Shade Shrubs

Nature has provided us with so many beautiful trees, shrubs, bushes and grasses that can lighten up any landscape. Every gardening enthusiast knows that the beautiful greenery or profuse flowering that the plant life provides can be attained only when the ideal growing conditions are provided. Many a time, the ideal growing conditions cannot be provided due to geographical factors. While one can amend the soil by using manure and fertilizers and water the plant as per the requirements, sunlight requirement is something that is beyond our control. If you grow plants that need ample sunlight in shaded areas, you might feel disappointed later on. There is a great possibility that the plant will have stunted growth. In case of flowering plants, you might not see profuse flowering. Does that mean that you will never be able to see flowers and lush-green plants in this part of the garden? Well, there is no need despair. You can grow shade-loving shrubs and bushes in your garden. Here's some information on shade shrubs that adapt well to partial or full-shade.

Shrubs that Grow Well in Shade

If any area of your home garden gets less than six hours of sunlight, it must be looked upon as a shaded area. Thankfully, there are many different types of shrubs that are well-adapted to shade. If you are very keen on growing shade shrubs in your garden, it would be better to find out more about shrubs that can grow well in your region. The duration for which the planting site receives sunlight is also a determining factor. If the area doesn't receive direct sunlight, it would be better to select shrubs that can grow well in dense shade. Once you have some idea about shade shrubs and their ideal growing conditions such as soil type, soil pH, time of planting and process of propagation, you can then work upon the garden layout. Here's some information on shrubs that grow well in shaded areas.

Boxwood
Boxwood belongs to Buxus genus and is a popular choice when it comes to accenting the garden. Though, it can grow well in places that receive ample sunlight, but it is one of the popular partial shade shrubs. For it to grow well, the soil should be well-drained and the pH must lie in the range of 6.5 to 7.5. It has dense and glossy foliage and is often trimmed into beautiful shapes. It figures in the list of popular topiary plants. English boxwood and American boxwood are viewed as the popular varieties. The root system of this shrub is shallow, so, over-watering must be avoided.

Viburnum
Viburnum belongs to the genus Viburnum. If you are looking for partial shade shrubs, you can grow viburnum shrub in your garden. This is one of the hardy flowering bushes that grow in shade. It grows well in fertile, well-drained soil. Ideally, the soil pH must lie between 5.6-6.6. Moderate watering is required for this shade shrub. The snowball-shaped flower clusters produced by this shrub will definitely be able to add visual interest to your garden. Some of the varieties are known for the vibrant-colored foliage, berries and their sweet fragrance.

Azalea
Azalea is a flowering shrub that belongs to the Rhododendron genus. This shade shrub can grow up to a height of 8 feet. There are many varieties that produce beautiful flowers. Not only are these azalea flowers available in attractive colors such as purple, lavender, orange, red, white and gold, its fragrance is also very sweet. It must be grown in well-drained soil with soil pH ranging anywhere between 5.5 to 6. A few hours of morning sunlight is enough for this shrub. It must be watered so as to keep the soil moist. Water it more frequently during dry spells.

Hydrangea
Hydrangea is also one of the popular partial shade shrubs. If you are thinking of growing this shrub in your flower garden, make sure that the soil is rich and well-drained. In some varieties, the color of the blooms changes when the pH of the soil is altered. It will grow well in areas with filtered light as well.

Carolina Allspice
Carolina allspice, which is also commonly referred to as sweet shrub is one of the full shade shrubs. It is a fast growing shrub that produces reddish-brown flowers in the months of April. The blooming season continues till July. The leaves are oval-shaped and dark green in color. The flowers are sweet-scented and the leaves are aromatic as well. This deciduous shrub is hardy and can grow well in most types of soil.

This was all about shade shrubs. Besides the aforementioned shrubs for shaded areas, you can also grow shrubs such as camelia, gardenia, honeysuckle and winterberry. If you wish to brighten up the shaded area of your garden, plant these flowering shrubs for shade soon!