Trees That Will Grow in the Shade

Some trees grow in shade.

Today, many residential and commercial lots have no trees at all, so adding shade and softening the hard edges of the property are often primary objectives. On the other hand, if the building site is heavily wooded or has adjacent buildings, the challenge may be to find trees that will grow in the shade or in the shadows of buildings and existing landscape features.

Dogwood

Dogwood in spring.

Cornus florida, or flowering dogwood, is a small deciduous tree, which typically grows in woodland settings in the shade of taller specimens. It can reach 30 feet in height and 35 feet in width, but is more likely to be about 15 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. Horizontal branches grow in tiers, which give the dogwood its distinctive airy look. Dogwood blossoms, which appear for two to three weeks in spring, consist of four petal-like bracts, each with an indentation in the center of the outer edge. The bracts are flat and centered by the actual flowers, which are yellow and insignificant. The bracts are usually pure white or pink and are quite showy. Bright red berry-like fruit follows the flowering and may remain through the winter. Dogwood is hardy throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness zones 5 through 9. Though shade or filtered shade is best, dogwood will grow in full sun in Northern climes.

Japanese Maple

Japanese maple in fall.

A tree that appreciates a shady location is Acer palmatum, or Japanese maple; its leaves will scorch if it receives too much sun. The deciduous Japanese maple is a smallish, slow-growing tree that makes an outstanding specimen plant in zones 5 through 8. A height of 15 to 25 feet and a spread of 10 to 25 feet are usual. The tree assumes a dense, rounded form with spreading, layered branches. Leaves are wide with five to nine finger-like extensions. In summer, the foliage of the Japanese maple is green. Autumn brings on vibrant hues of yellow, purple and red for an eye-catching display that will be the focal point of any garden. The Japanese maple requires evenly moist, well-drained soil and protection from excess wind.

Red Buckeye

Aesculus pavia, or red buckeye, is a small, single-stemmed tree, which usually grows to a height of 8 to 10 feet. The deciduous red buckeye finds its home in shade provided by taller trees in beech-magnolia forests or in other woodsy areas along creeks or streams. It has attractive serrated leaves that grow in sets of five at the ends of stems. Red, tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds appear with the leaves in spring. Red buckeye does well in shade or semi-shade, but flowers better if it gets more sun. Too much sun, however, will cause it to lose its leaves by late summer instead of in the fall. Hardy in zones 5 through 9, red buckeye usually does not require water beyond the natural rainfall, which makes it attractive from the standpoint of water conservation. If rainfall is insufficient, however, it may drop its leaves in mid summer.

References

• Floridata: Cornus florida
• North Carolina State University: Plant Fact Sheets: Japanese Maple
• Floridata: Aesculus pavia

Resources

• Garden Pilot Navigator: Growing Trees in Full Shade
• The United States National Arboretum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map