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boyz_gw

full shade conifers

17 years ago

Just curious - Are there any conifers that thrive in full shade? It seems like most of them do best in part/full sun.

Comments (11)

  • 17 years ago

    Tsuga canadensis would be my best guess. I have been experimenting with several dozen different species/cultivars in 90%+ shade. We'll see how that goes in a few years.

  • 17 years ago

    Cephalotaxus harringtonia can handle quite a bit of shade and still look good. So can the yews.

  • 17 years ago

    Abies balsamea is quite shade tolerant. Even more so than Tsuga canadensis. Still looks better with some sun exposure though.

    +oM

  • 16 years ago

    Tsuga canadensis Tons of cultivars  all are suited for shade. Tsuga ssp. Hemlock.
    Picea orientalis ÂSilver SeedlingÂ
    Taxus ssp. Yew.
    Picea orientalis ÂSkylands will not be as golden but will grow well and is still a lime-green.
    Thuja occ.  most should do ok  especially the variegated clones and slower-growing clones.
    Golden conifers in general and those that are heavily variegated.

    A collection alone of Tsuga canadensis cultivars would make for a fantastic setting.

    Dax

  • 16 years ago

    Define your full shade. Along with those already mentioned, I have Chamaecyparis obtusa growing under the dripline on the north side of a large Black Walnut and a garage to the east. With the leaves of the walnut gone they get a fair amount of sun right now. I'm sure they'd do better in more sun, but that's life in the city.

    tj

  • 16 years ago

    By full shade I mean not an ounce of direct sunlight - ever. Summer or winter. It is right in front of my front porch and to the right is our garage which blocks the sun. It is about a 6X6 area. I thought it would be nice to have some year round interest, since it is right next to the front door. Zone 5. And they have to tolerate wind! I wouldn't want anything too tall or it would block the view from my porch. No more than 4 feet high I would think. Ideally I would like something that thrives in shade instead of something that will tolerate it, but won't look that great.

  • 16 years ago

    Here's a pix. Garage is to the right.

  • 16 years ago

    Should be enough reflected light to grow any of the plants listed above.

    tj

  • 16 years ago

    Most shade-tolerant plants are not very tolerant of wind - they are adapted to growing in shelter under other trees!

    I'd go for something locally native in Utah that will be better able to cope with the harsh climate, maybe Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir or White Fir. As Tsugajunkie says, there'll be enough reflected light there for them to grow.

    Resin

  • 16 years ago

    You could do a planting of a "dwarf" only conifer dead smack in the middle and use a yellow moss groundcover (to keep things simple). You're lucky, Abies concolor is a good choice! It's one of my favorite fir species when it comes to miniature and dwarf conifers.

    From a one-gallon container you'll see a small shrub in five years and 10 years a decently-large-shrub with the potential to live without pruning in that area near 20-25 years. One larger specimen instead of a bunch of small ones is considerably more attractive for that space, in my opinion. Golden glowing moss beneath, oooooh hoooo hoooo! Maybe you might add a few smooth grey stones. Looking good!

    Some of the best cultivars you might search for:
    Abies concolor:
    'Hexe' probably the best shape and easiest to find.
    'Charming Chub' probably not available commercially yet.
    'La Vita' grows 2" a year only.

    Dennis at Bethlehem Nursery has a lot of Concolor firs. Bob Fincham at Coenosium Gardens also does. Other nurseries you may check:
    Porterhowse Nursery
    Arrowhead Alpines

    Dax

  • 16 years ago

    Thanks for all the recommendations. They are great! I just wish winter was over so I could work out in my yard again! But when it warms up, I will be ready.