If you have a sunny spot in your garden, you may want to plant one of these shrubs for shade. They like moist soil but will tolerate a little drought once established. Read on to learn more about some shrubs for shade that are easy to care for. If you already have a shrub, you can find a great selection of similar species HERE. If you are looking for more information, check out our guide to shrubs for shade zone 5!
Beautybush
Beautybush is a high-quality shrub prized for its charming flowers and graceful form. It makes a great foundation plant because it covers up unsightly footings, crawl spaces, utility pipes and vents. In the landscape, Beautybush can be planted along fences and borders to soften edges and present a lush character to a front yard composition. Beautybush requires weekly watering, but more in times of high heat.
The Kolkwitzia Amabilis is a beautiful spring flowering shrub from the honeysuckle family. It reproduces by sucking off of young stems and growing upright. It grows about 24 inches per year and can reach a height of 10 feet. The flowers and the leaves of the Beauty Bush will persist even after the plant has died down. The bark on older stems will peel off in attractive shreds and will provide a unique look to the landscape.
A shade-tolerant shrub native to the southeastern U.S., Beautybush forms dense colonies and blooms in the summer and fall. It provides privacy, screening, and blocks the sun and is attractive with its textured bark. It requires a moist and well-drained soil, but it can tolerate a bit of frost if necessary. It also tolerates salt spray. In the landscape, Beautybush is a beautiful and versatile addition to a shady landscape.
Leatherleaf Arrowwood
Located in woodlands, bogs, and stream banks, Leatherleaf Arrowwood shrubs for shading are hardy, adaptable, and highly decorative. With bluish-black berries and white spring flowers, these shrubs make an excellent choice for your shady garden. And they’re great for screening or growing in a moist location. Unlike many other shade-loving shrubs, Leatherleaf Arrowwoods are a perfect choice for your shade garden.
The best type of shade for Leatherleaf Arrowwood is a well-drained, organically-rich loam. Its ideal pH level is between 5.5 and 6.5. A less acidic soil will also do, as long as it drains well. You can add soil amendments to boost its acidity, or you can use lime to sweeten it up if it’s too acidic.
This shade-loving shrub can grow up to three feet tall. It’s great for shrub borders and hedges, and its berries are edible. Though the flowers themselves are inedible, they’re rich in vitamin C and have an attractive taste. Mahonia shrubs also make great winter accents, as their leathery leaves turn a deep bronze color during the winter. In addition to being a lovely shade plant, they also attract butterflies and other birds.
Leatherleaf Arrowwood shrubs for sun and shade zones five and six will look lovely in your garden. Native to the Southern United States, these shrubs will grow six to fifteen feet tall and spread to a width of about eight to ten feet. Their glossy dark green foliage turns red in the fall. They also produce white-blue fruit clusters in late summer. They tolerate a wide range of conditions, but prefer a well-drained soil. You can find several species to complement each other, including the evergreen Winterberry.
Inkberry
Inkberry shrubs grow to about four feet, but can be crowded out by other bushes and perennials. Unlike other species, they do not sucker, so they can be pruned to reduce their size. They also grow well as hedges and have few major insect or disease problems. This plant is native to the Coastal Region of eastern North America, but it is also a great choice for a shade garden.
Among inkberry shrubs for shade, Ilex glabra is a relative of the Ilex crenata. Ilex glabra is a shade-tolerant shrub that grows to three to five feet tall and wide. It is grown for its soft-textured foliage. If you choose this species, be sure to keep it moist. It needs water regularly, so water it thoroughly once it is established.
Inkberry shrubs are easy to grow and maintain, and require little care. Inkberry shrubs bloom on old wood and carry their flower buds over to the following year. If you plan on pruning them in the spring, be sure to prune them after their flowering season. Female inkberries set their fruit as soon as they finish blooming, so pruning them at this time of year will result in some loss of berry production.
Inkberry is one of the best native plants for a landscape. It is highly adaptable and environmentally beneficial. As an added bonus, inkberry shrubs are often used in landscaping projects. You may also want to consider the native species Strongbox inkberry holly. This is a great choice because it grows faster and retains its leaves on the ground. It also resists deer. It is available in spring 2019.
Bush Honeysuckle
A native shrub, Bush Honeysuckle can tolerate a wide range of sunlight and soil conditions. This shrub needs some sun for blooming and robust foliage, but once established, it can tolerate shade and dry conditions. Climbing Hydrangeas are excellent choices for zone 5 gardeners, as they mimic the appearance of climbing vines and can tolerate rocky soil. Depending on the variety, they may take up to three years before blooming.
This bushy vine is best suited for part shade or partial shade. It features rosy red flowers in early to midsummer and deep blue foliage. Its foliage is highly resistant to the Honeysuckle witches broom aphid. It makes a great informal hedge. It grows to ten feet tall and eight to 10 feet wide and is hardy from zones 4 to 7.
The flowers on honeysuckle shrubs are small and delicate. They are sweet-smelling and great for covering walls and building sides. Honeysuckle is a deer-resistant shrub that thrives in low light levels. It can grow from a small bush to a large arbor. Honeysuckle shrubs also tolerate heat. Regardless of its size, they will bloom throughout the growing season.
Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle is another bush honeysuckle shrub with dwarf form. It has bronze-tipped leaves and yellow flowers. It blooms in the summer and fall and has a lemon-like scent. If you prefer more fragrant flowers, try Winter honeysuckle. Honeyberry is similar to Winter Honeysuckle, but has a richer scent. It is a versatile plant that grows well in partial shade and is highly tolerant of soil.
Oregon holly grape
A beautiful, low-growing, evergreen shrub, Oregon Grape Holly is one of the best options for planting in a shaded yard. It has handsome foliage, with a distinctively divided structure. The foliage emerges bronzy in spring and gradually fades to a rich glossy green throughout the summer. Oregon grape holly has berries of a dark blue color in late summer, which are accompanied by bright yellow blossoms in the spring. This shrub is a great choice for zones five and up, as it grows well in both light and shaded locations.
The low-growing habit of Oregon holly makes it a great plant for foundation plantings and garden beds. Its yellow, fragrant flowers, held in long panicles, are quite attractive. In the fall, the flowers turn to small, dark berries. Oregon holly grape shrubs grow to around six feet tall and are hardy to -20°F. Among the most popular holly species, Oregon holly grape is a beautiful addition to your landscape.
While you may think of holly grape as a vine, it’s not actually a true holly. This plant is actually a member of the barberry family, the Berberidaceae. It grows best in groups in the shade or woodland garden. Despite its name, it also does well in foundation plantings or shrub borders. In high-pH soils, this plant will become chlorotic.
When it comes to caring for this plant, you don’t have to do much. Once established, you will only need minimal supplemental watering. You should keep the plant from being exposed to too much sunlight as it may lead to leaf sunscald. Oregon grapes are a naturalized shrub in some parts of the country, and are an excellent choice for a shaded garden. But don’t forget to water regularly.
