3 foot tall plant for part shade?

I am looking to replace 4 boxwood shrubs that are in the back of my flower bed. The area is part shade and I need the plant to be taller than the plants that are towards the front of my flower bed. So...I thought 3 feet would be good. The area isn't very big so whatever I plant cannot be too bushy. Any suggestions?

3 foot tall plant for part shade?
You didn't say if you wished green or colored foliage, leaf size, or texture so I'll try for a range.


Daphne odora is evergreen with bluish green foliage, slow to grow and very fragrant. A small one (2x2') is Daphne x mantensiana that reblooms in summer and fall sometimes. Daphne x burkwoodii 'Briggs Moonlight' has nearly all cream leaves. Daphne x transatlantica 'Summer Ice' is a bit taller and less variegation. There are many species and cultivars to choose, some for more shade but all bloom early.


Did you know there is now a black Elderberry (European Sambucus nigra) 'Black Beauty', is an improved version of with rich dark purple foliage. It does best in rich, constantly moist soil with just a touch of shade. This is a plant easily cut back in spring to keep small. Remove stems to the ground to prune. For the other color extreme there is a near albino version S. nigra 'Pulverulenta' -- Its pale green leaves are so densely spotted with cream, white and pink that little green is visible.This must have shade in the afternoon to prevent sunburn and is very slow growing to 4-5 feet.





Weigela florida offers the Dancer Series, for compact habit


The hardiest of these are 'Samba' at 2 to 3 feet in height, with red flowers and dark green foliage edged in purple. Then 'Midnight Wine', is a diminutive version of 'Wine and Roses' that reaches only 2 feet in height. Weigela an grow in semi-shade as if in an open woodland not a dense fir forest.





A very old fashion shrub with graceful arching stems of spring blooming bells is Deutzia. My neighbors had one I helped prune into its natural shape. It must be thinned by trimming some branches to the ground or it becomes an entangled blob. Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’ flowers in May then has fall foliage color (2x4')





A zone 7 hardy Jasminum floridum has a fine weeping form. This one offers yellow flowers against a deep evergreen foliage.


Another basic green is Abelia grandiflora or Glossy abelia 'Edward Goucher' to 5' or 'Compacta' at 3'. There are also variegated cultivars like 'Silver Anniversary' that add a silver highlight to shady spots. 2-3' tall


Then a case of texture taken to extremes. 'Harry Lauders Walking Stick' the contorted hazelnut tree.Corylus avellana 'Contorta'


A tall perennial that likes shade is Cimicifuga simplex 'Hillside Black Beauty'. It needs some shade in afternoons or a more moist site to tolerate much afternoon sun.





The sites I have given are a range of places that offer a lot of information.
Reply:Coleus is great, look u pics of it online, it grows a few feet and is beautiful, colorful leaves (purple, pink, yellow, red, etc) and grows abundantly in shade, does not really like sun and is very easy to take care of, also looks beautiful as a background for smaller flowers in front. You can plant it from seed but it may take at least 2-3 months to start seeing any leaves or just buy it already started from a nursery or a place like Walmart, Home Dept, or Kroger, they sell small 6 packs (already about 6 inches to a foot high) for about $2. Good Luck.
Reply:Nandina
Reply:Toad lillys are some of my favorite. Bleeding hearts are also a great choice. If you sticking with a color theam don't think you are limited. For years it was hard to find colorfull plants for the shade. Now there are just about as much colorfull varities as in full sun. Think about using the space you have to make a multicolored stepped garden that has different plants showing off their best in intervals that overlap one another. For example, some plants show in eairly spring while some are late summer. If you draw out a design of what you have first you can plan your garden to have something blooming from eairly spring to late summer. I like semitery in my gardens so I have an imaginary line drawn down the center and equal plants on either side. Some people like random paterns which look more like nature. You could add sculpture or stone to make a real treasure even if it's for yourself to see only. Currently I am working on a half acre project where I have a butterfly and Hummingbird theam. I have planted milkweed along the pathways that butterflies lay their eggs on. When you walk down the path butterflies flutter all around you as you go. I plan to build a gazebo soon that will have the roof open to a butterfly habitat. The property will have cardinal flower and trumpet vine, along with other things, that will attract hummingbirds. I always enjoy Backyard Gardener.com. Check it out.