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sutallee

Evergreens that grow in shade?

sutallee
15 years ago

Does anyone know of something that will grow tall in fairly deep shade? I will have a subdivision behind me one day.I would like some kind of screen. I know of nothing and am beginning to think I will just cut down all the nice trees and plant Thuga's or Lehland's. But I hate to cut down tree's.

Thanks in advance.

Comments (7)

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    Hemlock - Tsuga canadensis is a shade tolerant evergreen. Prunus caroliniana is also a bit shade tolerant (you'll get fewer blooms). Consider a mix of things - it will look more natural and give you less risk of a single pest/disease harming your screen.

  • sutallee
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    When you say blooms do you mean flowery blooms? If so im not concerned about lack of blooms. All im concerned about is me not seeing my future neihbor's and there homes and visa versa.

  • ncdirtdigger
    15 years ago

    Acuba japonica

  • Iris GW
    15 years ago

    Good, if you're not worried about blooms then so much the better.

    I don't think Aucuba japonica gets very tall, although the NC site says it will get to 10 feet at maturity. Same site says growth rate is slow.

  • razorback33
    15 years ago

    You might look at Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem', a dwarf-ish cultivar of the Southern Magnolia.
    Some selections of Pieris japonica, such as 'Mountain Fire', 'Scarlet O'Hara', 'Valley Valentine', would also make a good screen. Some of my old ones are 8-9 ft. tall.
    Camellia japonica & C. sasanqua also grow well in shade and can reach heights of 15 ft. or more.
    Buford Holly, Ilex cornuta 'Bufordi' is a fast growing shrub and can attain heights of 20 ft, and a width of 10 ft.

    If you only want a visual barrier and not a physical one,
    establish the plants in 2 or more rows, separated by several feet and offset the plants in each row by half the distance between the plants in the adjoining row. That will fill in the spaces without waiting for plants to attain their maximum width.
    Rb

  • Frankie_in_zone_7
    15 years ago

    What's the cause of the shade?

    That would make a difference in what you might grow and why. For example, do you have a small backyard with big trees and are trying to develop a screening planting under the trees and have to think about tree root competition, and what kind of trees,vs. is the shade thrown by tall houses, and how much room do you have to work with in developing your screening plantings? And how tall do they have to be to get the effect you want (depends on whether you are looking out across flat land, or down a hill, or the expected houses will be looking down on you, or what).

    That would help determine whether you can plant a mixed planting of small understory trees that tolerate some shade (dogwoods and redbuds) with shade shrubs underneath, or whether you plant one or 2 major site-blocker trees (the evergreen magnolia, if enough sun). Also, think whether you need an impenetrable type screen, or just some hazy plantings that create partial privacy.

  • koicool1
    15 years ago

    Douglas Fir are shade fairly shade tolerent.