Shrubs for Shaded Areas

When we speak about maintenance of a healthy garden, it is assumed that the gardening site is located in a sunny area. Nevertheless, most landscapes have a section of shady area, either because of the garden direction or the shade is cast by fencing and/or building structures. If you grow the regular flowering plants in such shaded areas, you may notice stunted growth or may be the flowers will be dull and small. Some plants even fail to flower, if planted in shade. Thus, very often such shaded areas represent the dull portion of a garden.

The practical solution for shaded areas in a garden is to grow plant varieties that can tolerate shade. Out of the several plant options for shade gardening, small trees, shrubs and bushes are the ideal choice. They are best adapted in shaded areas as compared to the seasonal flowers. In fact, you can find a myriad varieties of shrubs for shaded areas, from which you can choose as per your garden layout and personal preference. Read more on flowering bushes, shrubs and trees.

Shrubs for Shaded Areas

While selecting shrubs for shaded areas, make sure they are best suited for the climatic conditions and different types of soil in your area. If you are not sure about the hardy shrubs that tolerate shade condition, consider taking advice from your local horticulturist. Depending upon the shade condition, whether partial or complete shade, you can choose the shrub types. Following are some of the popularly grown shrubs for shady areas that you can consider planting in your garden:

Azalea
Azaleas are one of the most preferable flowering shrubs for shade areas. They can be grown under the tree canopies or in other shaded areas of the garden. Acidic soil type, proper drainage and timely mulching are some growing requirements for azalea. You can plant azaleas either in pots or directly in the garden soil in early spring.

Bamboo
If you are looking for a green background, that too in the dark areas of the landscape, then you can grow bamboos. Bamboos can adapt in partial to complete shade areas. They grow best, if planted near a support structure like walls or fences. Read more on caring for bamboo plants.

Barberry
Barberries belong to the deciduous or evergreen shrub types, which can be grown in partial shade to sunny areas. They can adapt in a wide range of soil types and grow to a height of about 8-9 feet. The plants develop attractive yellow blooms between the month of April to June, which mature to red berries in the fall season.

Boxwood
Boxwood is another shrub for shade areas. It is also a favorite shrub for formal landscape designs. You can easily identify boxwood from the square stem. It grows well in alkaline to slightly acidic soils with good drainage. One of the characteristic features of boxwood is that the green foliage turns orange in color after being exposed to full sun.

Camellia
Camellias are evergreen hardy shrubs that can adapt in complete shade areas. You can find many cultivars of camellia that differ in their growing requirements, flower colors (white, pink, red, bicolor) and blooming time (winter, spring). They are susceptible to heavy frost, hence should be protected during frosting.

Carolina Allspice
Carolina allspice is another hardy deciduous shrub for shaded areas. The plant shows suckering habit and grows to about 7-10 feet in height. Brown-colored blooms appear in the month between April to July. After flowering, the plant should be pruned immediately in order to maintain the desired shape and compactness.

Gardenia
For light to partial shade condition, gardenias are a favorite option for many gardeners, especially because of their large, showy and fragrant flowers. Based on the cultivar, the flower may be pure white to pale yellow in color. Gardenia can be planted in well-drained, acidic soil, either in containers or in the ground.

Honeysuckle
If you prefer sweet fragrance along with a beautifully carved garden, then consider growing honeysuckle shrub. You can opt either for the climbing variety or the shrubby type. It grows best in well-drained soil that receives partial shade condition. With honeysuckle blooms in the garden, you can enjoy butterflies and hummingbirds through the spring and summer months.

Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are fast growing shrubs that can grow well in partial shade conditions. They grow best in moist and well-drained soil. The average height of hydrangea is 3-5 feet, however, they can be pruned down to about 2 feet. Flowers are borne on large heads, which can spread to about 1 foot. Based on the type of cultivar, the flower color may be white or pink.

Japanese Maples
Japanese maples are beautiful, shade loving shrubs. Their reddish purple leaves make them ideal for creating a color pattern in the garden. You can select cultivars that are resistant to pests and diseases. Maintenance tips for Japanese maples include moderate irrigation, minimal fertilization (twice a year), mulching and regular pruning.

Japanese Laurel
If you are looking for shrubs for complete shade areas, then Japanese laurel is the best alternative. This shrub can thrive well and produce red berries, even if other plants fail to grow. Japanese laurels can also tolerate frequent pruning, hence are ideal for creating hedges in shaded areas.

Witch Hazel
One of the best shrubs for shade is witch hazel. The requirements for growing witch hazel are moist acidic soil, good drainage and moderate watering. A striking feature of a witch hazel shrub is the bright-colored cluster of yellow blooms that appear in the fall season.

Winterberry
If there is poor drainage in the shaded area, then there is no other ideal alternative, besides growing winterberry. This shade-loving shrub belongs to the deciduous holly type, which sheds its dark green leaves every fall season. You can enjoy the scenic beauty of winterberry shrub during winter, when the plant bears bright red berries. Read more on:

• Evergreen and Flowering Shrubs
• Identifying Different Types of Evergreen Shrubs

By planting the above shrubs for shaded areas, it is easy to maintain a uniform looking garden, even if the dark area contributes a larger section of the landscape. When purchasing them, ensure that you pick the healthy plants with no disease and pest infestations. You can check for plants with bright green leaves and a healthy stem without dark or brown spots.

Do not forget to take a note of the maintenance tips for the shrubs. Otherwise all your efforts for planting them will go waste. Though most of these hardy shrubs require only occasional pruning for maintenance, you can remove dead branches and twigs (if any) and check for disease infestations. As you see, majority of the shrubs for shaded areas have vibrant colored blooms. Thus, you can also think of creating a color pattern to brighten up the darkest areas of your garden.