Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a great shrub or small tree. You can train one into a tree over time or buy them already shaped that way. The flowers provide great interest all summer. I had one trained as a tree that stayed about 10' tall when mature.

Japanese maples are also great small patio trees. You might need to improve the soil to make it thrive, but I think they're one of the best trees for a shady patio garden. In fact, I once had one in a barrel planter that did very well on a condo patio where I used to live. If she's OK with a container, you might go that direction to be sure it gets good soil.

We need some help, too, with BUSH IDEAS!
THANKS:)

I "think" we are in Zone 5, in the near foothills, 1 mile from central Boulder, CO.
We have an area that needs a hedge or larger bushes, about 4 feet tall not higher (views). The area is mostly shaded and we've been trying with other plants for 3 years to have success. None yet. Soil is not great but we do have watering drip and spray there. It's in the shade of a large cottonwood and neighbor's house. It does get some (maybe 3 hours/day) of sun.

Hi,

Stevation, I thought about a rose of sharon (I have one and love it) but my mother-in-law is 84 and the bush is too slow growing. She wants instant change of course.

Japanese Maples are soooo beautiful but just not possible at 6500 ft in altitude. I guess I could wrap it every winter and baby it endlessly but since it is at her house, not mine, I think not.

I decided to put in a butterfly bush. The spot does get some sun and I have had good success with a part sun butterfly bush at my house in bad soil It grows quickly and the blooms are nice. Plus, I found one at Home Depot for $20. If it doesn't thrive in the spot, I haven't risked much.

Cherrio, you could try the Rose of Sharon but I think they all get taller than 4 ft. Of course, they grow slowly so it would be years before they would be that tall. Daphnes might work for you. Also, thimbleberries (rubus parviflorus) have shorter varieties if you can find them. Thimbleberries grow in dry shade but they can be very hard to find in the trade for some reason. If you don't care about the blooms, I actually have blue mist spirea growing in speckled shade. It doesn't bloom as well as if it were in sun but it is thriving otherwise. Being at a higher altitude even a little sun packs a bigger punch than at lower altitudes. Also, some of the viburnums will do well too. I have a hedge of Korean spice viburnum on the north side of my house. It is a little thin but blooms well every year. I am also thinking Pink Dawn viburum might do well for you - but it would get too tall after about 10 years or so. It is another slow grower. Good luck.

I don't consider Rose of Sharon slow growing, myself. Certainly, they're slower than butterfly bush, which will grow six feet in a year, but my Rose of Sharon shrubs will grow two or three feet in a year. I always prune them back to about 4' high in the early spring.

Cherrio-- I have a hedge of Peking Cotoneaster that stays about 4' tall, and they're very nice informal hedge shrubs. I don't know how they'd handle shade, though. I second the viburnum suggestion, too. I have three kinds of viburnum, and they really seem like totally different shrubs -- I wonder why they're related. I have viburnum trilobum, which has leaves like a maple and gets very thick very fast. It's deciduous. I also have Viburnum rhytidophylloides 'Alleghany' and I just read that it can tolerate part shade. It's semi-evergreen. It will want to get taller than 4' but can be pruned. I also have Burkwood viburnums that are semi-evergreen even in my zone 6 garden. They have a nice fragrance when they flower, too.

If you can grow English laurels, you might want to give them a try, since they're evergreen. One of the few broadleaf evergreens in my climate. I have the Otto Luyken variety, which is lower, but you'd probably like the size of the regular English laurel, which I also have. It's been a great shrub in my climate, and it's hard to believe it stays evergreen through winter. One caveat -- deer like to eat it. If you have deer problems, it may not work.

I'm terrible about names and growing habits of plants, other than what is loved and has grown well for me through the years. There was a hedge of "spirea" in front of my house which had been sheared to ugliness by previous owners. Most I took out down to a foot or more of root, but some just can't be gotten rid of and keep showing up.

One bush was left alone in the corner of yard and is in the shade. It has grown at least another foot this spring with full bloom.