Mexican mock orange 'Sundance', etc. for partial shade - said to grow in full shade, but not sure how growth and flowering are affected. Anyone else know?

Glossy abelia is another listed for partial shade, but we've had them grow well and flower in fairly heavy shade. Most of the new abelia cultivars are dwarfs, but the common Abelia x grandiflora hybrid tops out around 8 ft.

Acuba grows at a moderate rate to 6 or 7 ft in full shade... a cutting planted adjacent to the compost pile has grow significantly faster that one with the same exposure 30 ft away, so growth rate can probably be influenced with good feeding/soil health program. Flowers are interesting, but tiny. Female plants have red berries.

Leatherleaf Mahonia reaches 6 ft or so in full shade. Nice yellow flowers and blue berries.

I read that Viburnum is good for a shady spot? Think it gets filtered sun in the a.m.

Would a wax myrtle be a good choice?

The most important thing I am looking for is evergreen, fast growth, low maintenance (drought tolerant... no pest issues, etc.). Flowering is a bonus, but not necessary.

Thank you for the suggestions, Bostedo. Mock Orange was commonly grown in Las Vegas. I have seen them become quite large, but question if it will attain height quickly enough? If I recall correctly, they created a low wide mound and then started growing upward?

Fast growing and invasive my friend told me when she gave some rooted cuttings to me but they bloom profusely and repeatedly.

Somebody identified it on here before, but I forgot the name. Anyone know?

It's a Hydrangea type, if I remember. I had it in a pot with 3-4 stems and they were about 6-7" tall when I planted them 2 weeks ago and it's already grown 4-5 inches and set lots of blooms with one opening already. It's shaded with 6' tall purple leaf bush which I forgot the name of. LOL

My friends stand of these are about 4 feet tall, growing under the shade of a huge live oak. They do jump beds as in sprouting across on the other side of her walkway but they are beautiful.

Very pretty, Meme. Is it evergreen?

OOps, no it's not.

It goes dormant.

The area receives about 3 hours of shade in the evening (I verified today)... about 1 hour of filtered sun and shade for the rest of the day.

I think the Glossy Abelia could work. How rapidly does it grow?

Glossy abelia seems to be commonly listed as moderate to fast growing. Imagine the amount of light makes a difference in that range. Our most recent experience is with 'Edward Goucher', which grows to 5 or 6 ft rather than the 7 or 8 of Abelia grandiflora. It's an additional cross with A. schumannii, but believe growth is similar. Think our plants reached ~80% of mature height in 3 or 4 years from 1 gallon size getting mid-day sun from June to September and full shade from fence and a live oak to their south the rest of the year.

I am also wondering if a vine that does not need support would work? I thought about Bougainvillea, but my thought is it will require full sun? I was in the big box store today and saw some sort of Jasmine and it required full sun too. I really need to create some quick privacy through a wrought iron fence that is adjacent to the community mailbox...

Crossvine will cover the fence top-to-bottom and is evergreen. It doesn't spread, but is a vigorous grower that will eventually want to cover almost as much fence as you can provide. Though takes a few years to become that assertive and does respond well to pruning once or twice per year.

You could also plant some tall canna lilies with slower growing shrubs. Suppose would be placed behind or in front depending upon where your light is coming from. They should give you privacy from June through first freeze. Might become tough to remove from among the roots of the shrubs if space doesn't provide enough separation.

The wrought iron fence portion totally exposed is 8' wide by about 6' high. The crossvine images online look like it could cover a small structure...wow!! The owner of the home would not be happy if I planted that... or anything invasive.

I'm in 8b, too. Any bougainvillia won't bloom for you in the shade. Definitely need full sun. I have trouble getting them to even bloom up underneath my roof overhang on my front porch, and it's really bright out front. Plus you have to deal with the thorns! They also won't survive our 8b freezes (at least mine never have, so mine are potted and I move them indoors in winter).

I've recently become enamored of Fatsia japonica. Mine in dappled sun/shade thrive and are now 4'-5' wide and as high in 3 years. The one I just set out this year in full shade is also growing nicely. Here's a pic I took last year of the two in dappled sun/shade: https://i.imgur.com/55pJUfC.jpg 

I have decided to go with a vigorously growing climbing rose that can deal with open shade/filtered sun. It is the only thing I can think of that will grow quickly enough to start creating at least filtered privacy and then good privacy over the course of 24 months. The bonus is I can place it in a large pot with a trellis and take it with us when we move :)

Which climbing rose variety are you considering?

cecile brunner made a big statement for me in those conditions. It did have a short period of sun.

I purchased a Blossomtime but will likely buy a bare root climber later this year for the spot as it will have more significant growth quicker. I am also researching putting a Texas Rock Rose in a pot next to it. I am trying to determine first if the Texas Rock Rose can be grown in a pot for a couple of years and how rapidly it will grow. What is your experience with the Texas Rock Rose?

Wantonamara -

Cecile Brunner scares me. I have yet to grow any rose that becomes that large. I grew the bush version, which was a nice, manageable rose...

My plan is to plant all of my bare-root roses on order for this Winter's shipment in pots mid to late January.