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beitcherbelle

Chartreuse Evergreen Shrub suggestions

beitcherbelle
14 years ago

I'm in Sunset Zone 5 and am looking for suggestions for a chartreuse evergreen shrub. I love the look of Coleonema pulchellum 'sunset gold' but unfortunately I don't think it would survive after researching it a bit. The plant would be replacing Senecio greyi in a partially shaded area sharing space with Hellebores and a Magnolia. I'm especially looking for the chartreuse color as the Hellebores are blooming in early Feb.

Comments (10)

  • brody
    14 years ago

    I can't think of too many, especially that will do well in shade, but here's what comes to mind that might work:

    Lonicera nitida 'Baggesen's Gold'
    Choisya ternata 'Sundance'
    Hebe ochracea 'James Stirling'
    Thuja orientalis 'Aurea Nana'
    Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Aurea Nana'
    Calluna vulgaris 'Aureafolia'

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    14 years ago

    IMO, Lonicera nitida 'Lemon Beauty' will provide better chartreuse coloring than 'Baggesen's Gold', which generally looks pathetic in much shade (and with any age). The Choisya will be more golden than chartreuse but could work and the hebe is very bronze colored and really doesn't care for shade at all. The various gold threadleaf cypresses (Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filifera cultivars) could work also. Ditto Ilex crenata 'Lemon Gem'. And while a green and gold variegation, Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald and Gold' presents an overall chartreuse effect, especially from a distance, and is exceptionally shade tolerant.

    Other than shrubs, you could look at various lime or chartreuse colored heucheras or heucherellas - 'Lime Ricky', 'Key Lime Pie', 'Electric Lime', 'Alabama Sunrise' or 'Stoplight'. These are evergreen in our climate and require at least partial shade to maintain that coloring. And it is pretty intensely chartreuse!

  • beitcherbelle
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check these out.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    14 years ago

    Deer resistant?? Every resource you check will give you a different opinion. I'm not sure any plant is really safe/resistant to predation if the deer get it into their heads to munch on it. Even so-called "known" resistant or poisonous species have been grazed. It varies from season to season and how hungry they are and how curious they are. That said, Chamaecyparis, Choisya and the lonicera are not generally listed as being favored by deer -- the others are to varying degrees.

  • dottyinduncan
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the info. I know the horrible little beasties will eat everything in sight. I have been looking at the Vanilla Shrub lonicera and think it would look super in this location. I always appreciate your knowledge.

  • hemnancy
    14 years ago

    I don't know if you would consider the yellow variegated leaves of Elaeagnus ebbingei 'Gilt Edge' chartreuse, but it would definitely light up the shade, but gets to be 4-6' tall, could be trimmed back, and has delightful fragrance when it blooms.

    Here is a link that might be useful: yellow edge

  • bahia
    14 years ago

    I don't know if they are similarly deer resistant in the PNW, but the Choisya ternata, Lonicera nitida and Chamaecyparis are all completely untouched by deer in my clients' San Francisco Bay Area gardens. The Heucheras are all browsed heavily. Pity the Coleonma 'Sunset Gold' isn't viable for you up there, it is one of my very favorite chartreuse foliage plants to use, but does much better with sun than shade. You might also consider things like Sedum makinoi 'Ogon',(again better in sun), Acorus gramineus 'Ogon',(again more of a yellow green than chartreuse), and some of the chartreuse foliaged Selaginella cultivars.

  • Embothrium
    14 years ago

    Everyone bothering with gardening to the level of buying multiple different kinds of plants and organizing them into mixed border effects needs to fence deer out. Otherwise, the entire effort (and expense) has an ax hanging over it in perpetuity. Even plants that are not browsed, such as spruce trees may prove to be favorites for rubbing off velvet. If you can afford to buy a bunch of different plants and make a garden with them, you can afford to protect your investment with a deer fence.

  • muddydogs
    14 years ago

    Some of the early daffodils mixed up with evergreen helleborus and acorus ogon grass in spring moss with double old fashioned yellow primroses are all deer resistant in bloom now.