Shade-tolerant upright shrub for planters?

7 years ago

I live near San Jose California, in zone 9.

I am looking to repot two planters on my small, east-facing backyard that's entirely shaded year-round by a large Live Oak tree.

I had two sky pencil hollies that seemed to be quite happy for more than a year until a couple weeks ago, when I noticed they were becoming infested with mealybugs. Nothing I did to control it worked - sprayed daily with rubbing alcohol; later switched to neem oil; then systemic pesticide. My husband then informed me he had sprayed the plants with “some pretty strong stuff.” (something called RepelsAll.) The more shades of the two plants died pretty quickly after that, though the other - which has the more severe mealy infestation - is taking longer but is on its way out.

I dont know whether it was the pesticides, the mealybugs or something else that killed them, but I’m a bit reluctant to replace them with new sky pencil hollies.

Is there a similar shade-tolerant shrub that has an upright shape and can tolerate being in a pot (suitable for maybe 3-4ft tall plants?)

I was thinking of a dwarf Italian cypress, but that sounds like it will require full sun.

Any other help or suggestions?

Featured Answer

Sara Malone Zone 9b

7 years ago

You could any of the following, most shade-tolerant conifers (none will grow in full, deep shade): Taxus (yew), Chamaecyparis (false cypress) Sciadopitys (Japanese umbrella pine). There are narrow cultivars of all of them.

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Comments (10)

Sara Malone Zone 9b
7 years ago
'Sky Pencil' holly can grow in shade and is very upright. Should be fine in a pot, at least for a while. It's going to want to get big, but then, so is the Italian cypress.
shinyonne
Original Author
7 years ago
The hollies died after a year. I could try them again but thinking of something different. Will the cypress work in a very shaded location?
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
"Will the cypress work in a very shaded location?"

No. Will probably last even less time than the Sky Pencils. Italian cypress are a full sun plant.

The hollies should have done better than what you describe. But growing shrubs or trees long term in a container brings with it a specific set of circumstances that need to be met properly to get the best results. And those include selecting the best sized container for the plants in question, using a durable, fast draining potting soil (avoid stuff like Miracle Gro), watering and fertilizing as necessary (in warm summer climates, watering may need to be a daily or twice daily affair) and repotting and root pruning as necessary.
shinyonne
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions, Sara!
shinyonne
Original Author
7 years ago
gardengal48 - Thanks for the advice. The soil I used was Kellogg All-Natural Garden Soil. I do suspect that the soil is the source of the mealy bugs. I've attached a photo to show the dimensions of the pot. If I do decide to go with holly again for these pots/this location, should I do anything different in terms of soil? Also, is there a way to deter or prevent mealy bugs or scale etc.?
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
7 years ago
Just curious, why did your husband spray Repels All on the plant?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
The Kellogg's product is intended as an amendment for inground soils - it is not a potting soil and will not function in the same manner. Whatever new plants you decide on, I would swap out what is in the pots for a good quality potting/container soil.
shinyonne
Original Author
7 years ago
Good to know gardengal48! A lady at the nursery said it was good stuff and it was on sale.
shinyonne
Original Author
7 years ago
Rhizo_1 My husband has a belief that putting “really strong stuff” on plants makes them better. (pesticides, heavy doses of fertilizer, heavily pruning a hydrangea in early fall). This spring he sprayed bear spray on my seedlings of cilantro and basil “just in case” — there was nothing wrong with them — and they shriveled up and died quickly after that.