Gardening Trees, Shrubs & Vines Shrubs 14 Beautiful Shrubs for Shade that Will Brighten Up Your Yard These shrubs excel in low-light situations. By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 21, 2023 Reviewed by Joseph Tychonievich Reviewed by Joseph Tychonievich Joseph Tychonievich is a gardening expert with two decades of work in horticulture, the author of three gardening books, and known for his deep knowledge of the science behind techniques for successful gardening. Learn about BHG's Gardening Review Board Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jeff Mcnamara This select group of shrubs for shady gardens will excel in low-light situations. Most of the following plants will even produce colorful and fragrant flowers, which can brighten up those hard-to-fill spots in your yard that get less direct sunlight. 01 of 14 Sumac Laurie Black Although it's considered a small tree, sumac has a compact, shrub-like form that will fit into almost any size landscape. Sumac grows quickly and prefers rich, slightly moist soil and a partially shady location. It can spread aggressively, so plant where you can either keep it contained or let it grow as it will. Some varieties prefer full sun, but 'Tiger Eyes' needs at least partial shade, and has a beautiful golden color to its leaves. Growing conditions: Partial shade or full sun in well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 4-8 02 of 14 Lily-of-the-Valley Shrub Marty Baldwin This eye-catching broadleaf evergreen gets its name from the lily-of-the-valley-like cascades of white or pink flowers it produces in spring. It's a slow-growing shrub, but if you can be patient, it'll eventually become the centerpiece of your garden. Because lily-of-the-valley shrub prefers partial shade and slightly moist, acid soil, it makes a great companion for azaleas and camellias. Growing Conditions: Partial shade in well-drained soil Size: 5 feet tall, 8 feet wide Zones: 5-8 03 of 14 Yew Matthew Benson One of the most versatile shrubs on the planet, yews, come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and they can easily be sheared into hedges or screens. Yews prefer partial sunlight but can also thrive in the shade or full sun, depending on the type. Use spreading varieties along a foundation or path, and line up upright forms to create privacy around a patio or spa. The plant's soft, dark green needles look terrific all year long. Growing Conditions: Full shade to full sun in well-drained soil Size: Can vary by variety; some reach 2-4 feet tall, others up to 30 feet tall Zones: 4-7 04 of 14 Serviceberry Dean Schoeppner If you're looking for four-season interest, you can't go wrong with serviceberry, occasionally called shadblow. This amazing native tree has a shrub-like form and produces masses of small white flowers in the early spring, followed by edible blue-black berries in the summer. In fall, the foliage turns bright red, and when winter arrives, the plant's bark adds textural interest to the otherwise dormant landscape. Use serviceberry singly as a specimen tree or cluster several along a lot line or fence. Growing Conditions: Partial shade or full sun in well-drained soil Size: Varies by variety between 10-30 feet tall Zones: 2-9 05 of 14 Clethra Marty Baldwin Fragrance and color—that's what you'll get when you plant Clethra in your garden. Also called summersweet, this easy-care shrub bursts into bloom in the late summer, sporting spikes of richly scented white or pink flowers. Plus, in the fall, the leaves turn bright yellow. Clethra is a native shrub that tolerates wet acid soil and salt spray. Use it in a foundation planting or in a mixed border. Hummingbirds love this shrub, so if you plant it, you'll start seeing them flit around your yard. Growing Conditions: Partial shade or full sun in well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: 4-6 feet tall, 4 feet wide Zones: 3-9 06 of 14 Azalea Bob Stefko Celebrate the return of spring with a colorful collection of azaleas. These spectacular shrubs thrive in partially shady locations with rich, acidic soil. Azaleas come in a variety of colors, and some newer varieties will even put on an extra flower show in the fall. Once established, azaleas will perform for decades, particularly in the southeastern part of the United States. Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade in slightly moist, well-drained soil Size: 3-6 feet tall and wide Zones: 3-9 07 of 14 Rhododendron Denny Schrock In general, rhododendrons are a bit bigger and bolder than their close cousins the azaleas. These beauties develop softball-size flower heads perched atop leathery, dark evergreen leaves. Rhododendrons can grow up to 20 feet tall, although there are also ground-hugging varieties available. Colors include lavender, pink, white, purple, yellow, rose, and bicolor. Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade in slightly moist, acidic, well-drained soil Size: 2-20 feet tall Zones: 4-8 08 of 14 Camellia Denny Schrock The undisputed queen of the winter garden, camellias bloom anytime between fall and late spring, depending on the variety. These amazing plants come in shades of red, pink, and white, and some varieties are also fragrant. Camellias have a dense branching habit with shiny, bright green leaves, so the plants look wonderful in the landscape even when not in bloom. Camellias are slow growers that prefer slightly sandy, acidic soil. Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade in well-drained soil Size: 2-20 feet tall, 5-7 feet wide Zones: 7-10 09 of 14 Bigleaf Hydrangea Kritsada Panichgul With their broad, bright green foliage and their white, pink, blue softball-size flowers, bigleaf hydrangeas make pretty and versatile plants for shady gardens. Use these shrubs to create a low hedge, perk up a mixed perennial border, or in large tubs to flank an entry. Although bigleaf hydrangeas will grow in brighter spots, they do need protection from the hot, afternoon sun that can burn their leaves. Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade in rich, moist, well-drained soil Size: 3-8 feet tall and wide Zones: 6-11 10 of 14 Mountain Laurel Jeff Mcnamara If you take a springtime drive through the Appalachian Mountains, you may see wild mountain laurels in flower on hillsides and meadows. This spectacular native spring-flowering shrub makes a great landscape plant sporting large clusters of cup-shape rose or white flowers with purple markings. It prefers a rich, slightly acid soil, and makes a wonderful companion for azaleas and rhododendrons. Mountain laurel is also rabbit and deer resistant. Growing Conditions: Partial shade in moist, well-drained soil Size: 5-15 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-9 11 of 14 Daphne Doug Hetherington Daphne (Daphne x burkwoodii) produces clusters of small, pinkish white, intensely fragrant blooms in early summer. This semi-evergreen shrub needs rich, slightly moist soil and once planted, should be left in place because it doesn't do well with root disturbance. Use Daphne as a low hedge, specimen plant, or as a foundation plant on a sheltered side of your home. Growing Conditions: Partial shade in slightly moist, well-drained soil Size: 3-4 feet tall, 2-4 feet wide Zones: 5-7 12 of 14 Viburnum Denny Schrock Once planted, viburnums are about as low-maintenance as you can get. These tough and colorful shrubs thrive in sun or partial shade, and aren't fussy about soil, They have almost no disease problems, but recently, the viburnum leaf beetle has been doing significant damage to viburnums in parts of the U.S. Viburnums produce clusters of white flowers in the spring followed by blue-black or red berries in the summer. Some viburnums are evergreen, while others offer bright yellow foliage in the fall. Viburnums come in a variety of shapes and sizes that fit almost any landscape situation. Growing Conditions: Partial shade to full sun in well-drained soil Size: 6-8 feet tall and wide Zones: 2-9 13 of 14 Oakleaf Hydrangea Alise Obrien For year-round color, you can't beat oakleaf hydrangea. This American native thrives in light shade and develops showy panicles of creamy white flowers in early summer. Then, in the fall, its huge oak leaf-shape leaves turn spectacular shades of yellow, orange, and burgundy. And during the winter you can enjoy oakleaf hydrangea's papery, cinnamon-color bark. This amazing plant also can tolerate drier soils than other hydrangea species. Growing Conditions: Partial shade in well-drained soil Size: 6-8 feet tall, 4-6 feet wide Zones: 5-9 14 of 14 Kerria Denny Schrock One of the best flowering shrubs for shady spots, Kerria produces masses of bright yellow flowers in April and May. These easy-care plants are also tolerant of both dry and wet soils, heavy shade, and hungry deer. Kerria can spread by underground suckers, so check state regulations to find out if it's considered invasive in your region. Growing Conditions: Partial to full shade in moist soil (can tolerate poorly drained soil) Size: 3-6 feet tall, 6-8 feet wide Zones: 4-9 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit