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Shrubs for the shade garden


30 Low-Maintenance Shrubs for Shade

By

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.

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Updated on 09/09/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

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Fact checked by

Sarah Scott

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.

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The Spruce / Catherine Song

Shrubs that grow in shade can add color and cheer to drab nooks as well as canopy-covered areas of your property. Ranging from short bushes to tall hedges, shade-loving shrubbery includes both evergreen and deciduous plants.

Some shade-tolerant shrubs produce beautiful blossoms, while others are famous for their attractive foliage. Many offer year-round appeal, making them perfect for shady yards where sun-loving plants simply cannot thrive.

Learn about 30 low-maintenance shrubs that will spruce up shaded areas of your lawn and garden without a lot of effort.

Low-Maintenance Shrubs for Shade

Watch Now: Tips for Selecting the Right Shrubs

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. A Dangerous Garden Thug Exposed: Daphne Laureola. Master Gardeners Association of British Columbia.

  2. Labossiere Alexander W., Thompson Dennis F. Clinical Toxicology of Yew Poisoning. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 591-599, 2018. doi:10.1177/1060028017754225

  3. Amelanchier alnifolia. Missouri Botanical Garden.

  4. Hamamelis virginiana. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas.

  5. Red Buckeye. University of Kentucky, Department of Horticulture.

  6. Japanese Skimmia. Washington State University Extension PNW Plants.

Flowering Shrubs for Shade - Top Picks for the Yard & Garden

If you’re a gardener or homeowner with a lot of shade on your property, you may find yourself struggling to find plants that thrive and bloom with minimal sunlight, especially when it comes to shrubs. While there are many colorful flowering perennials and annuals for shade, there are far fewer shrubs with vivid blooms for shady conditions. Today, I’d like to introduce you to 16 flowering shrubs for shade to fill your landscape with color from early spring through fall. There’s even a shrub for shade that blooms in the winter on this list!

16 Flowering Shrubs for ShadeThe large, conical flowers of oakleaf hydrangea appear in summer.

Oakleaf hydrangea (

Hydrangea quercifolia)

A wide-spreading, 6-foot-tall, North American native shrub for shade, oakleaf hydrangea deserves a home in every shady landscape. Even in the winter the peeling bark of the oakleaf hydrangea is deserving of our attention. The large, oak leaf-like leaves turn an amazing orange and then a deep burgundy in the autumn. Large, cone-shaped panicles of creamy white flowers are produced from the woody stems in summer. The merits of this shrub for shade cannot be stressed enough. It’s a personal favorite for its four-season interest. Hardy in garden zones down to -20 degrees F.

Japanese kerria (

Kerria japonica)

Kerria is a small genus of underused flowering shrubs for shade (or sun!). The plants have bright green stems and leaves, and sunny yellow flowers. These shrubs are very tolerant of shade and poor soil. Thin out the old stems every few years by cutting them back to the ground just after the plant flowers. Kerrias are prolific bloomers that reach a height of 6 feet. The inch-wide flowers are produced in spring. The cultivar ‘Pleniflora’ has double flowers and a taller, more vigorous growth habit.

Mountain laurels are stunning evergreen flowering shrubs for shade. Plus, they’re deer resistant!

Mountain laurel (

Kalmia latifolia)

Laurels are evergreen flowering shrubs for shade that are native to the eastern U.S. The leaves are smooth-edged and glossy, dark green. The large clusters of tea cup-shaped flowers are absolutely stunning (albeit a little sticky). They appear on the plants in late spring and can be purple, pink, white, or bicolored. This woodland flowering shrub is hardy to -30 degrees F and has many different cultivars. Spreads 5 to 15 feet tall and wide, and has a rounded, yet open shape. Choose a shady location for this shrub, and make sure the soil is acidic by fertilizing with a granular, acid-specific fertilizer annually.

Slender deutzia offers arching branches of white flowers every spring.

Slender deutzia (

Deutzia gracilis)

These spring-blooming flowering shrubs for shade are deciduous and vase-shaped. They’re easy to grow in average garden soil and require very little care. Topping out at around 5 feet tall, they can be kept smaller by pruning them just after they bloom. The prolific flowers are pure white and nearly an inch wide. Each five-petaled flower lasts for several weeks. Slender deutzia is hardy to -20 degrees F. Though deutzia flowers best in areas that receive full sun, this shrub is quite tolerant of partial to moderate shade, though dense shade should be avoided. The dwarf cultivar ‘Yuki Cherry’ has pink petals for added interest.

The tubular, spring blooms of glossy abelia are a welcome sight to many spring pollinators.

Glossy abelia (

Abelia x grandiflora)

This semi-evergreen shrub grows between 3 to 6 feet tall and thrives in areas of full sun to moderate shade, though flowering is better where the plant receives at least a few hours of sun per day. The arching branches produce clusters of small, but showy, tubular flowers. The blooms are white with a blush of pink. This hybrid abelia is hardy to -10 degrees F and blooms in summer. This plant flowers on new growth, so it can easily be pruned back hard and still bloom in the very same season. The variety ‘Edward Goucher’ is a shorter selection that produces larger, lavender blooms. Hummingbirds adore this plant.

Winter-blooming witch hazel species have so much to offer shady spots in the landscape.

Witch hazel (

Hamamelis spp.)

There is nothing better than a witch hazel when it comes to surprises. Just when you think there’s nothing in bloom in the garden, the witch hazel struts its stuff! Among the only winter-flowering shrubs for shade, Vernal witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) pops out fringe-like yellow, rust, or red-colored blooms in the dead of winter. Chinese witch hazel (H. mollis) is another winter-blooming selection, while common witch hazel (H. virginiana) blooms in fall. Most witch hazels are hardy to -10 degrees, though some are hardier and others less so, depending on the species. Witch hazels are deciduous and easy to grow in ordinary garden soil, but moist areas are best. With a structure much like a small tree, these flowering shrubs for shade have an added bonus: the blooms of many varieties are also fragrant! Those seeking North American natives should plant common witch hazel or vernal witch hazel.

The fragrant, elongated blooms of Virginia sweet spire are followed by red foliage in the autumn.

Virginia sweetspire (

Itea virginica)

These North American native shade-loving shrubs bloom in summer and are hardy down to -20 degrees F. Long panicles of creamy white flowers drip from the stems in mid summer. While this shrub does well in full sun, it’s surprisingly tolerant of shade, too. The deciduous nature of the plant means there are no leaves on it during the winter, but in the fall, the foliage turns a deep red-purple that’s just stunning. It’s perfect for moist soil. The fragrant blooms are adored by many of our native pollinators. ‘Little Henry’ is a great dwarf variety.

Oregon holly grape (

Mahonia aquifolium)

The low-growing habit of these flowering shrubs for shade makes it a good fit for foundation plantings, garden beds, and shrub borders. Their evergreen leaves are compound, and the yellow, fragrant flowers are borne in long panicles. In the fall, the plant is covered in small, dark berries. Oregon holly grape prefers a shady spot that’s protected from winter winds. It reaches 6 feet in height and is hardy down to -20 degrees F.

When the pink buds of this Japanese pieris open, they’ll reveal clusters of tiny, bell-shaped, white flowers that smell sweet.

Japanese pieris/Andromeda (

Pieris japonica)

When I was a kid, we had a pair of Japanese pieris flanking our front walk. My mother called them “pierce-a-ponicas” which I though was their real name until I took a shrub ID class in college. Despite my mom’s mispronunciation of the name, I grew to really love these amazing flowering shrubs for shade. They’re deer resistant, evergreen with beautiful green leaves, and very winter hardy. Large clusters of slightly fragrant, white, bell-shaped blooms extend from the ends of the branches in early spring and are a favorite of queen bumble bees and other early pollinators. The plants grow to 10 feet in height, especially in protected sites where they’re sheltered from drying winter winds. Some cultivars, such as ‘Mountain Fire‘, have vivid red new growth in the spring, while other cultivars, such as ‘Dorothy Wycoff’ and ‘Flamingo’, have pink flowers instead of white.

Carolina allspice is a knock-your-socks-off flowering shrub for shady areas that produces sweet/spicy scented blooms.

Sweet shrub/Carolina allspice (

Calycanthus floiridis)

Oh how I love sweet shrubs! These medium sized, fragrant, gorgeous, North American native flowering shrubs for shade are so delightful. Topping out at 8 feet in height, this deciduous shrub produces uniquely shaped, dark purple-pink blossoms along the length of its stems. Spring blooming and perfect for sites that are anywhere from partial shade to full sun, Carolina sweet shrubs do best in well-draining soils, though they’ll do just fine in average garden soil as long as they’re irrigated during dry spells. They are a great alternative to the viburnum.

Smooth hydrangeas are reliable bloomers, even in shady conditions.

Smooth hydrangea (

Hydrangea arborescens)

Another North American native hydrangea for shade, the smooth hydrangea has so much to offer. With an upright but open shape and excellent winter hardiness (down to -20 degrees F), these flowering shrubs for shade produce globe-shaped clusters of creamy white blooms in high summer. Topping out around 4 feet tall, the straight species is lovely, but showier cultivars, such as ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Grandiflora’, produce larger blooms. Unlike many other hydrangea species, the flowers of smooth hydrangea are produced on new growth, so prune in the early spring and there’s no chance of cutting off the current season’s blooms. They are low-maintenance beauties for full or part shade.

Coralberries and snowberries aren’t known for their flowers, but their clusters of berries add a decorative element to shade gardens.

Coralberry/snowberry (

Symphoricarpus spp.)

Ok, so, I’m cheating a bit here. While coralberries and snowberries are flowering shrubs for shade, they’re much better known for their berries than they are for their flowers. These hardy, deciduous shrubs are North American natives that produce fairly small, unremarkable blooms, but their berries are just lovely in the autumn and winter landscape. Some species serve as a host plant for the day-flying snowberry clearwing moth (also called the hummingbird moth). The snowberry (S. albus) grows to 4 feet and produces pink flowers followed by white fruits. It’s hardy down to -50 degrees F. The coralberry (S. orbiculatus) has white flowers followed by coral-colored fruits. Plus, the fall foliage is a lovely crimson. They make very unique hedges.

Rhodies and Azaleas

What we gardeners commonly call rhododendrons and azaleas are actually one very large genus of plants botanically classified in the genus Rhododendron. Gardeners distinguish rhododendrons from azaleas by how their flowers are produced. Azalea flowers are funnel-shaped and borne singly, while rhododendron flowers are larger and produced in clusters. All rhododendrons are evergreen, but there are both evergreen and deciduous azalea species. Regardless, both rhododendrons and azaleas are great flowering shrubs for shade. They are both attractive to early season pollinators and make beautiful statements in partial to full shade. Here are some excellent varieties of both rhodies and azaleas.

Azaleas are excellent flowering evergreen shrubs for shade.

Evergreen azaleas (

Rhododendron [sub genus Tsutsusi])

If you are looking for evergreen shrubs that aren’t yews, try azaleas. Most evergreen azaleas are native to Asia, but a few species are native to North America. There are thousands of evergreen azalea species, hybrids, and cultivars – so many that it’s difficult to keep them straight. Azaleas can range in height from mini varieties that top out at just 2 feet tall, all the way up to full-sized specimens that grow to 8 feet in height. Azaleas produce a wide range of flower colors, from salmon pink and white to purple, red, and lavender. Their hardiness varies, though many are hardy to -20 degrees F. If you’re looking for a great flowering evergreen shrub for shade, azaleas are a terrific choice.

Deciduous azaleas are another terrific shrub for shade. The elongated flowers appear in early spring.

Deciduous azaleas (

Rhododendron [sub genus Pentathera])

Deciduous azaleas are among my favorite flowering shrubs for shade. While their branches are bare in the winter, the clusters of tubular flowers that appear in spring are real show-stoppers. My favorite group of deciduous azaleas are the Exbury hybrids. These upright azaleas reach a height of 4 to 5 feet and produce trusses of flowers that can be red, pink, cream, orange, or yellow. Hardy to -20 degrees F, these flowering shrubs for shade prefer well-drained soils high in organic matter. They bloom around the same time as the dogwood. The royal azalea (R. schlippenbachii) is another deciduous species that grows up to 10 feet tall, with leaves clustered at the end of the twigs and pink flowers in the spring.

Rhododendrons are arguably the most recognizable flowering shrub for shade.

Rhododendron (

Rhododendron species, hybrids, and cultivars)

Rhododendrons are a large group of woody plants with broad, evergreen leaves. The bell-shaped flowers are borne in huge clusters at the ends of the stems. The showy flowers each have 5 to 10 stamens and are treasured by bigger bee species and butterflies. Rhododendrons prefer well-drained, acid soil with lots of organic matter. Use sulfur or a granular fertilizer formulated specifically for evergreens. Partial and dappled shade is best for rhododendrons; deep shade may reduce flowering. However, some species and hybrids are more tolerant of deep shade than others.

Rhododendrons may exhibit winter die-back during years of particularly cold weather or in windy areas. Larger species, such as R. catawbiense, can grow 10 feet tall, while shorter species, such as R. yakusimanum, reaches just 3 feet in height. All rhododendrons bloom in spring. Their hardiness varies, depending on the species, but most are hardy to at least -10 degrees F with many species exhibiting hardiness way beyond that.

PJM rhodies have purple leaves in the winter and produce flowers in the spring, sometimes with a second smattering of blooms in the fall.

PJM Rhododendron (

Rhododendron x PJM)

This group of broadleaf evergreen rhododendrons is a delightful addition to any shady garden. They’re among the hardiest of all flowering shrubs for shade, surviving easily down to -30 degrees F. PJMs grow up to 6 feet tall and wide. The bright lavender-pink flowers appear in spring, often with a smattering of reblooms in the autumn. Just like other rhododendrons, PJMs prefer acidic soil that’s well drained. This group of hybrids produces compact growth and small, dark leaves. It’s hardier than many other rhododendron types and the foliage turns a deep purple in the winter.

A few other shade-tolerant shrubs worth including in your garden are summersweet clethra, serviceberry, camellias, aucubas, and the bottlebrush buckeye.

For more exceptional plants for your landscape, check out the following posts:

Do you grow any of these terrific flowering shrubs for shade? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comment section below!

Shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants for the garden: perennial flowers and shrubs

Already in early spring, we begin to think about the layout of our garden, distributing the plants that we will plant in different corners of the summer cottage. As a rule, most are faced with the problem of choosing a plant for planting in shady places that you really want to decorate with beautiful flowers or shrubs, because such areas often remain empty and neglected.

Let's talk about those shade-tolerant plants that can grow normally in the most shady areas of the garden.

Content

How to choose shade-tolerant shrubs for the garden

Shade-tolerant perennial shrubs are conditionally divided into 3 different groups, namely: berry, flowering, and decorative foliage. Each of these plants has both certain pluses and minuses. And there are also such types of shrubs that not only look very impressive, but also give useful, fragrant and incredibly tasty fruits. Experienced gardeners and summer residents categorically do not recommend buying planting material in spontaneous markets, as there is a high probability that it will be of very poor quality. It is best to purchase seedlings in special stores that have a good reputation. Among the various types of shrubs, the most popular and common can be distinguished.

Shade-tolerant flowering shrubs

Rhododendron

Such a shrub has a very spectacular appearance, especially during the flowering period, when it is almost completely covered with inflorescences consisting of flowers of a rich color. Its leaf blades are fleshy. Rhododendron thrives in the shading created by tall trees and shrubs, in which many other plants can simply die.

Garden jasmine

This shrub is very popular with gardeners and summer residents. Such a very beautiful plant will be an excellent decoration for almost any site. Jasmine looks especially impressive in the process of flowering. At this time, its branches are covered with snow-white lush inflorescences, from which a very pleasant and rather strong smell emanates. An important advantage of such a shrub is its undemanding to the place of growth, as well as to the quality of the soil. Garden jasmine can adapt to absolutely any growing conditions. So, he perfectly withstands dry periods, and he is also not afraid of quite frosty winters. However, in order for your site to be decorated with a compact and neat bush, it will need to be cut systematically and often enough.

Shade-tolerant berry bushes

Such perennial plants are suitable for those gardeners and summer residents who want the plants grown by them to be not only very beautiful, but also bring certain benefits.

Barberry

This shrub is quite popular in Eastern countries. It is fast growing and frost resistant. It is quite easy to care for him, and he also tolerates a dry period perfectly. Such a shrub has small, very beautiful leaf plates, which in the fall change their green color to rich burgundy. The barberry grows berries with high palatability. They are used in cooking to prepare a variety of dishes.

Gooseberry

It can grow in both sunny and shaded places. And such a shrub needs to be watered quite rarely and moderately, while it can withstand a dry period. Very tasty berries grow on the plant, which are often used to make jam.

Hazel

This plant prefers to grow only on non-acid soil. If the soil is acidic, then it is recommended to add sand to it. Quite tasty nuts grow on hazel.

Shade-tolerant ornamental foliage plants

This group includes many plants. Here is some of them.

Forsythia

This plant has showy leaves of intense lemon color.

Learn more