
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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