Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ AGM: large spherical white flowerheads 20cm (8in) across in summer. Height and spread 90cm (3ft). Lemon. Spread 60cm (2ft). sargentiana: (w) peeling bark and large, velvety ovate leaves. 10 AGM shrubs for containers. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work, Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips – all to help you grow successfully, For the latest on RHS Shows in 2020 and 2021, read more, RHS members get free access to RHS Gardens, Free entry to RHS members at selected times », Reduced prices on RHS Garden courses and workshops, General enquiries Height 2m (6½ft). C. 'Ruby Wedding' AGM: (*) (e) (w) bright red flowers in spring. Leucothoe [Scarletta]=‘Zeblid’ AGM: (*)(e) dark red-purple young foliage, turning dark green then bronze in winter, white flower racemes in spring. As you can see pictures the emerging flowers are tinged a purple reddy pink in late December. H. macrophylla 'Madame Emile Mouillere' AGM: (w) rounded heads of white flowers in summer, sometimes tinged pink in full sun Height 1.8m (6ft). Smaller shrubs - under 1.5m (5ft) Daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ AGM: (e) dark leathery leaves and very fragrant white flowers, purple-pink in bud, borne in late winter-early spring. Height and spread 2-2.5m (6½-8ft). Spread 2m (6½ft). The native wild form of this easy and very useful evergreen fern. It has a long ... Luma apiculata. E.× darleyensis ‘Kramers Rote’ AGM: (e) profuse bright magenta flowers above bronze-green foliage. Spread 3m (10ft). Spread 2.2m (7ft). The large leaved Fatsia is a large leaved shrub ideal for shade and will add a tropical accent to your garden. AGM The RHS Award of Garden Merit Here’s an easy checklist to decide whether the plants you are considering for a shady area are really a suitable candidate. Height 8-9m (26-29½ft). However a few pointers will ensure your shrubs last the distance: Do not overwater evergreen shrubs. RHS members can get exclusive individual advice from the RHS Gardening Advice team. Grows better on alkaline to neutral soils. Search for "evergreen shrubs suitable for pots" By type. Happy in damp shade but also in dry shade once established. Spread 90cm (3ft). It can also produce very dense shade around it. Height and spread 2m (6½ft). Height and spread 90cm (3ft). Hydrangea aspera subsp. These are tall shrubs and can reach around 4 metres in height although they will need to be established many years to reach this height. As you can see from the pictures taken at the end of the year the flowers make a great winter display and brighten up any shaded spot in your garden. Height and spread 2-3m (6½-10ft). Spread 40cm (16in). Spread 1.5m (5ft). O. heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ (v) AGM: (e) holly-like glossy greyish-green leaves speckled creamy-white and yellow, tubular scented flowers, autumn. Height 30-60cm (1-2ft). You can grow evergreen ferns in shade in pots. Viburnum × hilleri ‘Winton’ AGM: semi-evergreen with dark green leaves suffused bronze-red in winter. Shady garden areas can also be dry as they are close to walls or under the canopy of larger deeper rooted shrubs and trees. Erica carnea f. alba ‘Springwood White’ AGM: (e) masses of white flowers above bright green foliage in late winter and early spring. Spread 1.5m (5ft). Height 4m (13ft). Mahonia oiwakensis is not as hardy as the other Mahonias being rated at H4 down to -10°C and in exceptionally cold winds has suffered some leaflet damage. Height and spread 90cm (3ft). Here are 5 of the best jungle effect plants that create an exotic look for your garden but will also withstand the worst of our British weather. Shade evergreens can help add some life to your shady spot. Spread 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft). Height 30cm (1ft). Lonicera × purpusii 'Winter Beauty' AGM: small, sweetly scented cream flowers on bare branches winter to early spring. This is an evergreen shade shrub that you should be growing because of the fantastic winter scent this group of plants produces over the winter period. For other plants, see our advice page on shade-loving annuals, bulbs and perennials (includes grasses and ferns), climbers and wall shrubs for shade and planting under trees. Spread 90cm (3ft) or more. Height 15cm (6in). There are much hardier Sarcococca varieties available that tolerate much lower temperatures. Asplenium scolopendrium is the native wild version so likely to be a survivor. Height 15cm (6in). The bright banana yellow variegation of the leaves will brighten up the shadiest of spots in your garden. Height 10-20cm (4-8in). Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Admiration’ AGM: bright orange-red leaves in spring deepen over summer, creamy-yellow spring flowers and crimson berries in autumn. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea) Bougainvillea is only hardy in zone 9 and up, but you can opt to … Location, soil conditions and prevailing weather will influence ultimate height and spread. These plants can also tolerate full sun so don't worry if you plant them in a position where they receive direct sunlight. Weigela ‘Praecox Variegata’ (v) AGM: bright green leaves have creamy margins, white with age and in early summer honey-scented rose-pink flowers. Ribes laurifolium: (e) scalloped, leathery dark green leaves and in late winter cup-shaped greenish-yellow flowers in pendent racemes. Spread 2m (6½ft). Flowers small, white. Note: Height and spread for each plant is approximate. Aucuba japonica 'Salicifolia'. Spread 45cm (18in) or more. Ligustrum lucidum ‘Excelsum Superbum’ (v) AGM: (e) glossy, yellow margined bright-green leaves, white flower panicles in in summer. There is some direct sun but for less than half the hours of daylight. Spread 2.5m (8ft). Spread indefinite. Shrubs for shade – Hydrangea paniculata ‘Great Star’. The wider leaved 'Picturata' has yellow variegation that is similar to February Star but with larger central splashes of yellow. Climbing Plants for Small to Medium Sized Containers. Best shrubs to grow in shade. Clematis are one of the most popular climbers with distinctive flowers in a range of colour including reds, purples, blues, pinks and whites. Spread indefinite. Hardiness zones for Hydrangeas range from 3 to 9. Vinca minor 'Atropurpurea' AGM. Lonicera nitida ‘Baggesen’s Gold’ AGM: (e) small glossy bright yellow leaves darken in shade. Harts’ Tongue Fern (any fern starting with ‘Asplenium’) is evergreen. We stock a wide range of evergreen shrubs of all sizes, from the more common types to the unusual, more interesting varieties. Height to 5m (16ft). However the Common Box B. sempervirens tolerates shade very well, I grow it under other plants as it does so well in deep shade without it causing any problems. Pachysandra terminalis ‘Variegata’ (v) AGM: (e) dark green leaves with white margins. M. oiwakensis subsp. Prunus laurocerasus: (cherry laurel) (e) large glossy dark green leaves and upright panicles of white flowers in mid and late spring followed by dark red fruits. It has the appearance of something more tropical but is winter hardy here in the UK, pictured here with the foliage covered in frost. Height and spread 60cm (2ft). Height 90cm (3ft). A much wider range of plants including other cultivars of those listed, can be found at RHS Find a Plant. They really are great plants for shade and I have written Aucuba extensively highlighting many different Aucuba varieties many you will have never heard of before. Height 3.5m (11ft). Gardens shaded by trees and buildings are increasingly common as gardens get smaller. Prunus laurocerasus (cherry laurel) However oiwakensis has handsome foliage that produces new foliage in a deep red colour really standing out in spring and autumn. Height and spread 2.5-4m (8-13ft). Hardy Dwarf Evergreen Shrubs That Will Grow in Containers. Kalmia latifolia ‘Olympic Fire’ AGM: (mountain laurel) (*) (e) glossy wavy-margined dark green leaves and from late spring to early summer crimped large pink flowers from red buds. Daphne laureola: (e) glossy dark green leaves and scented pale greenish-yellow flowers in late winter and early spring. Danae racemosa:  slender green shoots and glossy stems, greenish-yellow flowers in early summer. The last Aucuba recommendation is Sulphurea, another variegated yellow leaf variety with the yellow colouration around the edge of the leaf with lighter and darker green colouration towards the centre. Rounded trusses of white flowers open from bright pink buds. Maintaining An Evergreen: 3 Top Tips. times, shade-loving annuals, bulbs and perennials, RHS Registered Charity no. Keep reading to learn more about container grown evergreens. Stachyurus praecox AGM: bell-shaped pale yellow-green flowers in racemes 10cm (4in) long in late winter and early spring before the leaves. Height and spread 4ft (1.2m). It is quite a slow growing shrub and can take 50 or so years to reach full size at around 8 metres, however growing it in a pot or under other plants will greatly reduce its rate of growth and overall size. Pinks and purple dry shade plant combination (1) Purple and gold plant combination (1) Sunny and dry plant combination (1) Height and spread 90cm (3ft). Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Vancouver Jade’: (*) (e) small, glossy, dark green leaves and small racemes of pink flowers in summer then red berries. 5 Tropical Winter Hardy Evergreen Plants for UK Gardens Getting that tropical look in your garden can be challenging in the UK due to our damp, cold and windy winter weather. Height 1m (3ft). humilis: (e) glossy dark green leaves and in winter highly fragrant pink-tinged white flowers followed by blue-black fruits. Height 2m (6½ft). Large flat flowers of purple or blue, surrounded by white ray florets from summer to autumn. Sweet Box (Sarcococca) loves partial shade and tolerates full shade. Spread 90cm (3ft). Profuse white flowers over a long period during spring to autumn. In summer, conical panicles 40cm (16in) long, of small star-shaped white flowers followed by bright red fruits persisting through winter. This variety is available in the UK and is well worth choosing over some of the more common varieties. Height 2.5m (8ft). Height 90cm (3ft). Height 1.2m (4ft). Height 1.2m (4ft). It is also another great shrub for shade with the one pictured growing in a part shaded north facing location. In spring the new bright green leaves contrast with the darker green mature leaves. Evergreen shrubs need very little care because they are so hardy. Spread 90cm-1.2m (3-4ft). Partial Shade: A garden with half sun and half shade. It’s tough, but living in a container will keep … It has attractive buds during the late winter months and early spring flowers in clusters of upside-down blooms. Vinca major ‘Maculata’ (v): (greater periwinkle) (e) arching shoots and dark green leaves with yellow-green centres 9cm (3in) long. Winter Sun is more suited for full shade compared to Charity but both will do well on a northern aspect. Height 45cm (18in). Spread 2m (6ft½). Cotoneaster × suecicus ‘Coral Beauty’ AGM: (e) white flowers in summer followed by profuse bright orange fruit. Height 3m (10ft). Itea ilicifolia AGM: (e) glossy dark green holly-like leaves and in midsummer to autumn highly fragrant, small, greenish-white flowers in pendent racemes to 30cm (1ft) long. Spread 1.5m (5ft). oiwakensis which is the Taiwanese form rather than the Chinese M. oiwakensis subsp. Hamamelis × intermedia 'Barmstedt Gold’ AGM: fragrant deep gold flowers, winter to early spring. Buxus sempervirens (box) Spread 4m (13ft). Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ AGM: (red-barked dogwood) with bright red winter shoots and red autumn leaves. The most commonly available Sweet Box is S. confusa that flowers between December and March. Fortunately there are shrubs that are suited to the British climate and can provide year round evergreen colour and interest whether you are looking for plants for shaded pots and containers, climbers for north facing walls, under trees or larger shrubs, for deep shade or partial shade. Height 3m (10ft). They are very tolerant of shade and are ideal for adding some winter colour to North facing shady area. Nandina domestica: large leaves composed of mid-green leaflets, red when young and in autumn. lomariifolia. Gaultheria procumbens AGM: (*) (e) strongly scented glossy dark green leaves, pale-pink flower racemes in summer then bright red berries persisting through winter. Most boxwood varieties can be shaped as a specimen bush or grown as a short hedging plant.These hardy shrubs grow in full sun to full shade and can withstand some drought. Height 30cm (1ft). Height 2m (6ft½). They can handle well drained soil and do not seem to suffer particularly in long dry summers. ( visharo /123rf.com) This evergreen shrub provides interest to the yard all year-round. These evergreen shrubs reach up … ... 'Evergreen Shrubs For Pots' 1 articles, 8 blogs. Spread 1.5m (4ft). However it should be fine over most of the UK. Spread 3m (10ft). Medium to large shrubs Spread 1.5m (5ft). 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