Evening Shade Landscaping

Trees

• A few trees prefer morning sun and late-day shade. The kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) grows to 30 feet tall with a 20-foot spread. This deciduous tree blooms in spring with long white bracts, followed by pink-red summer fruits. Kousa dogwoods thrive in well-drained soil and are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8. The Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) also grows well in afternoon shade. This deciduous tree is hardy in zones 3 to 8 and prefers moist, well-drained soil. It grows to 75 feet tall with a 50-foot spread and tolerates drought and air pollution.

Shrubs

• Some shrubs also prefer afternoon to evening shade. The bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea microphylla) grows to 4 feet tall with a 6-foot spread and is hardy in zones 6 to 9. This fast-growing deciduous shrub produces blue, purple, pink and white flowers and has long, lustrous foliage. It prefers acidic, moist, well-drained and fertile soils. Fortune's osmanthus (Osmanthus x fortunei) also grows well in afternoon shade. This evergreen is hardy in zones 7 to 10 and prefers acidic, moist, rich soil. Fortune's osmanthus shrubs grow to 20 feet tall with a similar spread and have thick, glossy foliage. They bloom with aromatic white blossoms in fall.

Perennials

• Perennials live and bloom for at least three years. Many species die to the ground in winter and re-grow in spring. Bee balm (Monarda didyma) prefers morning sun and afternoon shade and thrives in moist soil. It grows from 2 to 4 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Bee balm attracts pollinators with its white, pink, red and purple flowers that bloom in summer. Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata ) also thrives with afternoon shade. This perennial is hardy in zones 4 to 8 and grows from 2 to 3 feet tall. Garden phlox blooms in summer with white, pink and blue flowers and prefers moist, well-drained soil.

Annuals

• Annuals only grow and flower for one growing season, but tend to produce flowers for a longer period than do perennials. The browalia or amethyst flower grows best in afternoon to evening shade. This 2-foot-tall annual blooms through the growing season with blue and white flowers. It tolerates a range of soils, from clay to sand. The black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) is a climbing vine. It grows quickly to 8 feet long and produces white, yellow and orange flowers from summer through autumn. It prefers morning sun and afternoon shade and light, well-drained soil.