5 evergreen garden plants for shade

Most plants require light to grow, that is why they may not do well in heavily shaded areas. But, there are some exceptional plants that thrive in shaded sites. 

The 5 plants we cover in this article are popular shade-loving plants because they tend to adapt exceptionally well to different shaded sites. They are evergreen and long-lasting. 

If you are looking for evergreen shade plants to grow in pots or in the garden, you’ll love these 5 plants.

Bamboo plants for shade

There are different cultivars of bamboo plants, grouped into running and clumping varieties. They are hardy and extremely tolerant to shade. This is because most bamboos are native to subtropical and tropical Asia and the Pacific. 

Bamboo plants usually grow under the forest canopy where there is little or no light.

Many garden bamboo cultivars in the UK and the US display this feature prominently, which makes bamboo one of the top shape-loving plants. 

Also, the small bamboo cultivars are best planted as ground covers. 

Here are some suggestions of bamboo that thrive in shaded areas, and small variegated bamboos to use as ground covers. 

Caution: The running bamboos will spread. Always use a bamboo barrier when growing them in the garden. Alternatively, grow them in pots or containers.

 

Sarcococca (Christmas box)

Sarcococca, also known as the Christmas box, is a dense evergreen shrub.

It bears sweet-scented white flowers in winter. 

The contrasting white flowers with dark green leaves are adorable. The flowers attract bees and butterflies.

This flowering shrub is extremely shade-loving and drought tolerant, a fantastic undercover plant.

Buddleia (Butterfly bush)

Buddleia, also known as the Butterfly bush. 

This beautiful sweet-scented shrub has cultivars that are evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous. They adapt extremely well to shade and dry soils. 

You can trim the branches to give a lush bush. Buddleia is a popular flowering plant for attracting bees and butterflies to your garden.

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Viburnum tinus

Viburnum tinus is a dense, evergreen shrub that also grows well in shade. It has dark, glossy leaves. 

The leaves contrast beautifully with the clusters of small pinkish-white flowers. 

They appear throughout the winter and spring. It is a popular flowering shrub because it is easy to grow and adds greenery to the garden throughout the year. 

You can use this beautiful plant for ground cover or hedging.

Ceanothus (Californian Lilac)

Ceanothus, also called Californian Lilac, is an evergreen flowering shrub. 

This beautiful plant has scented flowers that appear late in spring through to summer. 

It can grow in shade to part shade, adaptable and hardy – a fantastic shade hedging plant.

Apart from bamboo, which is grass, the other shade-loving plants are shrubs with beautifully scented flowers. In fact, they are bees and butterfly ‘magnets’.

All in all, if you want to grow a shade-loving plant, these 5 plants will not disappoint.