Best Shrubs & Bushes to Plant in Shade

If you’ve got a garden that doesn’t see much sun, it can sometimes feel impossible to find plants and hedges that will thrive in shade. But, if you know what plants thrive in the type of shade your garden receives, you can have a garden with walls and fences covered with stunning shade tolerant shrubs and hedges.

We’re talking about all the best shrubs and hedges to plant in your shady garden!

What counts as Shade?

There are different types of shade; it’s essential to know what type your garden receives so that you can select the correct types of plants.

Full shade

This is an area that sees less than three hours of sun per day.

Partial Shade/Dappled Shade

This area receives three to six hours of indirect sunlight.

Popular Shrubs for Shade

Holly

Most hollies will grow well in shade, particularly Ilex aquifolium. Hybrid hollies are generally more robust than native plants. They have spiny evergreen leaves and produce bright red berries on female plants. Holly tolerates shade well and makes an excellent hedge plant.

Yew: An Evergreen Shrub

Yew (Taxus baccata) can be grown as a hedge and thrives in shaded conditions. It tolerates most soil types and is exceptionally resilient. This evergreen plant has narrow, needle-like foliage and produces distinctive red, berry-like arils, making it a classic and long-lasting hedge choice.

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)

Witch hazel is known for its spicy fragrance and striking flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. It is slow growing and can be successfully grown in light, part shade, providing winter interest.

Cornus Alba

Also known as ‘Siberian Dogwood’, this is a deciduous shrub that forms thick, red stems that turn bright crimson in the winter. It also has green foliage that turns red in the Autumn.

During Spring and Summer, it produces small, cream flat-headed flowers that are followed by blue-white berries. This plant can be grown in partial shade.

Fagus sylvatica (Hedging)

Also known as the ‘European Beech’, this hedge has toothed, shiny leaves and yellow-green male flowers that grow from the stems. The female flowers grow in pairs on short, hairy stems on the same tree.

This tree is known for its robust growth and forms a dense, attractive hedge. It can be grown in partial shade.

Carpinus betulus (Hedging)

The Carpinus Betulus is a medium sized native tree that can be grown within a hedge. It has ribbed leaves that are yellow in Autumn. In late spring, green catkins open, which are followed by winged nuts in Autumn.

This is the perfect hedge for growing in partial shade.

Euonymus europaeus (Hedging)

This is a twiggy, upright, spreading deciduous shrub that is native to Europe. In the summer, its leaves are dark green, but they turn from yellow-green to reddish purple in the Autumn.

They flower in May to June and are nectar-rich, so perfect for a wildlife garden. They can be planted in part shade.

Cherry Morello

The sour cherry, Morello, grows really well when fan trained against a North facing wall. Harvest to make into juice, cherry pie, cherry jams or just leave for the birds to enjob.