Agree^. My 'Endless Summer'...the original item, so to speak, is thirsty. Even under good conditions, I need the hose for that guy. West side would be very challenging, to say the very least.

Thanks for the info... Any other flowering shrubs to consider for a west facing wall like this instead? Thanks!

Knock out roses would do good. They can take the heat. I'm not sure if they need colder temps in the winter. Worth looking into. There is a rainbow of colors to choose from. They bloom all summer, unlike other roses. And mine form a *bush* Good luck.

I have an old mophead blue hydrangea that grows in the conditions you describe. It is probably 20 years old or more. West side of lot, close to northwest corner of my house. It blooms its head off all summer long and is at least 6' tall and wide. Gets early morning sun and then sun from 1 pm to about 4pm.

But Kaillean, you are in Vancouver, not Virginia which is both much hotter and much farther south, so more intense sun.

Pretty much any shrub that wants sun would be happy in the conditions you describe.

Couple of additional points:

1. I observed the spot (west/northwest corner of house) again in more detail; the site is in shade until 12:30, then sun til 4:30, then shade again. So 4 hours of sun.

2. I saw the endless summer at a reputable local nursery, the nursery's label (not the companies) said full to part sun. This seems strange because it significantly differs from everything else.

3. When I bought this house there was an old mophead either right there or nearby, I had to remove everything to do some re-grading of the yard. But I remember they were blue and I don't think reblooming.

All that being said, perhaps it's better to go with a mini oak-leaf hydrangea at this spot? Are those easier to grow?

thanks

Oakleaf types are more robust for where I live-in terms of putting up with a bit of dryness, etc. Might be just the ticket-and they are cool plants as well.