Plants for Very Shady Sites

It can be really tough to grow and manage hedge plants if your garden has a lot of dense shade. They don’t grow as quickly without sunshine, and if you’re trying to grow hedges under the canopy of larger plants and trees, then the area is likely to also be very dry. 

These are often considered to be difficult areas to create interest with shrubs, hedges and ground cover plants. However, there are in fact many hedges for shade that will tolerate, or even thrive, in such conditions. Take a look at our list of tough shade tolerant hedge plants..

How to care for shade tolerant hedge plants

While it can be harder to grow hedging in densely shady areas, many hedge plants will actually thrive if a little forward planning is applied. Follow these three steps when planting your new hedges:

 

  1. Prepare the ground with lots of manure or compost. Ground preparation will help new shade loving plants get established quickly adding plenty of well rotted organic matter such as manure, soil improver, leaf mould, homemade compost, or any other available which will need   digging well into the existing soil. It will help to add a good layer of mulch around your plants after planting such as bark or woodchip.
  2. Add rootgrow to help the hedges establish. Specifically, adding Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi when planting can be a very helpful aid to establishment, particularly in harsh conditions.
  3. Water regularly in the early stages. Even the most drought resistant species will need regular watering during the early stages to get established. Dry shaded areas that are sheltered by walls miss out on natural rainfall, whilst areas shaded by mature trees with shallow roots are constantly having any rainfall or natural moisture absorbed by the root system of the established trees.

If you take care to ensure the hedges establish well, shade tolerant hedge plants should thrive for a long time. See our guides on How to Plant a Hedge and the Best Time to Plant a Hedge for more information.

How fast do hedges grow in the shade?

Most hedges for dense shade will grow more slowly in harsher conditions. The growth rates given on our website are based on a ‘good average’ – in dense shade they may only grow half as fast, or even slower. With patience and given sufficient watering and mulching to get the new hedge started, good results can be achieved.

Best hedges for full shade

The most popular hedging varieties for dense shade include all of our Berberis hedging varieties, Box, Cotoneaster Hedges and Euonymus. They are all available in a variety of types for shade hedges of differing sizes.

Many of our best selling evergreens are suitable, including all varieties of Laurels (except the Bay Laurel), Lonicera and Viburnum Tinus, a super plant for brightening dark corners producing white flowerheads during the winter months.

Consider, also, which type of hedging you buy – of the four types, bare root hedging is the least suitable, because it would be the most difficult to establish in harsh conditions. Potted, rootball and instant hedging (all of which have strong roots already) would be more appropriate. 

Explore the range of shade tolerant hedge plants above.