Evergreen Trees That Grow In Shade (10 Evergreen Trees For Shade)


Evergreen trees stay green year-round and add natural beauty to your landscape. Some of them can also survive in partial or full shade.

So, what are some evergreen trees that grow in shade? Evergreen trees for shade include: Blue Olive Berry, Dragon Tree, Eastern Hemlock, Eastern Red Cedar, Money Tree, Mountain Laurel, Parlor Palm, Rock Fig, Rubber Tree, and Ti Plant. Some of these trees have attractive foliage and can grow quite tall!

Some of these trees can tolerate very cold temperatures during winter (just in case you live in a colder climate). Others produce beautiful flowers during part of the year.

In this article, we’ll talk more about these 10 evergreen trees that grow in shade. We’ll also take a look at some basics on how to care for them.

Let’s get started.

10 Evergreen Trees That Grow In Shade

There are plenty of evergreen trees that grow in shade, but here are 10 to start with:

Let’s begin with Blue Olive Berry.

Blue Olive Berry

Blue Olive Berry (Elaeocarpus grandiflorus) is an evergreen tree that produces showy tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in late winter, spring, or early summer.

Blue Olive Berry
Blue Olive Berry is an evergreen tree that produces tiny white flowers and can tolerate shade.

Blue Olive Berry needs moderate to wet moisture levels.  Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Blue Olive Berry tolerates partial or full shade, but it can also survive in full sun.  It can tolerate acidic to 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 Urban Tropicals.

Dragon Tree

Dragon Tree (Dracaena reflexa) is an evergreen tree that produces showy, fragrant, tiny (less than 1 inch) white flowers in late spring or early summer.

dragon tree
Dragon Tree is an evergreen tree that tolerates shade and has fragrant white flowers

Dragon Tree needs moderate moisture levels.  Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Dragon Tree tolerates partial or full shade, but it can also survive in full sun.  It can tolerate slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).

Dragon Tree can tolerate some 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 6 to 15 feet, with a width of 6 to 8 feet.

You can propagate Dragon Tree by stem cuttings.

You can learn more about Dragon Tree from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Dragon Tree from Woodie’s Garden Goods.

Eastern Hemlock

Eastern Hemlock or Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is an evergreen tree with needles that produces yellow male flowers and green female cones in late spring or early summer.

Eastern Hemlock
Eastern Hemlock is an evergreen tree with needles that can survive in shade.

Eastern Hemlock needs moderate to wet moisture levels.  Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Eastern Hemlock prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial or full shade.  It prefers strongly acidic to neutral soil (pH of 4.5 to 7.3).

Eastern Hemlock 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 40 to 70 feet, with a width of 25 to 35 feet.

You can propagate Eastern Hemlock by seed.

You can learn more about Eastern Hemlock from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Eastern Hemlock from Forest Farm.

Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is an evergreen tree with fragrant needles and tiny (less than 1 inch) yellow or green flowers.

Eastern Red Cedar
Eastern Red Cedar is an evergreen tree with fragrant needles that can survive in shade.

Eastern Red Cedar needs moderate to dry moisture levels, and it tolerates both salt and drought.  Too much water will cause root rot and damage the tree.

Eastern Red Cedar can tolerate full sun, partial shade, or full shade.  It prefers neutral soil (pH of 6.6 to 7.3).

Eastern Red Cedar can tolerate extreme 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 30 to 60 feet, with a width of 10 to 20 feet.

You can propagate Eastern Red Cedar by root cuttings, tip cuttings, or seeds.

You can learn more about Eastern Red Cedar from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Eastern Red Cedar from Nature Hills Nursery.

Money Tree

Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) is an evergreen tree that produces showy yellowish white flowers with red tips year round.

Money Tree
Money Tree is an evergreen tree that can survive in shade. it has showy yellow flowers with red tips.

Money Tree needs moderate to wet moisture levels.  Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Money Tree tolerates partial or full shade, but it can also survive in full sun.  It can tolerate acidic to neutral soil (pH of 6.0 to 7.5).

Money Tree cannot tolerate much 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 60 feet in nature.

You can propagate Money Tree by stem cuttings.

You can learn more about Money Tree from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Money Tree from Plantvine.

Mountain Laurel

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is an evergreen tree that produces small (1 to 2 inch) red, pink, or white flowers in spring.

Mountain Laurel
Mountain Laurel is an evergreen tree for shady spots that has small red, pink, or white flowers.

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.

Parlor Palm

Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is an evergreen tree that can be kept as a houseplant or outdoors.  It produces tiny (less than 1 inch) green or yellow flowers in later winter or early spring (it can also produce fruit).

Parlor Palm
Parlor Palm is an evergreen tree that tolerates shade and works as a houseplant or an outdoor plant.

Parlor Palm prefers moderate moisture levels, and it tolerates both drought and humidity.  Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.

Parlor Palm likes partial or full shade.  It can tolerate slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.1 to 7.8).

Parlor Palm can tolerate some cold (possibly a light frost): it is hardy to Zone 10a (as cold as 30 degrees Fahrenheit or -1 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 2 to 10 feet and a width of 2 to 3 feet, so it may outgrow a small classroom if the ceilings are low.

You can propagate Parlor Palm by division.

You can learn more about Parlor Palm from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Parlor Palm from Planterina.

Rock Fig

Rock Fig (Ficus petiolaris) is an evergreen tree that is good for xeriscaping in a dry outdoor climate.

rock fig
Rock Fig is an evergreen tree that tolerates both shade and drought.

Rock Fig needs dry moisture levels.  Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Rock Fig tolerates partial or full shade, but it can also survive in full sun.  It can tolerate slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0).

Rock Fig can tolerate some cold.  As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 9a (as cold as 20 degrees Fahrenheit or –7 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 10 to 30 feet, with a width of 15 to 40 feet.

You can propagate Rock Fig by seeds or stem cuttings.

You can learn more about Rock Fig from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Rock Fig from Planet Desert.

Rubber Tree

Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) is an evergreen tree that has leaves with unusual colors and markings.

rubber tree
Rubber Tree is an evergreen tree with unusual leaves. It can survive in shady locations with acidic soil.

Rubber Tree needs moderate moisture levels.  Too much water causes root rot and can damage the plant.

Rubber Tree tolerates partial or full shade, but it can also survive in full sun.  It prefers acidic soil (pH of 5.1 to 6.5).

Rubber Tree can tolerate some 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 10 feet, with a width of 6 feet.

You can propagate Rubber Tree by hardwood cuttings.

You can learn more about Rubber Tree from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Rubber Tree from Woodie’s Garden Goods.

Ti Plant

Ti Plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is an evergreen tree that produces pink leaves.  It also produces pink flowers in summer or fall.

Ti Plant pink leaves
Ti Plant is an evergreen tree with pink leaves (and pink flowers in summer or fall). it can survive in partial shade conditions.

Ti Plant needs moderate moisture levels.  Too much water will cause root rot and eventually kill the plant.

Ti Plant likes full sun, but can tolerate partial shade.  It likes a slightly acidic soil pH (6.1 to 6.5).

Ti Plant tolerates salt, but it cannot tolerate cold temperatures.  As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 10b (as cold as 35 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 degrees Celsius).

This plant grows to a height of 9 to 15 feet (smaller in containers) and a width of 3 to 8 feet.

You can propagate Ti Plant by stem or root cuttings.

You can learn more about Ti Plant from the National Gardening Association’s Plant Database.

You can find Ti Plant from Costa Farms.

Conclusion

Now you know about 10 evergreen trees for shade and how to take care of them. They might provide inspiration to help you to improve your landscape and provide more shade in your yard.

Thanks for reading – I hope you found this article helpful.  If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.

You can learn about shade gardens (and some good plants to include) here.


To find books, courses, seeds, gardening supplies, and more, check out The Shop at Greenupside!


Join 1000+ gardeners to get access to news, tips, and information.

Delivered right to your inbox – once per week.


If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here.  Enjoy!

~Jonathon


Jon M

Hi, I'm Jon. Let's solve your gardening problems, spend more time growing, and get the best harvest every year!

Recent Posts