Shrubs and hedges for shady areas
Is your garden completely in the shade, or do you have parts of your garden that are shaded? Many people find it difficult to choose plants for shaded areas. Fortunately, there are quite a few plants that grow well in the shade. However, it’s important to know what kind of shade you have in your garden, because there are different types of shade, each requiring different plants. Think of partial shade, dappled shade, and deep shade. One of the easiest plants to grow are shrubs. They require little maintenance, add shape and structure to the garden, and can sometimes bloom for months on end. There are also shrubs suitable for shady areas. We’ve listed them for you below.
Which shrubs are suitable for shade? And which hedges?
Shrubs and bushes for shade
- Annabelle hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
- Garden hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- Blueberry (Vaccinium)
- Bread Tree (Aucuba)
- Camelia (Camellia)
- Evergreen or laurel snowball (Viburnum tinus)
- Holly (Ilex)
- Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
- Spindle Tree (Euonymus)
- Dogwood (Cornus)
- Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- Magnolia stellata
- Mahonia Bush (Mahonia)
- Olive Willow (Elaeagnus)
- Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
- Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica)
- Rock Heath (Pieris)
- Rhododendron (Rhododendron)
- Skimmia
- Snowball Bush (Viburnum davidii)
- Yew (Taxus)
- Fatsia
- Elder (Sambucus)
- Barberry (Berberis)
Want to learn more about shrubs? Check out 7 easy-to-grow shrubs
Hedge for shade
Many hedge plants also thrive in the shade. Examples include yew hedges, olive willow, laurel, and beech hedges. However, most plants grow more slowly in the shade. Flowering may be reduced in flowering shrubs. You can plant the hedge varieties listed below in the shade (hedge plants marked with a “G” are evergreen):
- Beech Hedge (Fagus sylvatica) G
- Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus)
- Hornbeam (Carpinus)
- Hedge Conifers G
- Holly (Ilex) G
- Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) G
- Juniper (Juniperus) G
- Cardinal's Hat (Euonymus) G
- Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) G
- Privet (Ligustrum)
- Hawthorn (Crataegus)
- Olive Willow (Elaeagnus) G
- Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) G
- Osmanthus (Osmanthus) G
- Shrub Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida) G
- Yew Hedge (Taxus baccata) G
- Field Maple (Acer campestre)
- European spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus)
- Barberry (Berberis)