Shade Loving Shrubs for Northern Illinois

Large Deciduous Shrubs

• Pagoda dogwoods (Cornus alternifolia) and shadblow serviceberries (Amelanchier canadensis) are large deciduous shrubs that grow equally well in full sun, partial shade or full shade. Both grow to a height and width of 10 to 20 feet, bloom with white flowers in the spring and produce berries. And both prefer an acidic soil pH but will grow in soil with a slightly alkaline pH. Pagoda dogwoods have fragrant flowers, dark blue berries and yellow or purple-red fall foliage. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7. Shadblow serviceberry bushes have black fruits and golden, yellow or orange fall foliage. Their berries are edible and have a sweet flavor. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7.

Small Deciduous Shrubs

• Smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) and thimbleberry bushes (Rubus odoratus) are smaller deciduous shrubs that grow well in full sun, partial shade or full shade. They both prefer soil with an acidic pH but smooth hydrangeas will grow in soil with a slightly alkaline pH. Smooth hydrangeas grow to a height and width of 3 to 6 feet and produce large, flat-topped clusters of white to pale pink flowers in the summer. Their leaves change to yellow in the fall but are not showy and drop quickly. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. Thimbleberry bushes grow to a height of 3 to 6 feet and width of 6 to 8 feet. These are actually ornamental raspberry bushes. They produce fragrant, bright pink flowers in the summer followed by red raspberries that while technically edible, tend to be dry and not very tasty. Their foliage does not change color in the fall. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.

Large Evergreen Shrubs

• “Brownii” anglojap yew (Taxus x media “Brownii”) and “Nana” Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata var. nana) are large evergreen shrubs that thrive in full sun, partial shade or full shade. They are both hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7. They are drought tolerant, rarely bothered by rabbits and require slightly acidic soil. “Brownii” grows to a height of 9 to 12 feet and width of 6 to 12 feet with soft, needle-type, olive green foliage. “Nana” grows slowly to a height of 10 to 15 feet and width of 20 to 30 feet with soft, needle-type dark green foliage. It does not produce showy flowers but it does produce round, bright red berries. It has shown a tendency to become invasive in the northeastern United States. Most parts of the yew are poisonous. While birds eat the berries, the seeds of the berries are highly toxic to humans and other mammals.

Small Evergreen Shrubs

• “PJM” hybrid rhododendrons (Rhododendron “PJM” group) and mountain pieris (Pieris floribunda) are smaller evergreen shrubs that grow to a height and width of 3 to 6 feet. They can be grown in full sun, partial shade or full shade but require soil with an acidic pH. “PJM” rhododendrons bloom in the spring, producing very showy pink or purple flowers, depending on the cultivar. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and are rarely bothered by rabbits. Mountain pieris bushes produce long clusters of fragrant, white bell-shaped flowers in the spring. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7.