Shrubs In The Shade

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

It often happens that in the shady side of the garden, under the crown of fruit trees, there is not enough animation, landscape texture or a spectacular fence. One of the best solutions in such a case is to plant shade-loving shrubs there. Here are several types of such bushes

1. Broad-leaved Kalmia or Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

This beautiful green bush is beautiful with its delicate pink flowers and glossy evergreen leaves. The homeland of the mountain laurel is the wooded eastern part of the North American continent. Tall trees of impenetrable forests provide abundant shade, so this is a familiar environment for kalmia bushes. New ornamental plant varieties have been developed for use in the landscape. Their flowers and leaves are brighter in color than wild shrubs. A variety of mountain laurel is the narrow-leaved kalmiya. She has graceful oblong or lanceolate leaves, bright green at the top and bluish at the bottom. The plant blooms with cupped-funnel-shaped pink or white large flowers.

2. Japanese Kerria (Kerria Japonica)

The Japanese rose is a deciduous shrub that grows and blooms beautifully in shady areas of the garden. Its bright yellow flowers look like little roses. This plant is quite hardy and is often used by gardeners as a hedge. Since kerrias are classified as primroses, they will be one of the first to decorate your garden at the beginning of the garden season.

3. Stalked hydrangea (Anomala petiolaris)

The plant looks pretty much like a vine. It can bloom beautifully with delicate white flowers and in low light and in almost full shade. However, under the sun's rays, the shrub blooms more intensely. It is used for vertical gardening of the garden, for example, for decorating a gazebo, patio, or decorating tree trunks, lampposts with it.

4. Daphne Carol Maki or Daphne (Carol Mackie Daphne)

This shrub has interesting variegated leaves and simple white flowers that give off a wonderful aroma. If properly cared for, the bush will bloom profusely even in the shade. Interestingly, it blooms before the leaves ripen in March-April. The fruits of the bush are no less decorative - bright red drupes. They appear at the end of summer. But it is important to consider that the fruits, flowers, and leaves of daphne are poisonous. It tolerates frost well, but does not feel well in drought.

5. Euonymus

This decorative and beautiful shrub, the leaves of which have two shades - emerald and golden. The more light hits the bush, the brighter its leaves sparkle with gold. If the bush is planted in the shade, its foliage will be more emerald green. This plant is of several types. One of them is the so-called "talking bush".

6. Holly or Holly (Ilex crena)

This evergreen shrub has shiny, dark green leaves that have jagged or spiky edges. The plant blooms in May-June with modest, white, four-petalled flowers. Holly with fruits looks more impressive - small, red drupe balls, which remain on the branches until the frost. The bush grows slowly, but it can live up to 100 years.

7. Crenate holly (Ilex crenata)

Another wonderful representative of holly. In its homeland, it can form into a whole seven-meter tree, in our strip it looks much more modest - most often in the form of a bush resembling a pyramidal poplar in shape. Its abundant greenery resembles a boxwood crown. Prefers shady areas with well-moistened soil. May die under the sun.

8. Hemlock or Marsh Ledum (Ledum palustre)

This beautiful shrub, which does not require good lighting, is classified as broadleaf. Its dense foliage allows it to be trimmed in various shapes. Hemlock is also great for decorating hedges. It grows up to 60 cm in height. True to its second name, the shrub loves to grow in swampy areas without much sun exposure. Blooms around early summer. It is widely used in folk medicine. For these purposes, it is necessary to pluck the shoots at the end of summer. But be prudent - the plant is poisonous (according to legend, it was this plant that killed Socrates).

9. Yew (Taxus)

Yew is a poisonous shrub that is better not to be used in the design of a personal plot if there are children and pets in the house walking around the yard. Yew trees are considered a Christmas bush and do not require a lot of light. They are distinguished by their bright, showy red berries.

10. Japanese pieris (Pieris japonica)

This is another evergreen graceful shrub that grows well in shady conditions. Its foliage is oval or lanceolate, shiny and green in adulthood. Young bushes are distinguished by copper-red, pink or white leaves. The flowers are similar to white bells, but sometimes other shades are also found. It can please with flowering already in March-April, awakening your garden with wonderful aromas and delicate beauty.