What evergreen plants grow in shade?

Sarcococca, Fatsia japonica, hardy ferns, Bergenia and Euonymus all keep their foliage in low light and give a shaded border year-round structure.

Which evergreens stay green all winter in a dark corner?

Sarcococca and Fatsia hold glossy leaves through winter, while Bergenia turns a deep bronze; all three cope with low light and look good against bare ground.

Border Builder

Evergreen plants for shade

Evergreens that keep a shaded border furnished all year.

A shaded corner can read as a dead zone from autumn to spring once the deciduous plants drop, which is exactly when you most need something to look at from the house. The difficulty is that many evergreens want sun to keep dense, glossy foliage, and thin or scorch in low light. The answer is to choose true shade-tolerant evergreens and lean on leaf shape and texture rather than flower, since blooms are sparse in the gloom. Group bold and fine foliage together for contrast, and keep them watered in dry shade until established. The plants here hold their leaves and structure through winter in low light, giving a dark spot year-round substance and a green backbone when everything around it has gone over.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 138 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.

138 plants for this

Common questions

What evergreen plants grow in shade?: Sarcococca, Fatsia japonica, hardy ferns, Bergenia and Euonymus all keep their foliage in low light and give a shaded border year-round structure.
Which evergreens stay green all winter in a dark corner?: Sarcococca and Fatsia hold glossy leaves through winter, while Bergenia turns a deep bronze; all three cope with low light and look good against bare ground.

Related collections

Evergreen plants Evergreen shrubs Evergreen shrubs for shade Evergreen groundcover plants