 10 feet, depending on cultivar. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade, depending on cultivar. Uses: The shorter cultivars in borders or beds, the taller cultivars as hedges or specimens.

Beautyberry – Callicarpa americana: Zones: 6-10. Height: 6-8 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: Woodland plantings, mass plantings, screening, attracts birds and butterflies, fall-winter interest.   

Beautyberry – Callicarpa americana

Carol Mackie Daphne – Daphne X burkwoodii ‘Carol Mackie’: Zones: 4-8. Height: 2-3 feet. Spacing: 2-3 feet apart. Light: Partial shade. Uses: Woodland plantings, entrances (to enjoy the fragrant blossoms), shrub borders, accent.

Chinese Mahonia – Mahonia fortunei: Zones: 7-10. Height: 4-6 feet. Spacing: 3-4 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Woodland garden, hedge, specimen, accent, border, container.

Cleyera – Ternstroemia gymnanthera: Zones: 7-11. Height: 6-8 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Screen, hedge, foundation, container.

Climbing Hydrangea – Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris: Zones: 4-8. Height: To 40 feet. Spacing: 5-10 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Trellis, arbors, fences, low retaining walls, tree trunks.

Dwarf Yaupon Holly – Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’: Zones: 7-10. Height: 3-5 feet. Spacing: 4-6 feet apart. Light: Full sun to shade. Uses: Foundation, low hedge, planter boxes, mass plantings.

Dwarf Yaupon Holly

Fatshedera – X Fatshedera lizei: Zones: 7-11. Height: 3-5 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: The plant is considered semi-climbing vine/shrub. Containers, trellis, arbor, groundcover.

Fatsia – Fatsia japonica: Zones: 7-10. Height: 8-10 feet. Spacing: 4-6 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Japanese gardens, houseplant, container, shade gardens, the large foliage will give a tropical look to landscapes and gardens.

Florida Anise – Illicium floridanum: Zones: 7-10. Height: 8 feet. Spacing: 4-6 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Hedge, specimen, woodland gardens.  

Florida Anise

Hemlocks – Tsuga canadensis: Zones: 3-7. Height: 40-70 feet. Spacing: 25-30 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Screen, specimen, woodland gardens. There are several Tsuga cultivars from dwarf to large trees and all will take partial shade to shade.

Hetz Japanese Holly – Ilex crenata ‘Hetzii’: Zones: 5-9. Height: 3-6 feet. Spacing: 3-4 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: Mass or group plantings, hedge, borders, oriental gardens.

Hydrangeas – Hydrangea spp.: Zones: 5-9. Height: 3-15 feet, depending on variety. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Group plantings, woodland gardens, specimen, cut flowers, container, and the shorter varieties can be used in borders.

Japanese Boxwood – Buxus spp.: Zones: 5-9. Height: 2-5 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Full sun to shade. Uses: Topiary, foundation, container, hedge, border.

Boxwood

Japanese Pieris – Pieris japonica: Zones: 3-9. Height: 3-8 depending on variety. Spacing: 4-6 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: Woodland gardens, borders, accent, containers.

Japanese Pittosporum – Pittosporum tobira: Zones: 7-10. Height: 2-10 feet, depending on cultivar. Spacing 4-6 feet apart. Light: Full sun to shade. Uses: Mass plantings, screen, borders, foundation, hedge.

Japanese Rose – Kerria japonica: Zones: 4-9. Height: 3-6 feet. Spacing: 6-8 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Woodland gardens, hedge, specimen, group plantings.

Leatherleaf Mahonia – Mahonia bealei: Zones: 6-9. Height: 4-8 feet. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Woodland gardens, specimen, containers, screening, barrier.

Mountain Laurels – Kalmia latifolia: Zones: 4-9. Height: 2-8 feet depending on variety. Spacing: 3-5 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: Woodland gardens, compliments Rhododendrons and Azaleas, group plantings, accent.

Nandina – Nandina domestica: Zones: 6-9. Height: 2-8 feet. Spacing: 2-4 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: group plantings, vertical accent, shorter varieties can be used in beds and borders, informal hedge.  

Nandina

Rhododendron – Rhododendron spp.: Zones: 4-9. Height: 2-8 feet, depending on variety. Spacing: 4-6 feet apart. Light: Partial shade to shade. Uses: The taller varieties can be used in screening, companion plant with Azaleas, shorter varieties can be used in borders, group plantings, accent, and woodland gardens.

Sky Pencil Holly – Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’: Zones: 5-9. Height: 4-10 feet. Spacing: 1-3 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: Vertical accent, container, entryways, screening, accent, great for small gardens or tight spaces.

Southern Wax Myrtle – Morella cerifera: Zones: 7-10. Height: 10-15 feet, can reach up to 25 feet. Spacing: 6-8 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: Screen, hedge, attracts wildlife, accent, specimen. 

Southern Wax Myrtle

Tea Olive – Osmanthus fragrans: Zones: 7-11. Height: 8-10 feet. Spacing: 6-8 feet apart. Light: Full sun to partial shade. Uses: Shrub, hedge, screen, espalier, fragrant flowers.
Yews – Taxus spp.: Zones: 4-8. Height2-20 feet, depending on variety. Spacing: 3-10 feet apart, depending on variety. Light: Full sun to shade. Uses: Hedge, screen, borders, groundcover, topiaries.

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