When choosing plants for a shady location, it helps to remember that shade can vary depending on the time of day or the season. Vanessa Nagel of Seasons Garden Design created this landscape in her backyard, which is shaded by many Douglas firs. Shade patterns observed at each equinox have been a reliable indicator of which plants will work where.

Some quality shade plant options include (l-r) Camellia sasanqua ‘Marge Miller’, a double-blooming ground cover; Pachysandra axillaris ‘Windcliff’, a new selection for 2010 introduced by Dan Hinkley; and Tiger Eyes™ sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’), a Bailey Nurseries introduction with fantastic orange coloration in the fall.

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By Elizabeth Petersen“All shade is not equal,” says land-

scape designer Vanessa Nagel, APLD. As the owner of Seasons Garden Design in Vancouver, Wash., she ought to know.

Her lush personal garden contains an entire spectrum of shady spaces, thanks to the shade-producing, mois-ture-robbing Douglas firs and other big trees that form the canopy. These giants dictate the conditions in the one-acre garden. As a result, the quality of shade changes not only during the day, but throughout the year with the changing seasons. That, in turn, affects the plants, and how well they grow.

Nagel recommends that garden-ers “evaluate the specific conditions” to determine which plants will thrive in which areas. She advises that one should observe “where the sun is at equinox,” when daylight and darkness are equal. Then, one can watch to see how the quality of shade changes as the sun moves across the sky.

Mark Bloom, co-owner of Bloom River Gardens in Springfield, Ore., fields

questions about plants for shade. He said that in terms of sunlight, sites can be divided into three categories: full sun (at least six hours of sun, including the heat of the day); filtered light (less than six hours and protection from afternoon sun); and full shade.

“Most plants perform well in some shade,” Mark said. “Most adapt to light intensity, but timing is important. ... If plants grown in full sun are planted in a shadier site, new growth will be more lush to accommodate the lower light level.”

Conversely, if plants grown in shade are planted in more intense sun, the existing foliage may burn, but foli-age that appears later will be better adapted to the greater light intensity.

Many plants worth tryingAs with most gardens, Nagel’s is

neither all shade nor all sun. Most of the garden is a combination of on-again, off-again sun, and the plant pal-ette for such areas – dappled shade or morning sun – is extensive.

SuN ExpoSurE iS NoT a Black-or-WHiTE iSSuE,

BuT a MaTTEr of DEGrEE

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The different shades of shade

Don’t hesitate to give plants a try in the shade, she advised. Many adapt, and the makeup of the soil, its water-holding capacity, the availability of natural or supplemental water, and the design concept narrow the options.

“Pay attention to where the plant originated and if the native condition is understory, plant it in the understory,” Nagel said.

Variegated foliage shows up throughout Nagel’s garden, in combina-tions that light up the shady spots and provide color, contrast and rhythm.

Swaths of hosta cultivars boast white or yellow accents; the cool foli-age of Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ gleams; compact evergreen Pieris ‘Little Heath’ sports silvery-white margins; and Daphne x transatlantica ‘Summer Ice’ “blooms non-stop” and brightens the partly shady scene with both creamy-edged foliage and white blooms.

Cornus controversa variegata, the “wedding cake tree,” provides tiers of glowing white and green foliage in shade created as sun moves through the tree canopy. All sorts of interesting rhododendrons anchor a variety of scenes, including variegated ‘Amethyst’ and ‘Ebony Pearl,’ a cultivar with glossy, purple-red foliage that almost glows. Nandina cultivars “knit the garden together,” and painted ferns add color and texture to the understory.

At the base of a fir tree, tucked into a pocket of soil between roots, a robust Aronia bush produces fruit in Vanessa’s garden. The slow-growing wheel tree (Trochodendron aralioides) is an unusual option for shade. This evergreen tree, native to the mountains of Japan to South Korea and Taiwan, offers beautiful glossy, dark green leaves and makes an outstanding con-tainer tree. Adaptable to light conditions that range from full sun to full shade, it needs soil that’s consistently moist – even wet – but well-drained.

Nearby, perennial Fallopia japonica ‘Variegata’ holds its white-splashed foliage with unique pink stems. Clematis ‘Etoile Rose’ and a pink

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clethra thrive in the site with full morn-ing sun, and afternoon shade.

Even some conifers like dappled shade. Many Chamaecyparis are “very shade tolerant, perfect for spots where the sun produces periodic shade,” Nagel said. They prefer morning sun and pro-tection from scorching conditions.

In one shady section of Nagel’s garden, the deciduous, winter-flow-ering shrub Edgeworthia chrysantha thrives near Cryptomeria knaptonensis, a Japanese cedar with unique white foliage. Beneath these anchors, white-edged Pittosporum, adaptable to either sun or shade, adds interest and light.

Elaeganus maculata ‘Gilt Edge’ is a “great shrub” for “all sorts of condi-tions, except wet,” Nagel said. It joins forces in her garden with native nine-bark and Holodiscus. “If I have good-looking natives, I keep them,” she said.

Heuchera cultivars “love dry shade” and brighten shady spots in Vanessa’s garden with gold and/or variegated leaves. Hellebores thrive in dry shade and adapt to most conditions too, as do an array of Euphorbia selections and ornamental grasses – some with varie-gation, others glowing yellow or blue.

Carex ‘Evergold’ and ‘Ice Dance’ are among Vanessa’s favorites.

Garden areas in dense shade until late afternoon are especially challeng-ing. In such conditions, shade-specific plants tend to burn up and sun-loving plants probably won’t get as much as they would like.

In Nagel’s garden, the tough, most-ly-shade-then-scorching-sun site hosts a cutleaf rhus Tiger Eyes® (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’) from Bailey Nurseries’ First Editions® collection. It grows in a large urn, and the golden foliage lights up the surrounding shade. In fall, it pro-duces a “stunning display,” despite its supposed preference for full sun.

Nearby, a dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum ‘Nana’) is “surpris-ingly successful.” It receives only a short dose of hot, late-day sun, but pro-duces a gorgeous display of orange-red flowers and fruit that echo the color of the Rhus.

A grower’s display gardenCustomers can observe design

combinations and see how well plants

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This shady area at Vanessa Nagel’s home includes Tiger Eyes™ sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’) in the container, surrounded by other shade favorites, including Euphorbia characias ‘Wulfenii’, Elaeagnus pungens ‘fruitlandii’, Stachys byzantina ‘primrose Heron’ and Pennisetum messaicum ‘red Bunny Tails’.

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adapt to shade by visiting the five-acre display gardens at Bloom River Gardens to see “mature specimens of plants in formal and informal settings,” many in shady sites.

The woodland walk and gardens exhibit native Oregon plants and trees and a wide range of complementary plants. Here, “ferns, hostas and astilbes fill secret shady places.”

Hostas are very adaptable to a range of light conditions, Bloom said, and they display “striking foliage in shades of green, yellow, gold, gray-blue and variegation.” In shade, they “look luxurious and full bodied, with lush, full leaves.” In a sunnier site, even with moist, humus-y, well-drained soil, the leaves may be smaller and tighter.

Astilbes, with fern-like foliage and feathery flower plumes, are “great com-panions” to ferns and hostas in shade and they “make ideal container plants.”

Daylilies and some conifers are surprisingly well-suited for shady condi-tions, according to Mark. “The flowers of daylilies hold up better throughout the day when given some shade,” he said. The native hemlocks and cultivars are “great for shade.” Tsuga c. ‘Everett Golden’ with gold foliage gets high marks from Bloom. The “very choice” and slow-growing, but hard to find cultivar T. c. ‘Betty Rose’ is also “very nice,” he said.

Cultivars of the coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) adapt to shade too. Mark suggests the horizontal, spreading ‘Kelly’s Prostrate’ and ‘Albo-spica’ which boasts white variegation.

Solving big-scale problemsAre you dealing with a large-scale

site in the shade? Heed the advice

It isn’t hard to get growers to talk about plants. The tough part is getting them to narrow down their list of favorites to just a handful. Here are some of the varieties our sources recommended:

Picks

ProsProsfrom the

Nicholas SteddonMonrovia GrowersDayton, Ore.

Golden ruby™ Barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Goruzam’ pp #16203) – A beautiful, slow-growing compact plant with striking coral-orange foliage accented with a golden margin. Makes a great landscape plant for mass plantings or an eye-

catching color contrast. its compact growth habit, only two feet tall and wide, makes this a low maintenance selection. prefers full sun. Deciduous. uSDA zones 4-8.

Southern Moon™ Yedda Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepsis umbellata ‘rutrhaph1’ ppaf) – Close to a decade of evaluation has shown this plant to exhibit exceptional disease resistance combined with a compact, self-mounding habit remaining just four to five feet tall, unlike Rhaphiolepsis umbellata ‘Minor’. Dark green, glossy foliage and wavy margins add interest. Abundant white flower display appears in spring prior to emerging new growth. Excellent for foundation plantings. ‘Southern Moon’ is a great choice for anyone seeking an easy-care flowering hedge that will certainly turn heads. Zones 7-10.

pink Double Dandy itoh peony (Paeonia (itoh) x ‘pink Double Dandy’) – in the quest

to create a true yellow herbaceous peony, toichi itoh was the first to successfully cross a tree peony (P. lemoinei) with an herbaceous (garden) peony (P. lactiflora) in 1948. in 2004, a Canadian tissue culture laboratory discovered the closely guarded secret to produce itoh peonies in

vitro. itoh peonies resemble tree peonies with a domed, vigorous growth habit and large double flowers with disease-resistant lacy, dark green foliage. this cross is a 2010 introduction. its large, semi-double to double flower measures up to six inches and is held on strong stems above a compact mound of 24 to 30 inches tall and wide, dark green foliage. As the flower matures, the dark lavender pink petals slowly fade to a soft pink, revealing a cluster of yellow stamens in its center. the flower is lightly fragrant. prefers full sun to dappled shade. Zones 4-8. Hybridized by Don Smith, a leading itoh peony breeder.

Mark BloomBloom River GardensSpringfield, Ore.

Cryptomeria japonica var. knaptonensis (dwarf Japanese cedar) — the brilliant

white tips on this beautiful, semi-dwarf evergreen stay light in shade and brighten up dark spaces. it grows best in filtered light and needs protection from afternoon sun. Shaped in a tight

bun, it grows 3-4 inches a year. Zones 5-7.

Pieris japonica ‘little Heath Green’ — unlike the variegated ‘Little Heath’, this lush, low shrub is extremely adaptable to conditions from full shade to full sun – very choice. New leaves emerge burgundy red in spring maturing to green throughout the summer. Late summer typically brings another flush of new growth. this very nice foliage plant becomes flat-topped mound. Nice along paths and in the front of shrub beds. Zones 5-8.

Troy MartinBeaverlake NurseryBeavercreek, Ore.

pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) – this low woodland perennial is another favorite. it has delicate-looking fern-like foliage and clusters of dangling pink, heart-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

oregon iris (Iris tenax) – this adaptable iris forms large clumps of foliage with blooms in a variety of colors – blue/purple/lavender/white/yellow – in late spring flowers. prefers dry conditions in summer.

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of Troy Martin, owner of Beaverlake Nursery in Beavercreek, Ore., a whole-sale grower of plugs, liners and contain-erized plants that specializes in natives and groundcovers for road and restora-tion projects.

Around 50 percent of Beaverlake’s business comes from municipal enti-ties. According to Martin, the market for native plants is “taking off” as the result of several factors. “Architects are including more natives in their designs because they adapt well and require less water,” he said.

High demand has been gener-ated for projects funded by grants of stimulus dollars, and natives fill the bill. Beaverlake’s largest seller for 2009 is probably Mahonia repens (creeping mahonia). Some 11,000 1-gallon plants went to the new Portland Airport park-ing project alone. Vine maple is also in high demand: Beaverlake sells thou-sands of 1-gallon plants.

Point Reyes kinnickinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) sold out in 2009, the result of demand for that more reliable cultivar to replace disease-prone varieties, Martin said. For 2010, Beaverlake has increased production and expects to have 200,000 3.5” plants.

Adaptable Carex cultivars are widely used in road projects. A single project can require upwards of 200,000 plugs. Slough sedge (C. obnupta) is especially favored.

Outlawing of English ivy in many places is partially responsible for chang-ing the market. The need for tough, adaptable groundcovers still exists, and natives, such as Rubus (thimbleberry and salmonberry), fill the need. Many plants adapt to shade with regular

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water, Martin said, but dry shade is the toughest condition, requiring the use of plants that can die out in wet sites. “Plants that want dry shade won’t take it wet,” he said.

On the other hand, plants for wet-lands and bioswales have to be able to survive constantly wet conditions.

These special projects, often government- and/or grant-funded generate big demand. For instance, Beaverlake Nursery recently supplied plants for a 20-acre wetland project on the coast that required 12,000 plugs per acre.

“Some cities specify six plugs per square foot in bioswale or wetland projects,” Martin said. Some would consider that overplanting, but offi-

cials commonly assume that some of the plugs may not survive.

New introductionsMonrovia’s Dan Hinkley Collection

has expanded to include three new shade selections for 2010. One of them, ‘Green Giant’ Chinese Fairy Bells (Disporum cantoniense), was featured in the 2009 Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase, a designation that denotes “unique characteristics” that distinguish it from others.

‘Green Giant’ is an evergreen perennial with tall (4-6’), bamboo-like shoots that emerge in shades of pink, white and green and then mature to deep green. Fragrant, creamy-white, bell-shaped spring flowers give way to

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This pot on a pillar, containing liriope muscari ‘Silvery Sunproof’, makes a statement in a well-shaded portion of designer Vanessa Nagel’s yard.

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striking black fruit in fall. Provide shade and regular water.

Another new Dan Hinkley Collection selection from seed collected in China, Beesia deltophylla, is an ever-green ground cover that is “sure to be hugely popular,” according to Monrovia spokesperson Judy Lynes. Its shiny, green-blue, heart-shaped leaves and white star-shaped flowers will brighten up shady or woodland gardens.

The third addition to the Dan Hinkley Collection is Windcliff Pachysandra (Pachysandra axillaris ‘Windcliff’), a “rarely encountered spe-cies” that provides “distinctive evergreen foliage and noticeably fragrant” white flowers in spring and fall in both shade and sun.

Monrovia also introduced the first known prostrate camellia, Marge Miller™ (Camellia sasanqua ‘Marge Miller’), which can be staked as a patio tree with cascading foliage or used as a ground-cover, “spilling over walls or even from a hanging basket.” Fall flowers are pink and plants prefer filtered sun.

New Hosta and Heuchera cultivars from Monrovia for 2010 “love dappled shade.” These include three dramatic Heuchera villosa hybrids. H. ‘Tiramusu’ boasts chartreuse foliage adorned with a “heavy smattering of brick red that radi-ates out from the midrib of each leaf.” A sister seedling, H. ‘Miracle’ has similar foliage but pink, rather than creamy flowers. H. ‘Citronelle’ is a robust selec-tion with bright citron yellow leaves – more chartreuse in deeper shade – with silver undersides.

‘Orange Marmalade’ hosta is “the closest thing to orange leaves ever seen on a hosta.” The large, clumping shade perennial boasts “bright golden-tanger-ine accents in spring” that “lighten to pure white by summer’s end.”

New introductions from oregonNew single and double Hellebore

cultivars from the work of Oregon’s Marietta O’Byrne at Northwest Garden

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Nursery offer “clean, clear colors, evenly shaped tepals, good vigor, and a plentiful flower show,” according to the nursery’s Web site.

Seedlings of single hellebores are available from Northwest Garden Nursery for 2010 in ‘Apricot Blush’, ‘Black Diamond’, ‘Cherry Blossom’, ‘Golden Sunrise’, ‘Jade Star’, and Painted’. The collection of double helle-bores from O’Byrne is offered as Winter Jewels by Terra Nova, with nine new listings for 2010.

Watch for Vanessa Nagel’s new book on garden design, to be released in June 2010 by Timber Press.

Elizabeth Petersen writes for garden-ers and garden businesses, coaches students and writers, and tends a one-acre garden in West Linn, Ore. She can be reached at gardenwrite@comcast.net.

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This dwarf pomegranate shrub (Punica granatum ‘Nana’) is not only slow-growing and beautiful, but it puts on a show with orange-red flowers. it is drought-tolerant, but it also stands up to heat, making it a good option for areas that are shady only some of the time.

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St. Paul Branch20160 Main St.

St. Paul, Oregon503.633.4281

1.888.814.5727

Administrative Offices7746 St. Paul Hwy.St. Paul, Oregon503.678.59321.800.648.2718

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