Hedging Plants for Shade

The Absolute Best Evergreen Hedge Plants for Shady Gardens

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• Yew – The King of Hedges rules the shadows  
• Green Privet – The most reliable, easy-going, reasonably vigorous evergreen hedge
• Holly – Prickles and a dark, brooding presence
• Common Cherry Laurel – Large handsome leaves and a lot of vigour
• Pyracantha – The only truly thorny evergreen option for shade, great bright berries for later season interest
• Western Red Cedar – Thuja plicata is a good alternative to Yew: not quite as shade-tolerant, and less forgiving, it can still be encouraged to grow back from old wood with careful treatment.
• Shrub Honeysuckle: Lonicera nitida – It’s the most common hedge plant for car parks for a reason! It’s not as pretty as the plants above but still a rugged choice for out of sight places

Best Deciduous Hedge Plants for Shade 

Most garden owners are looking for lush evergreens along a visible boundary, but Hornbeam is a top choice for shady areas where sun-loving Beech won’t grow.

• For mixed native hedges, Hawthorn, Hazel, and Wild Privet are probably the best native plants for a seriously shady North-facing slope. The Hazel will grow fastest, so prune it a bit harder than the others to help them keep up. 
• Pink Snowberry – Symphoricarpos chenaultii is shade-tolerant and grows in almost any soil.

Special Mentions

• Box – Slow growing but very shade-tolerant as long as there is good air flow to decrease humidity
• Sweet Box – Squeeze them under around the base of hedges for Winter fragrance
• Mahonia – Car park staple, this large shrub is not suitable for a clipped hedge but still makes a dense thicket. Its leaves look best in sheltered areas, strong winds tend to damage them.
• Elderflower will grow almost anywhere, including full shade. It’s great for wildlife, and makes a rugged, informal hedge. It’s not most people’s first choice for their front garden, but its more ornamental varieties, Black Lace or Aurea, are prettier than the wild species when they are in leaf.