Creating a beautiful garden is super easy… when you have a sunny location. But what if you have a shady yard that’s not getting much sun? Suddenly the plant and shrub options feel very limited. If you are struggling to find beautiful, shade loving bushes that will grow under a tree canopy or in dappled shade, you are in the right place! Here’s a list of my top shrubs for shade and partial shade. Many of these shrubs are also native or native cultivars and will provide multiple seasons of interest in your garden.
Below are links to learn more and purchase the shrubs mentioned in this video. Please note I may earn commissions from qualifying sales if you shop through these links.
Staple Shrubs for Shade
Hydrangea, Azalea, Rhododendron
Shrubs that tolerate full shade
*Diervilla Bush Honeysuckle Kodiak Black http://shrsl.com/3vyoi
*Diervilla Bush Honeysuckle Firefly Nightglow http://shrsl.com/k7oy-3nq-jvyqm7_1-1
*Sweetspire Scentlandia: http://shrsl.com/k7oy-3nq-ir0fi3_1-1
Yellow Twig Dogwood: http://shrsl.com/3vyr8
Shrubs that tolerate part shade
Audubon® Native Meadow Sweet Spirea (Spirea alba) http://shrsl.com/k7oy-3nq-ketl1p_1-1
*Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin): http://shrsl.com/k7oy-3nq-kqw06z_1-1
Arnold Promise Witch Hazel: https://fastgrowingtrees.sjv.io/6bv0k3
*Clethra Sweet Pepperbush / Summersweet Ruby Spice http://shrsl.com/k7oy-3nq-crn8bh_1-1
*Sweetshrub Simply Scentsational: https://www.greatgardenplants.com/products/simply-scentsational-sweetshrub
Arrowwood Viburnum Glitters & Glows®: https://plantaddicts.com/glitters-and-glows-viburnum
Arrowwood Viburnum Brandywine®: http://shrsl.com/k7oy-3nq-9l40c5_1-1
Buttonbush Sugar Shack®: https://greatgardenplants.com/products/sugar-shack-buttonbush
Evergreen Shrubs for Shade
Yews – Try Columnar Japanese Plum Yew: https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/Fastigiata-Japanese-Plum-Yew-Cephalotaxus.html
Boxwood – Try Northern Charm: https://shrsl.com/27cur
Inkberry Holly – Try Shamrock: https://shrsl.com/33672
Holly – Try Sky Pencil for a tight space: https://fastgrowingtrees.sjv.io/Xx26X5
You may also enjoy this article, Stunning Plants for a Shady Landscape: https://www.prettypurpledoor.com/plants-for-shade/
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🌷Helping you create a vibrant, manageable 4-season landscape that is uniquely you.🌷
I’m Amy and I help home gardeners design design landscapes that are uniquely you.
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19 Comments
For those who like yellow…try kerria japonica. Not a native but covered in yellow double blossoms in spring. Lemon yellow flowers in sun, golden yellow flowers in part shade. Arching form.
I love your work, you inspire me
Another great evergreen for shade is Leucothoe. Lovely drooping habit, white flowers in spring and some have variegated foliage.
Deer haven eaten my Dieravilla Kodak the last 2 winters in N MI
Great content, not the usual suspects that all gardeners really know about. I am looking for second layer shrubs for a filtered shade area, and the timing of this was perfect. Sweetspire was on the list but now I have others to seek out too. Thank you!
I love your channel and appreciate all your hard work of sharing information. I’m a dog lover and wish that you could also note if the plants are poisonous if consumed by dogs. Or maybe videos that are specifically geared to dog friendly plants, trees and shrubs. Thanks for all you do!
Arnold's Promise is an x intermedia variety… It's a great plant, but I don't think it's a native variety.
I think virginiana and vernal varieties are native Witch Hazels.
Also I like Pieris and Kalmia for shade evergreens 👍
This was the perfect video to help me select a shrub for my zone 7, part to full shade garden area, where I am looking to add a plant. The Bush Honeysuckle and Sweet Spire Scentlandia are the 2 choices that I am most interested in. Excellent information, answered all of my questions, and it helped me to choose the most appropriate plant for the area in question. Thanks for a great video!
The "Kodiak Orange" diervilla is spectacular! It has so many color changes through the seasons along with beautiful flowers. I think it is time to add a " Kodiak Black" to my garden.
excellent, thank you
Wow, I can grow all of these, nice. Thank you.
Are the berries on some of these shrubs you describe edible to the birds that over-winter here?
Love the selection of natives. One more I would add which is one of my all time favorite plants is bottlebrush buckeye, Aesculus parviflora. It is truly amazing
Thank you for including the sweet shrub. Love my sweet shrub. Smells like a cherry strawberry to me.
I have the opposite problem – needing bushes that will survive scorching, full sun summers in 105-115 degree heat & drought during the summer, but a lot of rainy every other time of the year. =/
Thank you. Lots of good info. Would have appreciated if you list evergreen or dicedious.
Good selection of shade tolerant shrubs. I have a peegee hydrangea that does quite well in part shade.
Rose of Sharon blooms in the shade as well. I planted a hedgerow for utilitarian purposes but it blooms nicely in full shade. Another shade evergreen would be a Hemlock.
A very well done presentation especially with display photos of the blooms, foliage and fruits of the shrubs!
If I may, share one important factor for unaware viewers pertaining to the yew plant. Any "yew" cultivar is toxic to humans, domestic and wild animals alike when ingested. Unfortunately, the toxic nature of the "yew" isn't as widely known in current times as it once was known in ancient times. Thank you~