Are you looking to add a boundary to your garden? Are you looking to replace that beaten up, old fence with something more organic and verdant? If so, then you’re probably in the market for some hedging plants. Here’s the thing, though. We don’t all live somewhere blessed with loads and loads of sunshine, so it’s important to know which hedging plants work for shade (either partial or full). In this post, we’ll be looking at the very best hedging plants for shade (spoilers: it’s common yew).

Jump to:

• Yew
• Holly
• Portuguese laurel
• Beech
• Hazel
• Spacing hedging plants for shade
• Tips for growing hedging plants in shade

What are the best hedging plants for shade?

1. Common yew (Taxus baccata)

One of the most commonly-found evergreens in the UK, common yew makes for an excellent hedging plant for shade. Tolerant of even the deepest pockets of shade, yews feature dark green, needle-like leaves arranged in two rows, and red fruits (which look a bit like pitted olives) which appear in the autumn.

Used in everything from bowmaking to churchyard protection and purification, this native staple provides dense coverage and boasts an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It’s also valuable to wildlife and hardy enough to withstand even the most severe of British winters (tolerating temperatures below -20°C).

2. English holly (Ilex aquifolium)

The holly is another great example of a hedging plant for shade, tolerating both partial and deeper shade. Synonymous with the festive season, the spiny foliage and vivid red berries make for an effective and attractive hedging plant.

Another RHS AGM winner, holly has been granted the society’s Plants for Pollinators status, indicating its wildlife appeal to pollinating insects like bees and butterflies. You can use holly plants to make a continuous hedge, or you can plant it as a standalone shrub/tree.

3. Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Portuguese laurel is another excellent choice for hedging in shade. With its dense glossy foliage, this laurel is the perfect choice for a screening hedge, offering both visual privacy and dampening sound as well. While it generally prefers a bit more light than full shade, that’s not to say it can’t still grow nicely in partial shade and even full shade (dry shade is better than damp shade).

Yet another RHS award winner and member of the society’s group of Plants for Pollinators, Portuguese laurel also produces lovely fragrant, white flowers in summer and attractive autumn berries in aubergine hues.

4. Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Onto the deciduous options now and we’re starting with beech. Retaining its dead brown leaves throughout the winter (which sometimes gains it the term everbrown, while the process itself is called marcescence), beech grows nicely enough in shade and provides a rustic, traditional hedge with good levels of coverage. Alternate between green and purple beech plants when planting for a more formal, patterned look. Plus, it’s native!

5. Hazel (Corylus avellana)

Hazel is another great deciduous hedging option for shadier locations. The major caveat with hazel is that, like most deciduous trees (save for beech and hornbeam) hazel loses its leaves in winter so if year-round coverage is important to you, this isn’t the option to go for. That said, when it’s in leaf it’s a mighty impressive plant. Not only do you get lush foliage, there are also nice springtime catkins and delicious nuts! Supporting more than 70 different species of insect, this is a great choice for the wildlife-conscious out there.

How far apart should you space hedging plants for shade?

The distances hedging plants for shade should be planted apart are similar to those of hedging plants in any light condition. The only thing worth bearing in mind is that, if you’re planting in deep shade, new growth might not be quite so vigorous for hedging plants therefore you might want to plant them slightly closer together than you would a hedge growing with ready access to sunshine, just so that you’re not left with a holey hedge.

A good rule of thumb for hedging spacing is to plant five to seven plants per metre for plants under 1.2m, three to five plants per metre for plants under 1.5m and three plants per metre for plants over the 1.5m mark. For more information on hedge planting, including whether to plant a single or double row, make sure to check out our comprehensive guide.

Tips for growing hedging plants for shade

The things to remember when growing hedging plants in shade are that the soil will dry out less quickly than plants grown in sunny aspects. That means, generally speaking, hedging plants for shade require less frequent watering than those soaked in sunshine.

Consider, particularly if you’re growing bare root hedging plants, sprinkling some mycorrhizal fungi (like Rootgrow) into the planting hole to help your plants establish a healthier root network and do so more quickly.

If your soil drains too quickly (or conversely, if it isn’t well-drained enough) then consider amending with some well-rotted manure or organic compost to enrich the soil and improve its moisture retention/drainage capabilities (depending on what’s needed).

Final thoughts

A garden in the shadows doesn’t have to mean a garden without growth, and if you’re wanting to section that garden or give it an added bit of privacy, then adding some hedging plants for shade is a must. Whether you want the density of yew, the deciduous nature of beech or the seasonality of holly, there’s an option out there for you. If you want a native hedge, make sure to check out our post on British hedgerows!