Plants in shade

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General HTUK rules apply. This section is for tips, hints and discussion on growing that is not related to any specific group of plants.
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redsquirrel
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Re: Plants in shade

Post by redsquirrel »

themes wrote:
lee-ann wrote:
Birmingham Chris wrote:ligularia - the purple leaved ones are sheer poetry when flowering!
Yes my slugs think they're divine :roll:
I am having a rethink on what I should be growing next year. slug food like ligularia, hostas and brugmansias. Perhaps I may try something else

plant a nice chamaedora (sp) to keep the slugs off your hostas
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
Chalk Brow

Re: Plants in shade

Post by Chalk Brow »

Some that come to mind that I have growing (or have grown) happily in shade:

Hydrangea (H. grayswood. H. aspera and more)
Viburnum davidii
Fuchsia
Helleborus
Trachystemon orientalis (dry shade?)
Danae racemosa (dry shade)
Ruscus (dry shade)
Cneorum tricoccon (dry shade)
Muehlenbeckia (dry shade)
Miscanthus
Oreopanax
Helwingia chinensis
Begonia
Sarcococca hookeriana
Aspidistra
Fatshedera
Philadelphus
Ilex
Cotoneaster
Astelia
luzula
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (dry shade)
Indocalmus
Hemerocallis (the older cultivars)
Polygonatum
themes

Re: Plants in shade

Post by themes »

Fantastic List Grenville. I will have to do some reading up, as you clearly know your plants. This will keep me busy for a while. Thank you
Chalk Brow

Re: Plants in shade

Post by Chalk Brow »

I've just been in the garden and remembered another doing remarkably well in what was dense shade and very dry under a large conifer:

Choisya 'aztec pearl'.

It is planted about two foot from the base of the conifer and until I raised the crown on the conifer a few weeks ago it had spread forwards about 6ft and was 3ft tall. Now I've stood it upright and it's now 6ft tall, and its now in sun most of the day. But it has been in the shade for most of its nine or ten years.
Cathy

Re: Plants in shade

Post by Cathy »

Birmingham Chris wrote:ligularia - the purple leaved ones are sheer poetry when flowering!
they are lovely but do need LOTS of water, so not for dry shade. mine died when planted near Dicksonia antarctica tree fern. :(
bobbyd44

Re: Plants in shade

Post by bobbyd44 »

both of mine have done great the red lig i bought last year and split the beginning of the year is doing great and both parts are flowering really well.
and my marie crawford i think the green one has grown great for the first year some of the leaves a really big! and thats right next to a tree fern :D
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Last edited by bobbyd44 on Wed Jul 29, 2009 1:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Chalk Brow

Re: Plants in shade

Post by Chalk Brow »

Love the Ligularia, I planted one in near full-sun but gave up on it as it was constantly begging for water. I've found some seedlings so will try it in the shade now.

Some more I've just found in the garden, or remembered:

Pulmonaria
Podophyllum
Primula
Euphorbia (some)
Cyclamen
Convallaria (Lily of the Valley, the variegated form looks especially good)
Symphytum (again the variegated forms)
Brunnera
Mahonia
Nandina (N. dometica 'Richmond' is self fertile and berries well, very large compound leaves)
Prunus laurocerasus and P. lusitanica
Aucuba

(sorry of some have already been mentioned)

If the shade is caused by deciduous trees or shrubs, bulbs can do very well, especially those that like it dry over summer, such as tulips.

Mo ~ some of the plants in my earlier list are remarkable only for being unremarkable; not the most exciting of plants, but maybe “interesting”!
Last edited by Chalk Brow on Wed Jul 29, 2009 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
themes

Re: Plants in shade

Post by themes »

Grenville, You are the fountain of all knowledge I icon_salut you
stephenprudence

Re: Plants in shade

Post by stephenprudence »

I have Contoneaster, don't like it one bit, but my dad does - it's definitely a traditionalists plant!
themes

Re: Plants in shade

Post by themes »

Grenville,

Do you have any pictures of oreopanax in your garden. I have been meaning to get this for a while. How shaded a position is it in?
Chalk Brow

Re: Plants in shade

Post by Chalk Brow »

stephenprudence wrote:I have Contoneaster, don't like it one bit, but my dad does - it's definitely a traditionalists plant!
Stephen - I'm shocked :ahhh!:

The familiar Cotoneaster horizontalis can be quite effective growing as ground cover beneath tress and shrubs, especially if it intermingles with other plants. (I did not plant it but it seeds itself quite freely so is likely to pop up anywhere)

But in a totally different category is C. cornubia, a very fast growing small evergreen (?) tree. It is handsome at any time of the year with its long glossy dark green leaves, with the added bonus of masses of white flowers in spring and copious red berries in autumn. But for me it is at its very best as the new leaves emerge in spring; they initially grow vertically on the horizontal branches looking like rows of silver candles, a fascinating sight that never ceases to give pleasure.
Last edited by Chalk Brow on Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chalk Brow

Re: Plants in shade

Post by Chalk Brow »

themes wrote:Grenville,

Do you have any pictures of oreopanax in your garden. I have been meaning to get this for a while. How shaded a position is it in?
I bought the Oreopanax this spring Mo, an impulse buy, I did not know anything about it but as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it whatever it was.

It's planted in fairly dense shade under the canopy of a Trachycarpus and seems to be liking it. I gave it plenty of water to begin with but to be honest it gets forgotten now when I'm watering as it is so much in the shade, so for the last couple of months has had no additional water, but it's growing well and now looks as if it is about to flower.

Just after planting in May 2009
The attachment Oreopanax ~ Hedychium ~ Tillandsias on Trachycarpus 7781.jpg is no longer available
Early July
Oreopanax ~ Hedychium ~ Tillandsias on Trachycarpus 7781.jpg
Today
Oreopanax 9836.jpg
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simon
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Location: Slough, Berkshire

Re: Plants in shade

Post by simon »

Chalk Brow wrote:Love the Ligularia, I planted one in near full-sun but gave up on it as it was constantly begging for water.
I have Ligularia 'The Rocket' in full sun for the afternoon. It droops terribly but not for want of water. As soon as the sun goes in it perks back up again. The stress probably means it doesn't perform to its full potential so I will probably move it when I find something to put in its place.

Another good one for shade is Petasites. Not sure if it has been mentioned already. I have Petasites frigidus var. palmatus 'Golden Palms' from Urban Jungle, which is doing well. Another one that flops when the sun gets on it.
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Dave Brown
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Re: Plants in shade

Post by Dave Brown »

I've only really got into shade plants this year, as I don't have much during the summer. Last year when I ripped the Phylostacchis nigra out it opened up a whole new gardening dimention as I actually had a bed shaded most of the day even in high summer. This year at Urban Jungle I looked for a couple of shade plants, and even if I say so myself, I am really pleased with the effect. :wink:

I don't think these have been mentioned in the lists So here goes...

Remusatia pumila
290709 Remusatia pumila.jpg
Brunnera Jack Frost
290709 Brunnera Jack Frost.jpg
Strobilanthes Persian Shield
290709 Strolilathes Persian Shield.jpg
And here they are all together with the Alocasia portdora bought at Amulree
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290709 Alocasia portdora etc.jpg
Best regards
Dave
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Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
themes

Re: Plants in shade

Post by themes »

I can see why you brought the oreopanax the foliage is gorgeous. It will be interesting to see how big it gets. It seems very adaptive to shade, from the pic the colour has darkened just like fatsia does when it is in shade.It has a lot of characteristics of ivy too. I wonder if its in the fatsia ivy genera of plants?

Simon, this is the first time I have heard of Petasites frigidus var. palmatus. I really love the foliage. I wonder how big it gets? If its hardy in peoples garden Its a must buy for me.

Dave, I really love the persian shield. I think I had a brrief discussion of this plant with Petefree. My main concern was hardiness. Again, If its hardy in peoples garden Its a must buy for me.
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