Shrubs help to prevent soil erosion and add some privacy to your yard. Some evergreen shrubs can survive and thrive in a shaded yard.
So, what are some evergreen shrubs for shade? Evergreen shrubs for shade include Bird-Catcher Tree, Blue Olive Berry, Canadian Yew, Chandelier Tree, Climbing Hydrangea, Mahonia, Medinilla, Mountain Laurel, Sandankwa Viburnum, and Wintergreen. Some of these shrubs produce showy flowers, and some grow to impressive heights!
Of course, some of these evergreen shrubs survive in full sun, while all of them can tolerate partial or full shade.
In this article, we’ll talk about 10 evergreen shrubs for shade. We’ll also take a closer look at what each of them needs needs in terms of light, water, and other important growth factors.
Let’s get started.
10 Evergreen Shrubs For Shade
There are lots of evergreen shrubs for shade, but here are 10 to start with:
- Bird-Catcher Tree
- Blue Olive Berry
- Canadian Yew
- Chandelier Tree
- Climbing Hydrangea
- Mahonia
- Medinilla
- Mountain Laurel
- Sandankwa Viburnum
- Wintergreen
Let’s begin with Bird-Catcher Tree.
Bird-Catcher Tree
Bird-Catcher Tree (Pisonia umbellifera) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces green and pink flowers in summer. Insects and birds get stuck to the fruit that forms!
Bird-Catcher Tree needs moderate to high moisture levels.
Bird-Catcher Tree tolerates partial or full shade, but it can survive in full sun. It can tolerate slightly acidic to slightly acidic soil.
Bird-Catcher Tree cannot tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 9b (as cold as 25 degrees Fahrenheit or –4 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 12 feet.
You can propagate Bird-Catcher Tree by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Bird-Catcher Tree from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Bird-Catcher Tree from Bamboo pipeline.
Blue Olive Berry
Blue Olive Berry (Elaeocarpus) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces fragrant white flowers in late winter to early summer.
Blue Olive Berry needs moderate to wet moisture levels.
Blue Olive Berry tolerates partial or full shade, but it can survive in full sun. It can tolerate slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0).
Blue Olive Berry cannot tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 9b (as cold as 25 degrees Fahrenheit or –4 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 30 feet.
You can propagate Blue Olive Berry by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Blue Olive Berry from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Blue Olive Berry from Zone 9 Tropicals.
Canadian Yew
Canadian Yew (Taxus canadensis) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces needles, as well as fruit that attracts birds.
Canadian Yew needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Canadian Yew tolerates partial or full shade, but it can survive in full sun. It can tolerate strongly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 5.1 to 7.8).
Canadian Yew can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 7b (as cold as 5 degrees Fahrenheit or –15 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 8 feet, with a width of 6 to 12 feet.
Canadian Yew is self-fertile, and you can propagate by stratifying seeds.
You can learn more about Canadian Yew from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Canadian Yew from NVK Nurseries.
Chandelier Tree
Chandelier Tree (Medinilla cummingii) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces pink flowers in spring or summer.
Chandelier Tree needs moderate moisture levels and tolerates humidity.
Chandelier Tree tolerates partial or full shade. It prefers acidic soil.
Chandelier Tree cannot tolerate cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 9b (as cold as 25 degrees Fahrenheit or –4 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 5 to 6 feet, with a width of 4 feet.
You can propagate Chandelier Tree by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Chandelier Tree from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Chandelier Tree from WalMart.
Climbing Hydrangea
Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces white flowers in late summer or early fall.
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Leonora Enking via:
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Climbing Hydrangea needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Climbing Hydrangea tolerates partial or full shade, but can survive in full sun. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).
Climbing Hydrangea can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8a (as cold as 10 degrees Fahrenheit or –12 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 15 to 20 feet.
You can propagate Climbing Hydrangea by layering or semi-hardwood cuttings.
You can learn more about Climbing Hydrangea from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Climbing Hydrangea from Nature Hills.
Mahonia
Mahonia (Berberis media) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces fragrant yellow flowers in late fall or early winter.
Mahonia needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Mahonia tolerates partial or full shade, but it can survive in full sun. It can tolerate acidic or alkaline soil.
Mahonia can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 6 to 15 feet, with a width of 10 to 12 feet.
You can propagate Mahonia by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Mahonia from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Mahonia from Native Sons.
Medinilla
Medinilla (Medinilla scortechinii) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces showy orange flowers in spring or summer.
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Krzysztof Ziarnek via:
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Medinilla_scortechinii_kz1.jpg
Medinilla needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Medinilla tolerates partial or full shade. It prefers slightly acidic soil (pH of 6.1 to 6.5).
Medinilla cannot tolerate cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 10a (as cold as 30 degrees Fahrenheit or –1 degree Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 5 to 6 feet, with a width of 4 feet.
You can propagate Medinilla by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Medinilla from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Medinilla from Aloha Tropicals.
Mountain Laurel
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces small (1 to 2 inch) red, pink, or white flowers in spring.
Mountain Laurel needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Mountain Laurel tolerates partial or full shade, but it can survive in full sun. It prefers acidic soil (pH of 4.5 to 6.5).
Mountain Laurel can tolerate extreme cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or –34 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 5 to 15 feet, with a width of 5 to 15 feet.
You can propagate Mountain Laurel by layering or by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Mountain Laurel from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Mountain Laurel from Shrub Bucket.
Sandankwa Viburnum
Sandankwa Viburnum (Viburnum suspensum) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces fragrant white flowers in spring.
Sandankwa Viburnum needs moderate moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Sandankwa Viburnum tolerates partial or full shade. It can tolerate acidic to alkaline soil (pH of 5.5 to 8.0).
Sandankwa Viburnum can tolerate some cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 8a (as cold as 10 degrees Fahrenheit or –12 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 6 to 12 feet, with a width of 6 to 10 feet.
You can propagate Sandankwa Viburnum by layering or by stem cuttings.
You can learn more about Sandankwa Viburnum from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Sandankwa Viburnum from Plant Vine.
Wintergreen
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a perennial evergreen shrub that produces tiny (less than 1 inch) fragrant white flowers in late spring or summer.
Wintergreen needs moderate to dry moisture levels. Too much water will cause root rot and damage the plant.
Wintergreen tolerates partial or full shade, but it can survive in full sun. It can tolerate acidic soil (pH of 4.5 to 6.5).
Wintergreen can tolerate severe cold. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3a (as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit or –40 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 4 to 6 inches, with a width of 6 to 12 inches.
Wintergreen is self-fertile, and you can propagate by stratifying seeds.
You can learn more about Wintergreen from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.
You can find Wintergreen from Putnam Hill Nursery.
Conclusion
Now you know about 10 evergreen shrubs for shade and how to take care of them. They might also provide inspiration to help you to fill in the landscape for shady parts of your yard.
You can learn about shade gardens (and some good plants to include) here.
You can find 10 evergreen trees for shady locations in my article here.
If you have a shaded yard, you should check out my article on flowering trees for shade.
If you want to add beauty to your landscape, read my article on shrubs with small flowers.
You might also want to read my article on evergreen shrubs for Zone 7, my article on evergreen shrubs for Zone 6, or my article on evergreen shrubs for Zone 5.
You can learn about some good plants for hedges in my article here.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy!
~Jonathon