Screening plant growing in full shade?

9 years ago

We'd like to screen off a restaurant parking lot with open dumpsters that sits behind the narrow backyard of our Southern California two-story house, located near the coast. Our 6-foot backyard block wall isn't high enough to do the trick, so we've been looking for a small tree or tall shrub growing 10 to 12 feet high that we could plant in a row in front of the wall, preferably but not necessarily a native California plant.

We thought we'd found exactly what we were looking for in the fast-growing Island Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus alnifolius), but have just realized that there's a problem: the wall is on the south side of our yard, so during the late fall and winter that part of the yard sits in full shade for all but an hour or so of the day. Cercocarpus reportedly can put up with part shade, but no more.

Any suggestions for an alternative?

Thanks

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Comments (5)

emmarene9
9 years ago
Camellia.
5birdy
9 years ago
2 thoughts: could you use a raised bed to "raise" the height opening up more options? Also are your sure the spot is in shade if the plant reaches a certain height? I have to go around with a tape measure to see what height a plant must have to reach that bit of winter sun.
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hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
9 years ago
It's full sun spring summer and mostly shade in winter, is that what you are saying?
labeachberry thanked hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
labeachberry
Original Author
9 years ago
Yes, the wall is north-facing, and the area of the garden within 4 feet of it, where we'd like to place screening plants, is in shade with no direct sun for about 4 to 5 months of the year. I guess we don't understand whether this would be considered part shade, with only ambient light available, or full shade.
mc510
9 years ago
I wouldn't worry about the 4-5 shady months of the year; that's the time of year that most plants don't grow much anyways. If it's mostly sunny the rest of the year, then I'd go for full-sun or part-sun plants.
labeachberry thanked mc510