The Best Shade Shrubs

Flowering Dogwood

• Utah State University recommends flowering dogwoods for your shady garden. Dogwood shrubs are very similar to their tree cousins. These shrubs produce vibrant blooms of pink, yellow, purple, cream and white flowers in the spring. The sizes vary depending on the type of dogwood shrub. You can choose from full size or dwarf varieties that range anywhere from 1- to 10-feet tall. Dogwoods enjoy moist, well-drained soil.

Winter Jasmine

• Clemson State University recommends growing Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) shrubs in shady areas. This shrub has dark green oblong-shaped foliage and yellow flowers that bloom in the fall. This shade-loving shrub does well in full shade to partial sun and can grow up to 10-feet tall. Plant Winter Jasmine in moist, well-drained soil.

Holly

• Clemson State University also recommends holly shrubs because these plants tolerate low light as well. Most holly shrub varieties have dark green, shiny foliage with jagged sharp edges. Small red and pink berries sprout in the fall and early winter months. These berries are toxic to humans. Holly shrubs look similar to holly trees, but shrubs do not grow quite as tall as the tree version of this plant. Most holly shrub varieties grow 1- to 5-feet tall on average. This dense shrub thrives in areas where there is a lot of shade and rain. It tolerates the cold well and even brings some color to the garden in the winter when many other plants stop flowering or producing berries. Plant holly shrubs in moist, well-drained soil.

Bleeding Hearts

• Colorado State University recommends bleeding hearts for your shady garden. Bleeding heart shrubs have distinctive characteristics that make them a welcome addition to any landscape. The branches bend slightly because they carry a blanket of medium-size heart-shaped flowers with a tiny tear drop shape at the bottom. Old-Fashioned Bleeding Hearts have a shape that looks almost exactly like a heart while other varieties have more of a bell shape. The flowers are deep pink and white, red and white or pure white. Some types also produce purple or cream-colored blooms. The foliage is deep to light green, depending on the variety. Most types have oval-shaped foliage. This shrub does well in full shade to partial sun and grows 1- to 5-feet tall, depending on the variety. Plant your bleeding hearts in moist, well-drained soil.