Full Shade Container Plants

Any suggestions for plants that do well in full shade and in containers?

Ideally looking for taller, architectural plants. Evergreen would be good for year round interest, but I am open to any suggestions for large plants that love very heavy shade and do well in containers.

 

Hi,

Not the most exciting plant ever but Sarcococca does well in full shade and is evergreen. I have two of them in containers, sandwiched between a fence and the shed, and they are loving life.

I also have a Viburnum Tinus that's doing well in a container in a shaded position, though not quite as shaded as the other one.

 

Depending on the extent of your "very heavy shade", Phormiums, Fatsias and Hostas will tolerate shade and grow well in containers until they need either pruning, dividing or repotting. The first two are evergreen. Fatsias are happier in the ground but if you have a large container, one will be OK for a couple of years. The variegated Fatsias are slower growing so may be a better choice, if you like them. Hosta "Sum and Substance" is one of the best giant Hostas, making an instant impact once the leaves unfold. Any plant in a container will be dependent on you for watering and feeding and need a good soil based compost, not multipurpose compost, plus added grit for drainage.

 

@Plantminded 's idea of a Fatsia is something I would like to second actually, it is a more interesting plant than the two I have mentioned, and it is taller than the sarcococca.

 

The plain green Fatsia does take off if it’s happy though @CostasK, I had to move mine from a container into the ground within about 6 months. Your suggestions are good too. Sarcococca doesn’t seem to like my garden though, the leaves aren’t the right green, not bright enough for me .

 

Thanks @Plantminded We have a green one and also a "Spider Webs" one, both in large containers. The green one is indeed more vigorous but it's also easy to cut back. The green one we have had for about 5 years already and it's very happy in a pot. I did move it to a bigger pot once in that time, proactively.

Sarcococcas have a deep green for me. I don't get too excited by them but they happily grow where not much else does, so I appreciate them for that

 

Hi @TomatoLover91 , what size of container(s) are you thinking about?

A large, tall container filled with various evergreen ferns of different sizes, shapes and textures and a bit of Ivy trailing down would look fabulous. Some spring bulbs would fit in too, the small modest ones (snowdrops, Muscari, small Alliums, Scilla) will probably do ok also after the first year or can be replaced each autumn.

It would be helpful if you could post a photo of the place and the container.

Many conifers can do ok in low light too, and are draught tolerant which is important with container growing.

 

our native violets live in very dark areas. bluebells too. lots of cool mosses too.
bugle can do ok. dogs murcury unfortunately takes over in some places which is very boring and not useful for much wildlife, ivy can too but that has good flowers at least.
bedstraws seem to do well. ive seen wood sorrel and wood anemone in places but its fairly uncommon.
i occasionally see foxgloves in deep shade also.

 

If you want taller, architectural planting that's preferably evergreen @TomatoLover91 , you need large enough containers to sustain them long term. By large, I don't mean something a foor/30cm in width and or height. I mean something double that size, so it may mean building something.
Many of the plant suggestions given are neither large [nor evergreen] so it would help to know what you mean by taller, and also what you're trying to achieve. Where you're siting them is also a factor - are they to go on a hard surface?
You can use things like Euonymus fortuneii varieties which will 'climb' if given a support, trellis or similar, and they're useful in shade as most are variegated. Many Osmanthus varieties will do well in shade, but are also quite dark themselves, so it would help to know just how shady the site is.
Anything like Ilex [holly] or Mahonia will need a good amount of growing medium, but will grow in quite hefty shade. Pyracantha will also grow in very little light. Those 3 are all jaggy, which may not suit. All those are evergreen, and most hollies are variegated which is good for shade.
You can use the vertical Junipers, columnar Yews or some of the naturally 'cone' shaped conifers like Pisiferas, but you need to be sure they don't dry out, so the medium you grow them in needs to be soil based, or totally soil, with some grit or gravel to aid drainage. That goes for all the shrubs you might decide on, so it would also help to know roughly where you are and what your climate is like.
You could also use the shrubby honeysuckle- Lonicera nitida, and shape it , which can give some height. They'll grow in containers if they have enough volume. Eleagnus is another shrub, often used for hedging, but can be pruned to size. I've never grown that in a container, but it should be ok if the container is large.

 

Mahonia mentioned above is a good option for something that is architectural, evergreen and tall. The leaves on many varieties are spiky but there are two soft leaved varieties that might suit, "Soft Caress" and "Meteor" which can both reach up to 1.2m. They are slow growing though so if you are impatient and your budget permits, choose a large plant. If you want flowers, Camellias prefer shade, are evergreen and can get tall. You'll need to use a soil based ericaceous compost. I also have an Irish Yew in a large container which has a tall, columnar form. Mine is in a sunny location but they are also happy in shade. A clearer definition of your "very heavy shade", the direction that your container will face, its size, and a photo of the location will all help with suitable recommendations.

 

As I have some of the plants mentioned in my garden, I thought I would share some quick photos:

• Fatsias:
  
  
• Sarcococca ("Sarcococca Confusa Winter Gem")
  
  
• Mahonia "Soft Caress":
  
  
• Viburnum Tinus:
  
  
• Lonicera Nitida "Baggesens's Gold" (however, in a shaded position, the foliage would be much more green than yellow - this one is in a sunny spot):
  
  

As others have already pointed out, what exactly is considered tall is open to interpretation and so is shade, so having some more information will definitely help

 

Wow, those two Fatsias are doing well @CostasK. Your Sarcococca's also looking much healthier than mine - it's under notice at the moment .

 

I wonder why that is, regarding the sarcococca @Plantminded. They are said to be very easy plants and this has been my experience indeed. Maybe they are not too keen on your sandy soil? They do like drainage as they don't like wet feet, but they are also a bit hungry for nutrients, especially over time. In those containers I had mixed in peat free compost with topsoil and top dressed with well rotted manure. During the growing season I give them some fertiliser and at some point repeat the top dressing with manure.

 

I think you’re right @CostasK, my sandy soil is the problem. I’m actually not very keen on the scent either but I might let it try to sway my negative thoughts over the next few weeks .