7 low maintenance shrubs for shade

Low maintenance shrubs for shade is a great idea for a garden enthusiast! Shrubs are a great choice for brightening up any garden. They come back year after year with a great variety of colorful flowers. But choosing the right ones is essential if you want them to thrive. Not every garden gets full sun, and most gardens have spots that only receive a couple of hours of sun each day. Of course, not everyone has the time to spend on high-maintenance plants. Fortunately, we have a list of 7 low-maintenance shrubs for shade that will bring color to your garden.

1. Azaleas and rhodedendrons

Most people get confused about the difference between azaleas and rhododendrons. In fact, azaleas are a subgroup of the rhododendron family. Azaleas are deciduous, losing their leaves every autumn. In contrast, most rhododendrons are evergreen, keeping their lush foliage year-round.

These plants are an ideal choice for low-maintenance shrubs for shade, and there is an endless variety to choose from. The varieties also flower at different times, with some flowering in early spring and others right blooming through the summer. These hardy plants also don’t require any trimming apart from the occasional dead branch.

“Regular watering during dry periods and some fertilizing during the growing season will satisfy the needs of most shrubs.”

Selecting Shrubs for Shady Areas, by U.S. Department of Agriculture

2. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are always a popular shrub for the gardener who enjoys beautiful flowers but has little time for maintenance. The huge bunches of flowers are a delight to the eye that bloom right through spring and summer and into the fall. If you live in a hotter climate, the flowers may stop through the hottest part of summer, but they will come back in the fall.

Blue flowers are the most sought-after, but they do require a lot of water so you’ll need to situate them in soil that is consistently rich and moist. While hydrangeas are happy in shade, they don’t like it too cold and may not bloom in conditions where the temperature regularly falls below freezing. The only maintenance required is removing dead twigs in the early spring. This creates a low maintenance shrubs for shade.

3. Abelia

Abelia shrubs grow from two to six feet in height and produce trumpet-shaped blooms in yellow, white, pink, or lavender, depending on the variety you choose. These blooms appear in late summer, but the coppery-pink foliage is attractive throughout the growing season. It’s also a tough and adaptable shrub that requires no maintenance at all.

4. Boxwood

Boxwood is a shade-loving shrub that complements any plant you choose to place around it. As it comes in various sizes, you can choose a variety that grows large for screening or a small one to edge a border or place alongside perennials. Some are glove-shaped, some grow straight, and others are conical. Also, as well as being great in shade, they are equally happy in full sun, and they don’t mind what kind of soil you put them in.

5. Bush Honeysuckle

Bush honeysuckle was introduced into the US in 1897 as an ornamental plant for city landscapes. The reason for this was that it requires almost no maintenance at all once it’s established, making it one of the best low-maintenance shrubs for shade. It derives its name from the tubular flowers that attract pollinators from late summer into fall. The foliage is green, russet, or maroon, depending on variety, and remains glossy throughout the year. At only three to five feet in height, this shrub doesn’t take up huge amounts of space, and it’s quite happy in shade or full sun.

6. Hardy Fuchsias

You may know fuchsias as pot plants that provide gorgeous flowers throughout the summer, but did you know some varieties serve as a shrub too? Hardy fuchsias grow to around four to ten feet in height and can even be used as an informal hedge. They are quite happy in shade and, once established, will only need watering in very hot and dry weather. The beautiful two-tone flowers come in various shades of pink, red, and purple and will appear throughout the summer and into the fall.

7. Camellia

Camellia is a shrub that provides stunning flowers in shades of red, white, or pink from fall to late spring, making it a fantastic addition to your winter garden. The bright green leaves remain throughout the year, so the plant looks gorgeous even when it’s not in bloom. Camellia grows slowly but can reach heights of 12 to 20 feet, so it’s not one for a small garden, but it requires almost no tending at all once it’s established.

FAQs about easy-care shade shrubs

Resources

• Shade Plants: A Gardener’s List Of Ornamental Plants, Perennial Flowers, Trees, Shrubs, And Vines
• 14 dwarf and small evergreen flowering shrubs
• 7 evergreen trees that grow in shade
• 5 fast growing evergreen trees for shade
• 32 low maintenance evergreen shrubs

References

• Oregon State University: Trees and Shrubs by: Shade Tolerance
• Clemson University: PLANTS FOR SHADE
• Iowa State University: Which shrubs will grow in shade?