My Top Shrubs for Shade

Do you need some shrub recommendations for your shady garden? First, forgive the spirited (and loud) play of my neighbor’s grandchildren next door...I’ve gotten so used to them, that when I started to record this I didn’t realize how loud it would be. My apologies. But now to the topic at hand :-). These are my top five favorite shrubs for shade:
1. YEWS: Japanese Spreading Yews and Yewtopia from the Southern Living Plant Collection.
2. The Goldust Plant, aucuba japonica
3. Boxwood: Green Mountain + Baby Gem
4. Nandina
5. Soft Caress mahonia from Southern Living Plant Collection.
SOUTHERN LIVING PLANTS:
southernlivingplants.com/plan...
Website: www.lindavater.com/
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[@payitforward1439]

After having taught school for years the sound of children playing is quite endearing! Great plant choices too!

[@judymiddleswart9350]

I love them all have planted soft caress mahonia if I can find more will use!! Thanks for great info!!👍

[@judyford3897]

I have so much shade. Thank you for sharing info. I like the idea of the gold dust plant with the soft leaf ammonia.

[@LindaVater]

I so agree!!

[@gulzarkanji7942]

l9

[@gulzarkanji7942]

332v

[@Li-Anderson]

Awesome selection of foliage plants🌳🌲🌴 Thank you!🤗

[@jennyharmony1371]

I needed this one Linda!!!! 🤩💕

[@LindaVater]

I’m so glad!

[@edstud1]

Great video Linda, fantastic subject!

[@dawnsimoneaux4684]

Love your Aucuba! I love my 2.

[@DeesYard]

Love this Linda!! Great picks 💛

[@LindaVater]

Thank you dear!

[@TheBarefootedGardener]

These are great & beautiful choices! I love the contrast between the aucuba & taxus. I like Skip Laurel too, they’re solid in zone 6. Not necessarily completely evergreen in zone 6a though. Probably “mildly Mediterranean” may be a better description than “tropical” for the yewtopia... in my humble opinion. You’re lucky to live in zone 7!!

[@aletoaleto727]

Lovely!!! Thank for sharing :)

[@khmerbuddha9189]

Beautiful 🥰

[@mkas291]

Thank you, some great suggestions!

[@NewMindGarden]

Beautiful......👌👌

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

Great video. I have a lot of shade this was useful.

[@beverlyasleson3321]

Great love them

[@TheEnthusiasticGardener]

I love my shade area just as much as my sunny borders 😎 love nandinas, mahonias 😍 and of course boxwood. Would have loved to have seen your poodle shaped yew 🐩

[@LindaVater]

They were a great loss☹️

[@TheEnthusiasticGardener]

Linda Vater please make some new ones, then I can try to copy! 😍

[@marilyndapses3569]

Love your videos even though I am a Pacific Northwest gardener. To your list I would add Hart’s tongue fern ( which can rival the size of a medium shrub and is evergreen here) sarcococca (which bloom in January here with the headiest, most divine scent and are massed at all our doorways), contained black bamboo, osmanthus goshiki, camellia yuletide (for Dec-January bloom) , camellia sasanqua (for November -January bloom), and chamaecyparis. Not sure of your zone and whether any of these would work where you garden. But I’ve come to adore the textures and shades of green in my shade garden.

[@LindaVater]

Thank you for this comprehensive list! Most of those would have difficulty because of our extreme heat here, and admittedly, some of these I’m not even familiar with...I must do my homework:)

[@betzie2]

Hi Linda! Great video! I have lots of shade here. I have boxwood and the gold dust shrub but had not heard of the mahonia. I just ordered one! Can’t wait to try it. My favorite nandina is obsession....beautiful delicate foliage. I also am trying a lemony lace elderberry...have you tried that? Plus I got a double topiary blue juniper to try! So excited!! I so love your tall topiaries. Thanks for sharing!🎃🌿🌻

[@LindaVater]

Lots of winners on your list!!!

[@dickiegreenleaf750]

Thanks for the video.

[@daiseegray9110]

I also have a lot of shade, with 3 hours of afternoon sun. It’s hard to find shrubs and plants. Thanks!

[@diannefields6637]

I haven’t noticed azaleas, shading loving plants, in your garden. Southern Living has a beautiful collection of Encore Azaleas. Did I miss them in the back or perhaps are they in the front? Caterpillars nearly stripped many of my azaleas in August but they have already started putting on new leaves. Zone 8

[@LindaVater]

You’re right. They are in front. I’ll try to show them soon👍

[@davidfox857]

Thanks, Linda for your detailed video, would your shade plants grow in northern Illinois. 6:55

[@dianegentry3255]

Great video as usual! I have always had Nandina and love the new varieties. Now I’m hearing that the berries are poisonous to birds. I had never heard that before and I’m feeling guilty for enjoying those beautiful red berries. Your thoughts?

[@Wedge53]

I see zero birds visit my nandina grove. I have 6x Heavenly bamboo well as a couple of Gulfstreams (no berries). The berries wither on the stalk. I think the birds already know.

[@Tech-hauss]

Yasss bih throw that shade

[@judyraffl6717]

Hi Linda I did not see any native shrubs mentioned. Do you have any of those? I would like to learn more about them.

[@barbarawall6349]

Beautiful! Do you have a watering system? Or do you hand water?

[@LindaVater]

Both!

[@kmarchman1047]

I wish I had more shade.

[@bellamin5481]

I moved in 2014 to a house that was empty no plants at all no shade and I started planting fruit trees and in 2018 my trees were big, now 2020 my garden have shade everywhere I wanted, I have a lot of shades plants such as hydrangeas endless summer etc. Try to plant some trees and you will see and a few years how your garden will look.

[@GardenMinistry.]

And I wish I had more sun! I'll trade you! ☺️

[@karlahernandex5716]

Question wich boxwood is the one that stays green all year?

[@LindaVater]

I love Wintergreen. Winter gem and baby gem.

[@P_Belle]

Aren't all boxwood evergreen?

[@sandyconover2096]

What are the best hydrangeas for shade💖🌸

[@P_Belle]

Macrophyllas. The Endless Summer collection have a long bloom season.

[@cindyszoke6204]

When leaves fall in The fall.. How do you get them all off your gravel?

[@LindaVater]

I just simply blow right above the surface. If you have a powerful blower, put it on the less powerful mode. Works great.

[@edanaestenes9656]

Too zoomed in. Good for examining close up, need to step back more.

[@groovyyaya737]

Poisonous to what, animals, humans??