Evergreen Shade-Loving Foundation Plants

Japanese Yew

• When you plant Japanese yew (Taxodium cuspidata) where the wind can affect it, its evergreen foliage may experience some yellowing, warns the University of Connecticut. Japanese yew tolerates shade and is able to grow in urban areas since it withstands exposure to pollution. Native to Korea, Manchuria and Japan, Japanese yew grows to 40 feet, but its ability to withstand heavy pruning lets you shear it to size. Japanese yew hybrids include smaller-growing species such as the 10-foot-high Nana and the 4-foot-tall Densa. The plant does have the tendency to become invasive if it escapes cultivation.

Mountain Pieris

• Mountain pieris (Pieris floribunda) is cold hardy as far north as U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 4. This foundation plant is evergreen, with its leaves up to 3 inches in length and an inch wide. Mountain pieris does well in partial shade, with the plant able to grow in acidic soil that has good drainage. Mountain pieris features white flowers in clusters that bloom forth in April. Mountain pieris will do poorly where the temperatures become extremely hot. This evergreen is highly toxic, warns North Carolina State University Extension, with the leaves and its nectar poisonous. Mountain pieris will grow to 4 feet and the plant spreads out as wide as 6 feet.

Littleleaf Boxwood

• Shade is a requirement for a newly planted littleleaf boxwood (Buxus microphylla), as this native of Japan establishes itself around a foundation. The evergreen can hold its own in partial shade once mature, or even along a side of the building that gets a larger dose of sunshine. Littleleaf boxwood cultivars exhibit some cold hardiness, such as the variety called Koreana, but most are risks to plant north of USDA zone 6. Littleleaf boxwood grows to 4 feet and the shrub has green, leathery-textured foliage. In cold weather, the leaves may become brown or a shade of green-yellow. Littleleaf boxwood does take time to grow to full potential, but one asset is that it is resistant to the browsing of deer.