Recommended Plants for Shade

Recommended Plants for Shade

All of the following woody plants grow well in both full sun and light or partial shade (less than 1/2 day of direct sun, or light filtered through a high tree canopy). Plants that grow well in more shade are identified as follows:

Plants with (*) - grow well in light to moderate shade.
Plants with (**) - generally prefer light or partial shade to full sun, and grow well even in moderate shade.

DECIDUOUS TREES

  • * Japanese Snakebark Maple (Acer capillipes)
  • * Vine Maple (Acer circinatum)
  • * Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) varieties
  • * Shadbush (Amelanchier varieties)
  • * Redbud (Cercis canandensis)
  •    White Fringe (Chionanthus virginicus)
  •    Yellow-wood (Cladrastis lutea)
  • * Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
  • * Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)
  • * Cornellian Cherry (Cornus mas)
  • * Carolina Silver-bell (Halesia carolina)
  • * Magnolia species and hybrids (Magnolia)
  • * Sorrel Tree (Oxydendron arboreum)
  •    Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)

EVERGREEN TREES

  • * Cypress varieties (Chamaecyparis)
  • **American Holly (Ilex opaca)
  • * Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata)
  • * Upright Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata 'Capitata')
  • * Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) varieties

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

  • * Azalea (deciduous varieties)
  • * Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
  •    Shrub Dogwoods (Cornus)
  • * Bellflower (Enkianthus capanulatus)
  • * Witch Hazel (Hamamelis varieties)
  • * Hydrangea varieties (Hydrangea)
  • **Japanese Kerria (Kerria japonica)
  • * Viburnum varieties Yucca varieties

EVERGREEN SHRUBS

  • * Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora)
  • **Evergreen Azalea varieties
  • * William Penn Dwarf Barberry (Berberis x Gladwynensis 'William Penn')
  • **Boxwood (Buxus varieties)
  • **Holly (Ilex) varieties (including Japanese Holly, China Girl/Boy, and Hybrid Blue varieties)
  • * Mountain Laurel (Lalmia latifolia)
  • **Dwarf (Coastal) Leucothoe (Leucothoe axillaris)
  • **Drooping Leucothoe (Leucothoe Fontanesiana)
  • **Siberian Carpet (Microbiota descussata)
  • * Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica)
  • * Hardy Bamboo varieties (Phyllostachys varieties)
  • **Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum)
  • * Other Rhododendron varieties (Rhododendron species and hybrids)
  • **Japanese Skimmia (Skimmia japonica)
  • **Spreading English Yew (Taxus baccata Repandens)
  • * Hicks Yew (Taxus x media 'Hicksii')
  • Arborvitae (Thuja) varieties
  • **Evergreen Viburnum (V. rhytidophyllum 'Willowwood'; V. X. Pragense’)

VINES AND EVERGREEN GROUNDCOVERS

  • **Akebia (A. quincifolia)
  • * Pygmy Bamboo (Arundinaria pygmaea)
  • **Bunchberry (Cornus canandensis)
  • **Wintercreeper (Euonymus Fortunei-groundcover varieties)
  • **Ferns (except Royal)
  • * Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
  • **English Ivy (Hedera helix)
  • **Baltic Ivy (Hedera helix 'Baltica')
  • * Climbing Hydrangea (H. anomala petiolaris)
  • * Lilyturf (Liriope) varieties
  • * Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)
  • * Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon) varieties
  • **Pachysandra (P. terminalis)
  • **Hardy Myrtle (Vinca minor)

SHADE-TOLERANT PERENNIALS, FERNS AND ORNAMENTALGRASSES

See: ROSEDALE PLANTSMAN'S SUGGESTED PERENNIALS FOR SHADE.

© Rosedale Nurseries, Inc. 1994, 2003, 2015
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