Growing Trees in Full Shade
Below you will find a list of flowering and shade trees from our plant database that can grow in full shade. If you click on any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant for your landscaping. The concept of a tree can be difficult to define since different people might consider the same plant a broadleaf evergreen, needled evergreen, conifer, bush or shrub.
Uses for these trees vary by variety, and may also thrive in partial shade, partial sun or even full sun. Trees that flourish in shady areas may do equally well in wet soil, average moisture or dry conditions.
Some less well-known native plants for darker landscape locations that deserve wider use in the home garden are: American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) often holds many of its golden or tan leaves through winter, adding nice contrast to the smooth, silver bark; trouble-free is the American Hophornbeam or Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) which may be harder to find in garden centers, but worth asking for; Bigleaf Magnolia (M. macrophylla) and the related Fraser Magnolia (M.fraseri) are imposing and stately in a broad expanse of lawn; known as Blue or Water Beech though it is actually not a beech, American Hornbeam, Ironwood or Musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) is smaller growing making it more useful in today's smaller gardens where a low-maintenance tree is practical with the growing organic movement; with attractive features throughout the gardening year Chalkbark or Whitebark Maple (Acer leucoderme) has fantastic red fall color; Common Pawpaw or Custard Apple (Asimina triloba) has multi-season interest; some authorities think Southern Magnolia, Evergreen Magnolia or Bull Bay (M. grandiflora) does best in partial shade, others say these tough trees will tolerate as little as 3 hours of sunlight per day; Cornus florida or Flowering Dogwood is a natural understory tree, growing in the full or dappled shade of other naturally growing shade trees; Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) has natural, graceful full-season beauty; smaller growing, the Painted Buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica) is a lovely ornamental tree with flowers of various colors, where the Red Buckeye (A. pavia) has gorgeous red flowers that contrast nicely against the rich green, textured leaves; growing as tall as 30', the Rosebay Rhododendron (R. maximum) sited in the right shady, moist, slope for drainage is a wonderful plant for naturalizing; Southern Witchhazel (Hamamelis macrophylla) tolerates about any normal environment and offers unusual fall flowers.
