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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