If your yard has a portion of shade, you might want to consider planting some shrubs for partial shade. There are many types of these plants. Some of the best partial shade bushes are hydrangeas, which can be either white or pink, and some come in different colors, like magenta or blue. The leaves of these bushes are long, and they can reach up to 12 feet high. They also produce edible leaves.
Coralberries
If you are looking for a good plant for partial shade, you might be interested in learning about coralberry. This shrub spreads by stolons and roots in the ground. Adaptable to low sunlight and partial shade, coralberry thrives in poor soil and is a good choice for woodland gardens and banks. If you’re considering planting coralberry in your yard, consider these tips for its propagation.
A native of the eastern U.S., the coralberry is a bushy, deciduous shrub that grows 3 to 6 feet tall. The branches are slender, and their bark is a light gray to purplish shade. The leaves turn red in the fall. Coralberry requires part shade, moisture, and partial shade. Its thick, prickly roots make it a poor choice for full shade, but it can tolerate some partial shade.
Snowberries
If you want shrubs that can tolerate partial shade, consider planting Snowberry. Its foliage and berries are a bright contrast to the partial shade of your yard. This shrub is low maintenance and resistant to disease and pests. In addition to its beauty, Snowberry is deer-resistant and useful in mixed shrub borders, hedges, and screens. Its berries are edible, but the berry can cause a mild stomach upset if eaten. Snowberries are native to Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Oregon, New Mexico, Illinois, and Virginia.
The common Snowberry is not the prettiest shrub, but its flowers and fruit make it well-worth a look. The tiny flowers grow from mid-May through July. The berries are white with fuzzy undersides, and remain on the tree all winter. Snowberries are poisonous to humans. The alkaloids in the fruit cause dizziness and vomiting. The shrub’s flowers last about six weeks.
American Beautyberry
Planting American Beautyberry requires a slightly damp location with good drainage. Its natural shape is loose and arching but can be trained to become a shrub of uniform size. The shrub has smooth bark and needs good soil moisture during establishment. Mulch around it will help control soil moisture and weed pressure. Once established, this shrub needs minimal pruning and requires little care. It is a good alternate host for the crape myrtle bark scale, and it is easy to propagate from cuttings or seeds.
The American beautyberry is a deciduous shrub native to the southeastern and central United States. The shrub provides nectar for bees and butterflies throughout the year and is deer resistant. The leaves are also beneficial to wildlife, attracting many types of pollinators and offering fall berries to birds. Its berries are nutritious and attract small animals, and its leaves are also known to repel mosquitoes.
American Mulberry
There are many varieties of American Mulberry shrubs for partial shade, including dwarf and the common red. The dwarf variety is especially suited for containers. This shrub can grow from two to six feet (0.6 to 1.8 meters) tall. The fruit is small, ranging from white to red. The American Mulberry is a deciduous shrub that is hardy in zones 6 to 9.
American Mulberry trees are native to Western Asia, where they grow wild. These trees have delicious fruits and are used in the silk industry. Because of their ability to grow quickly and spread quickly, they were introduced to the British colonies. Despite their invasive nature, the trees are not considered a threat to native habitats in most parts of the United States. They are also useful in the silk industry, primarily as a source of food.
Taxus x media ‘Tauntonii’
This plant is a cross between two species of Taxus, the English yew and the cold-hardy Japanese yew. It has a dense, upright habit. It can tolerate a variety of soil conditions, and grows slowly in partial shade. It has moderately high maintenance needs. To encourage faster growth, add a slow-release fertilizer once it has established itself.
This compact columnar yew has dense green needles and a clumpy, pyramidal habit. Its dense foliage is ideal for hedgerows and adds structure to the landscape. It can grow from six to ten feet tall and three to six feet wide. It will not tolerate dry soil, but can tolerate partial shade in well-drained gardens.
Mountain laurel
If you are a native gardener, mountain laurel is a great choice for your landscape. Its fragrant, showy flowers are a popular attraction. These shrubs thrive in partial shade and require limited exposure to direct sunlight. The flowers of this species are touch-sensitive and release pollen when touched. This shrub has a wide range of color and can be used to accent a native garden or butterfly garden.
Although poisonous to pets and small children, mountain laurel has many benefits for wildlife. It deters deer from eating it. When ingested, Mountain Laurel can cause diarrhea, vomiting, convulsions, and even death. If you have children or pets, make sure to supervise their activities around mountain laurel shrubs. You may want to consider putting up barriers or using a bitter spray.
Aucuba japonica ‘crotonifolia’
The female cultivar of the aucuba family, Crotonifolia, has distinctive white and gold splashes on its leaves, which resemble paint. It bears fruit in the fall, and is quite tolerant of air pollution and salt. The Gold Dust aucuba has a faster growth rate than most other cultivars, and it is highly drought tolerant once established.
The shrub’s shallow roots are capable of absorbing soil nutrients and should not be overwatered. However, you should provide the root system with a minimum of seven to nine centimeters of space beyond the drip line. Though trimming is not necessary for most Aucuba japonica species, it can be helpful to maintain the shape and size of the plant.
Japanese Andromeda
When you’re considering planting a Japanese Andromeda shrub in your garden, you’ll need to consider its light requirements. The shrub needs a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day and should be planted in full sun or partial shade, depending on the climate of your area. In cooler climates, Japanese Andromeda shrubs should be grown in full sunlight for six to eight hours a day, while in warmer climates, you can choose partial shade to protect the plants from harsh afternoon sun.
The most popular selections for a shady garden include ‘Little Heath’ and ‘Cavatine.’ These shrubs are compact and dwarf, with foliage that is mounded and small. Their leaves are small and their flowers are very long-lasting, making them a good choice for rock gardens or smaller landscapes. Bisbee Dwarf is a slow-growing variety that was first introduced in Ware, Massachusetts.
Japanese barberry
There are many reasons to plant Japanese barberry shrubs in your garden. They are beautiful, hardy, and adapt well to partial shade. But they do need some care, which is why you’ll need to make sure they are healthy and disease-free. Pruning is an optional process that you can do yourself. This shrub has a high germination rate, and it can resprout from its root fragments in the soil. Manual control is effective, but chemical control may be needed in severe infestations. In addition, there are no biological control organisms known for this plant.
Chemical control for Japanese barberry is also an option. To use herbicides, you must apply them to the roots and top growth. This herbicide must be EPA-approved. Cutting the stems to the soil line will prevent future stem growth from taking over. It is also important to monitor for any emergence of the plant. Occasionally, you should perform a visual inspection to detect any regrowth. For more information on chemical controls, contact your local Department of Natural Resources.