Shrubs for Shade

Shrubs are the beautiful small hedges grown in many gardens, parks, pathways, etc. They provide a sense of order with their symmetry. Hedges include a wide number of plants and bushes. Rose plants grown in order, and trained to maintain a certain height and shape can also be shrubs. Shrubs and bushes include flowering as well as non flowering plants. Most shrubs can withstand the sun, however there are a few shrubs that need shade to do well. The following is a list of shrubs for shaded areas.

Shrubs for Shaded Areas

Hydrangea: Hydrangea is one of the most shade loving shrubs, found in most gardens and parks. They are fast growing, not more than five feet in height and in width. They have dark large leaves that help to bring out the contrasting colors of the flower heads. The flowers grow in clusters, and when well pruned and trained, the bloom can cover up the entire shrub. They prefer well drained, moist soil. Most pruning should take place after the flowering season is over.

Honeysuckle: Honeysuckle can grow in any type of a soil as long as they have partial shade. They can reach up to the height of six feet and nearly eight feet in width. There are many varieties found in this species. Some of them have vine like tendencies. The leaves are small, not more than three inches and are borne in opposite pairs. This shrub is known for its fragrant funnel or bell-shaped flower that are just an inch in size. The flowers come in colors of white, pink and red with very tiny red or yellow berries depending upon the variety. Some varieties are quite invasive in nature.

Goat's Beard: True to its name, a Goat's beard creates a dramatic display with its white flowers against the bright green color foliage. Although it can tolerate sun, it grows well in partial shade. The average height it attains is anywhere between 30 to 60 inches, although some varieties may grow taller. It is perennial in nature and mostly used in woodland gardens. The bright green leaves are intricately divided, and the flowers borne are numerous and small in large plumes of cream or white. It needs plenty of room and water to thrive in.

Boxwood: Boxwood comes from the family Box, which is commonly used as hedges and shrubs to accentuate the shape of gardens and borders. There are dwarf varieties available that one can use, to train them as shrubs. The dwarf English variety is more popular among the rest. The shrub is dense, with light green leaves that are rounded and compacted. The shrub is slow growing and will rarely grow more than three feet. They require well-drained soil, any stagnation of water will rot their roots. Pruning is extremely easy on a boxwood.

Winterberry: Winterberry comes from the family of holly shrubs and plant. Winterberries are planted for its bright red, holly-berries that bring the otherwise dull shrub to life every winter. It does not grow more than six feet, and being a slow grower it will only get to that height after 20 years. It can tolerate excess water, so they should be preferably grown in areas where water drainage is an issue. It is quite pest resistant as compared to other shrubs.

Lonicera Piliata: Not really a shade shrub, but can tolerate partial shade and grow well. It is multi stemmed, evergreen and excellent for ground cover. It is quite small in height, only up to 50 cm. It is an easy growing shrub that requires low maintenance. Its foliage is bright green with small spiky appearance leaves. It is a non fussy grower and can grow well in cold as well as heavy soil.

Read more on

• Soil Science
• Flowering Bushes, Shrubs and Trees
• Identifying Different Types of Evergreen Shrubs

The shaded areas of gardens can be quite troublesome, however, the above mentioned shrubs for shade will cover the space quite well because of their lower light requirements. They will also satisfy the requirement of growing shrubs for shade zone 5, 6, 7 and 8. Choose from a wide range of flowering as well non flowering shrubs and bushes, to add interesting texture to your landscape.