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davidrt28

safe to assume Thujopsis among the most shade tolerant?

davidrt28 (zone 7)
10 years ago

I want some fasigiate green blobs in an area that is fairly dense shade now, but will eventually be somewhat less shaded as I anticipate a maple tree to the south to have a useful lifespan of 10-15 more years. It will always have afternoon shade though.
I thought I've read somewhere that Thujopsis is among the most tolerant of shade, besides perhaps Thuja plicata and some hemlocks, though the latter are out for me because of adelgids. (not to mention a general frustration with their overall form, which opens up so much in old age)
Problem with them is, from what I've seen anyhow, they grow fairly slowly. I have one plant now in the same area, or even the most shaded part fo the area. It gets no direct sun at all but the plant appears happy. But slow growth is actually better for me than something like Green Giant. I'm actually looking for more a moderate sized green backdrop, versus a tall screen.

Comments (7)

  • Embothrium
    10 years ago

    All of these will be thinner in shade than in sun. If they are going under taller trees there is also the design problem of them appearing to be poking up into the canopies of the trees above, to produce a visual tension. If you were instead to use broad-leaved evergreen shrubs such as box or Japanese holly with softer, more rounded outlines then this effect would not occur. These also have a brighter appearance than conifers, as they reflect light rather than looking like they are absorbing it in the manner of conifers.

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks bboy. My garden already has a huge variety of BLEs and I was actually considering a conifer for this area mainly to provide variety.

  • sc77 (6b MA)
    10 years ago

    Have you considered Taxus cuspidata 'Capitata'. Remains dense, conical, slow-moderate growth, and can tolerate a vast amount of shade. Abies balsamea is also very shade tolerant. You could also use Cephalotaxus harringtonii

  • Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
    10 years ago

    Agreed...use fagistate Yew (Taxus) or Plum Yew (Cephlotaxus). Balsam Fir will tolerate shade but won't perform well. What about an upright Boxwood ('Graham Blandy')?

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    shade is near impossible to define in words .. your shade is.. well.. your shade ... so you are simply left with..as you call it.. sticking blobs in there and seeing what happens ...

    lack of full sun affects vigor.. so things to not grow to expectation or specs ... so you simply stick blobs in there and seeing what happens ... and for sure.. the deeper the shade.. the sparser.. leggier ... more open they will be.. but who cares... they are just blobs ...

    shade will kill nothing ... so you.. are you with me yet? ....simply stick blobs in there and seeing what happens ...

    however.. the large trees creating the shade will kill things... so you.. wait for it ...simply stick blobs in there and seeing what happens ... but you are solely responsible for proper watering for at least two years... to get them established ...

    now since your whole premise is BLOBs... i have no clue why you would plant all of one kind of blob ... crikey man.. diversify your blobs ... do one of each of the named above.. and figure out which blob works best ... and you become the resident blob expert in shade ...

    and the award for the most usage of blob in one post goes to ... ME!@!!!!

    never amend a hole.. ever .. but especially under large mature trees.. in digging the hole ..... you will be cutting roots.. and guess where it will put new feeder roots.. into your new amended soil .. and that is also why you will want to stay with native soil ... and water deeply and infrequently ... so as to not encourage the super tree to choke out the little tree ... there is a reason why the understory is usually barren... and in filling it.. you better take this into account ...

    blob... blob.. blob ... lol ....

    ken

    ps: lack of sun will also effect yellow tissue ... the plants will probably remain green.. instead of properly coloring up.. so i wouldnt go for anything wildly variegated .... but.. you never know.. just throw a variegated blob in.. and see what happens ...

  • blue_yew
    10 years ago

    All my Thujopsis are in shade and doing well there
    are also some cultivars of Thujopsis with unusual habits.

  • blue_yew
    10 years ago

    Thujopsis dolabrata 'Koreanum' a more compact form

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