Top 20 Small Flowering Shrubs for Shaded Gardens [UK]
Table of Contents
Shading gardens are extremely common around the UK. Sometimes it becomes difficult to find plants that can grow well in the shade. Finding the shrubs that produce colourful flowers in the dark and shade can be a difficult task but not impossible.
To get the solution to this difficult problem, you must read this article that will help you in finding the perfect flowering shrub for shade. We have selected the best flowering shrubs that will fit perfectly into your shading gardens. So let us read with the motive of turning your garden into a beautiful haven.
Small Shrubs for Shade in the UK
We have made a list of the 20 most beautiful flowering shrubs for shade. They not only will thrive in the shade but will enliven your garden with their attractive shapes and colours. So if you are a garden enthusiast or a garden owner with shading parts, then you must read this list below to get some good inspiration for your place.
1. Smooth Hydrangea
Smooth Hydrangea is an excellent choice when it comes to the flowering shrub for shade. They are low-maintenance shrubs that produce globe-shaped clusters of creamy-white blooms in the high summer. The flower heads can measure from 20cm to 25cm across. The flowers of this shrub are usually produced on new growth, so you can prune in the early spring to produce some gorgeous new flowers.
Original Name: Hydrangea arborescens
Hardiness Rating: H3
Growing requirement: well-drained and moist soil, can grow in partial or no shade.
2. Azalea
Azaleas belong to the rhododendron family. They fully bloom into the spring season, producing a spectacular view of different flower colours. These shrubs for shade require rich and acidic soil. Azalea shows different varieties of shades during its bloom, like pink, purple, and white. It can grow as tall as 12 feet high with the proper care and shade. It is surely a wonderful addition to the shrubs for shade in the garden.
Original Name: Azalea
Hardiness Rating: H6
Growing requirement: Moist soil and partial shade
3. Lantana
Lantana shrubs produce beautiful colours of flowers in late spring. These brightly coloured shrubs provide a scenic view of the garden. It produces flowers in different shades and has small flowers that form round cluster-like shapes. It has a slight citrusy scent to it, which attracts the pollinators.
Original Name: Lantana Camara
Hardiness Rating: H9
Growing requirement: Dry, moist or wet soil and requires partial shade.
4. Star Magnolia
Star Magnolias looks stunning in the garden. It is one of the earliest spring-blooming flowering shrubs. If pruned rightly and properly, they can turn into a big flowering tree that could be a sight to behold. It produces flowers that have a mild fragrance and long petals which bloom in March or April. They properly grow in small spaces as they don’t respond well when get overcrowded with the other plants.
Original Name:Magnolia stellata
Hardiness Rating: H4
Growing requirement: Moist soil and partial or no shade
5. Camellia
Camellia is known for its dark and glossy foliage. It is an evergreen flowering shrub which is also known as the state flower of Alabama. The clusters of bloom are visible by late winter and stay throughout the spring. They produce flowers with thick petals in various colours like white, pink, and red.
Original Name: Camellia Japonica
Hardiness Rating: H5
Growing requirement: Full sun to partial shade and well-drained, acidic soil
6. Viburnum
The Viburnums are tough and colourful shrubs. These produce clusters of white flowers in the spring and blue, black, and red berries in the summer. These shrubs provide various shades of flowers throughout the year. Some Viburnums are evergreen, and others give beautiful yellow foliage in the fall. It comes in different shapes and sizes, so you can choose according to your preferences.
Original Name: Viburnum
Hardiness Rating: H5
Growing requirement: Partial or no shade and moist soil
7. Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are great flowering shrubs for shade. They can grow 3 to 20 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide. These are evergreen shrubs that produce gorgeous flowers in different shades like purple, white, yellow, and orange. They make a stunning statement in the garden. There are different varieties of Rhododendron available that produces amazing flowers of various shapes and sizes.
Original Name: Rhododendron
Hardiness Rating: H7
Growing requirement: Partial shade and acidic soil
8. Japanese Kerria
Japanese Kerria provides beautiful sunny yellow colour flowers for shade in April and May. It is also known as Easter rose. The arching stems of the Kerria are evergreen, providing shades of colours in the winter season. The plant can grow 3 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide.
Original Name: Kerria Japonica
Hardiness Rating: H4
Growing requirement: Semi-shade or no shade and requires moist soil
9. Poinsettia
Poinsettia decorates our houses during the Christmas season with its beautiful long flower petals. It is an amazing shrub with broad and long petals that can brighten up the surroundings of the garden. It can grow up to 10 feet if taken care of properly. It needs at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Not only cold weather but Poinsettia thrives in tropical temperatures too. It is a beautiful flowering shrub to grow in the UK.
Original Name:Euphorbia pulcherrima
Hardiness Rating: H1 to H2
Growing requirement: Full sun and moist soil
10. Pieris
Pieris is an evergreen shrub that grows 4 to 5 feet tall and wide. It produces mesmerizing white bell-like blooms in the spring season. New leaves are produced in the gorgeous fiery pink colour that gradually fades into white-green colour at the edges of the leaves in summer. The evergreen winter leaves give a beautiful look to the overall flowering shrub. Make sure to prune after blooming for the best results.
Original Name: Pieris
Hardiness Rating: H5
Growing requirement: Full shade to semi-shade and requires moist soil
11. Mountain Laurel
Mountain Laurel is an evergreen shrub that is one of the most beautiful shrubs for a garden. It produces bell-shaped flowers in different shades like pink, white, purple, red, or bicoloured during the late spring and early summer. The leaves are smooth-edged, glossy, and dark green. It can tolerate both dry and wet conditions, which makes it a perfect flowering shrub.
Original Name:Kalmia latifolia
Hardiness Rating: H4
Growing requirement: Semi-shade or no shade and requires acidic soil
12. Shrub Rose
The shrub rose is a pretty flowering shrub that is quite famous for its shades of flowers. It is a low-maintenance plant that requires very less amount of care. It has a wide range of different breeds with various colours. It is a versatile plant and is drought-tolerant. The deep green foliage of shrub roses creates a beautiful backdrop for the flowers when blooming. It can also be paired with many other flowers in your garden.
Original Name: Rosaceae
Hardiness Rating: H4
Growing requirement: Full sun and well-drained, loamy soil
13. Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel is a deciduous and easy-to-grow flowering shrub. It gives a boost of yellow colour in the late winter and early spring with its beautiful blooming. The flowers of these shrubs give an intense fragrance which becomes the highlight of these flowering shrubs. It can grow between 12 to 15 feet tall. Different varieties of Witch Hazel produce different shapes and colours of flowers. It is a beautiful plant that gives lots of surprises by blooming fragrant flowers.
Original Name:Hamamelis virginiana
Hardiness Rating: H5
Growing requirement: Semi-shade or no shade and requires moist soil
14. Slender Deutzia
Slender Deutzia is a great flowering shrub that can also bloom in the shade. It is a deciduous shrub and is vase-shaped. The beautiful flowers are produced during spring. It produces pure white, five-petaled flowers that are an inch wide and last for several weeks. It is easy to grow in average garden soil and needs very little care. The spring flowers have a slight fragrance to them. It can grow up to 5 feet tall. You can prune if you want to but only after flowering.
Original Name: Deutzia gracilis
Hardiness Rating: H5
Growing requirement: Full sun or partial shade and moist soil
15. Daphne
Daphne is a stunning flowering shrub that produces clusters of flowers in early summer. It has small pink and white flowers and is very fragrant. It can grow 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. It is semi-evergreen and thrives in rich, moist soil. It should be left undisturbed when planted as it does not respond well. It is a beautiful shrub that looks great in the gardens.
Original Name: Daphne
Hardiness Rating: H4
Growing requirement: Full sun or partial shade and moist soil
16. Virginia Sweetspire
Virginia Sweetspire is a deciduous flowering shrub that blooms in summer. It produces creamy white flowers that decorate the stems of the plant. The flowers are fragrant and attract many pollinators. There are no leaves in the winter, but in the fall, the foliage turns into a beautiful red-purple shade.
Original Name: Itea virginica
Hardiness Rating: H6
Growing requirement: Full sun or partial shade and moist soil
17. Oregon Holly Grape
Oregon Holly Grape is an evergreen shrub that can grow from 5 to 6 feet tall. It is a great plant for shade and fits perfectly into woodland gardens, foundation plantings, and shrub borders. It produces yellow flowers in long panicles and is intensely fragrant. The plant gets covered with small red and black berries during the fall season.
Original Name:Mahonia aquifolium
Hardiness Rating: H5
Growing requirement: Full shade or partial shade and requires dry or moist soil
18. Clethra
Clethra is a deciduous flowering shrub that blooms in summer. It produces white and pink flowers with its rich fragrance spreading across the surroundings. The foliage of the plant turns into a bright yellow shade during the fall season. It is also known as summersweet. This could be a beautiful addition to your garden. It is also the favourite shrub of the Hummingbirds.
Original Name: Clethra
Hardiness Rating: H3
Growing requirement: Full sun or partial shade and well-drained, moist soil
19. Oakleaf Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea is a shrub that is admired by every gardener. It produces large creamy white flowers that are shaped like cones in large panicles. It looks beautiful in the summer when it is blooming. During fall, the leaves of this plant turn into orange and burgundy shades. The peeling bark of this shrub during winter is appreciated by many people.
Original Name:Hydrangea quercifolia
Hardiness Rating: H6
Growing requirement: Partial shade and moist soil
20. Beauty Bush
Beauty Bush is a flowering shrub that grows gorgeous flowers during the mid-spring. It is low-maintenance and pest-free. The growth of this shrub is like a fountain with straight stems that reaches up. The yellow foliage of this shrub is a very beautiful sight to witness during the autumn season. It can grow 6 to 10 feet tall. You can prune and eliminate the dead stems of the plant to make it look more clean and stunning.
Original Name:Kolkwitzia amabilis
Hardiness Rating: H2
Growing requirement: Partial shade or full sun and well-drained, moist soil
Conclusion
Flowering shrubs are a wonderful addition to the gardens that have less sunlight. The different colours of flowers and leaves during different season gives a colourful perspective to the life of humans. That is why it makes our hearts so happy when we plant some interesting shrubs in our yards or gardens.
We hope that you liked our above-presented options for flowering shrubs. You can choose according to your like and garden from the list of these beautiful shrubs. A good flowering plant will not disappoint you. Rather, it will spread cheerfulness in the atmosphere of the house.
Good Luck and Happy Gardening!
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