Gardens that are shaded by trees and buildings are becoming increasingly common, especially in smaller urban gardens.

Although a shaded garden can be tricky to fill with beautiful plants and colour, they can present some creative opportunities.

If you have a garden which is consistently shaded for most of the day and you’re having difficulty deciding what the best plants are for your garden, read on for inspiration for the best shrubs for your shaded garden.

The 20 Most Popular Shrubs for Shade or Partial Shade

Serviceberry or Juneberry (Amelanchier)

A popular hardy tree or shrub known for their beautiful star shaped spring flowers and striking Autumn foliage colour. Amelanchiers are considered ornamental trees too.

Rhododendron

Producing spectacular colourful flower displays from spring to early summer, Rhododendrons are usually medium or large hardy evergreen shrubs. They come in a few different colours, most often toward the bluer end of the colour spectrum.

Azalea

Another popular flowering shrub which comes in a vast range of colours from pinks and purples to reds, oranges and yellows. This makes Azaleas a beautiful addition to your shaded border.

Camellia

An easy-to-grow evergreen shrub which is ideal for containers. Camellias come in many colours and produce showy bright flowers early in the season when not much else is flowering.

Pick the right variety and you can enjoy picture-perfect flowers every time!

Daphne

This shrub is popular for its intense fragrant blooms produced in winter or spring. Daphnes are compact, slow-growing, low maintenance which makes them perfect for a smaller shaded garden.

Hydrangea

This has to be one of the most well-known shrubs which come in a vast range of colours and forms. Producing big beautiful blooms of flowers in the late summer, Hydrangeas will surely be the talking point of your summer garden. 

Viburnum

One of the most versatile, easy-to-grow shrubs that thrive in a wide range of situations. Viburnum comes in all shapes, sizes and colours that all produce flowers at different times of the year.

They produce round or flat clusters of white or pink flowers which are often highly fragrant as well.

Christmas Box (Sarcococca)

A dense, evergreen, winter-flowering shrub producing sweet scented pure white blooms. Christmas box is extremely tolerant to shade making it a perfect addition to your shaded garden.

Dogwood (Cornus)

An all-year-round specialist shrub producing stunning flowers in early summer and brightly-coloured red stems in the winter. Dogwood can be structurally beautiful with their upright stems and make a stunning display when grouped together. 

Take care though – every fallen branch will take root, which makes it easy to propagate but one to keep an eye on!

Aucuba

A perfect shrub for the areas of your garden that see next to no sunlight. Aucubas (also called Japanese laurel) thrive in difficult conditions and look great, filling your borders with foliage.

Their irregular yellow spots and blotches, sometimes variegated glossy leaves will give your garden a pop of colour.

Mahonia

This shrub makes a bold addition to any garden, with its dramatic structure, holly like leaves and long strings of stylish flowers. Mahonias produce their frost-hardy flowers in late summer, autumn and winter.

Fatsia

A hardy evergreen shrub producing large exotic like architectural leaves. Sometimes treated as houseplants, Fatsias would also make a great addition to any shaded garden.

Skimmia

Another low-maintenance popular evergreen shrub producing spring flowers that are followed by red or white berries on female plants. Skimmias are perfect for bringing additional autumn interest to borders and containers for winter.

Laurel

A super hardy and a gardener’s favourite for giving your garden a year-round pop of green foliage. Laurel shrubs and laurel hedging are the perfect shrub for producing a hedge for privacy or noise screening. They come in all shapes and sizes with some producing flowers and berries.

Yew (Taxus baccata)

Yew is one of most popular to produce hedges and topiary from. An evergreen species with an elegant dense appearance. A true British classic admired for its versatility, ease of maintenance and year-round interest.

Fun fact: the English yew is what archery bows were traditionally made from.

St John’s Wort (Hypericum)

Another popular flowering shrub producing a mass of flowers from July to October, creating a superb long-lasting display. Hypericums are fast growing and require minimal care and attention.

Pieris

A very attractive easy to grow evergreen shrub, grown for its foliage and its attractive brightly coloured spring flowers. Pieris plants will give your shaded garden fantastic colour interest throughout the year.

Enkianthus

An easy, trouble free shrub grown for their masses of delicate bell-shaped flowers that appear from mid-spring to early summer. In the Autumn they produce fiery autumnal colours giving your garden a lovely splash of colour.

Spirea

A quick, easy growing deciduous shrub grown for its attractive, tiny clusters of white, pink or purple flowers. Some varieties also have colourful golden foliage which is at its brightest in spring.

Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)

Commonly known as witch hazel this shrub has a spicy fragrant, spidery flowers that come in yellow, orange and red. Hamamelis will bring colour and fragrance to your garden in winter.

How to plant a shrub

• Step 1
  • Give your shrub a good soak, making sure the pot is completely soaked
• Step 2
  • Dig a hole. The hole should be a little deeper than the pot and around three times as wide. Fork hard, compacted soil to loosen it to help the roots penetrate the soil
• Step 3
  • If you find the soil is sandy or heavy clay, mix in organic matter (a good garden compost or soil conditioner). This will help the soil to hold water and drain better
• Step 4
  • Carefully ease the plant out of the pot and gently work the roots to free them up, if compacted.
• Step 5
  • Place the plant in the hole making sure the stems are above the ground.
• Step 6
  • Refill the hole with soil or compost surrounding the plant
• Step 7
  • Use your foot or hands to push down on the soil around the plant to secure the plant firmly in place. Do not put pressure on the root ball itself as this may cause damage.
• Step 8
  • Water well, creating a pubble before the water drains away.
• Step 9
  • Add a layer of mulch around the stem leaving a collar around the stem

How to take care of shrubs

Shrubs are woody stemmed plants that should last many years in your garden with the right care and attention. Here’s how to take care of your shrubs.

• Right soil condition
  • Most shrubs are adaptable to a wide variety of soil compositions as long as the soil is well drained. Clay soil and rocky soils are more likely to have drainage problems compared to sandy or loamy soils.
• Water consistently
  • In the summer watering is important to keep your plants strong, healthy and alive! The idea is to let the soil dry out a little before you water again
• Prune at the right time
  • The best time to prune is after flowering. Removing old flowers (deadheading) and cutting back at a 45 degrees angle and to just above new buds. Also remove any foliage with damage or pests.
• Look out for pests
  • Find and treat any pests with an effective bug spray or you could try making your own by mixing a bit of washing up liquid with some water and wiping the affected area.
• Retain Moisture by Mulching
  • One of the best ways to keep garden maintenance down is to mulch. When done properly, mulch cuts down on the time it takes to water, weed and fight pests
• Tie or stalk branches
  • Make sure to tie up any branches that could potentially snap in a strong wind. Stalk any tall stem plants you may have to give them support and to prevent them from being damaged.

Pick up your favourite Ornamental Shrub from over 700 varieties at Primrose