The only shrub I know of that might work, though it's slow growing, is Eleutherococcus sieboldianus 'Variegatus', very handsome and handles dry shade well.

Maples, most of them, are notorious for the heavy root competition under them. If the area you want to plant is under the canopy of the maples, it may not be at all easy to grow anything - the more you water the shrubs, the faster the more-established maple roots grow into the newly moist area. If the area is outside the drip-line, you are still competing with the maple roots, but it can be done, depending on the maple cultivar. If it is a Norway maple, it will be almost impossible.

Knowing what the maple tree is, and knowing how far outside the canopy/drip-line of the tree you want to plant these shrubs, it will be easier to make suggestions. If you don't know what the maple variety is, taking leaves and twigs to your local extension agent (try looking in the phone book under county offices), or to a reputable nursery, or local university horticulture or silviculture dep't, might give you an answer. If you have access to a digital camera,you can post photos of leaves, if possible at this time of year, or of the twigs and bark to either the Tree Forum or to Name That Plant, and get an answer.

It MAY be that the most reliable barrier would be a fence. The above suggestion is good, and, if it is hardy in your area, Aucuba is a nice, variegated, solid performer in deep, dry shade. Bear in mind that ALL newly planted shrubs, however much they can handle dry shade once established, will need to be watered for the first year or two after planting, in order to GET established.

thank you very much!

I'm think about arrowwood viburnum,honeysuckle and Fiveleaf aralia right now, I'm really new to gardening, I even didn't heard about Aucuba -:)

All maples are just under property line,one of the biggest maple is silver maple, I don't know the others, and there is no any fresh leaf right now, I will try to figure out the tree the next spring.

peter

Peter, you can often figure out what a tree is from seeing the twigs/buds and the bark, as well as from the leaves, flowers and the seeds. Well, maybe not you in your personal self, but experts can. Since I see from your member page that you are in Canada with no extension agents (?), try university forestry/silviculture professors, large nurseries, books with GOOD tree ID keys, local arboretums, anyone that can ID your trees. As I said, by posting digital photos of the twigs and buds and bark, the Tree or Name That Plant Forums may be able to help.

How big are the trees, how far away from the area you want to plant is the edge of the canopy, what sort of sun (if any, I know you said deep shade), what is the soil like (sandy, clay, acid, rocky, etc.), is there anything other than grass growing in the area, IS grass growing there, etc., etc.? How much rain do you get in a normal year, i.e.; rain forest or high desert? CAN you water the area easily? I know it sounds like a lot of info, but to suggest shrubs that might succeed, that's all information it helps to know.

Aucuba won't be hardy for you, but the Eleutherococcus is.

frankly .. nothing will grow in deep shade .. under maples ...

so we have to define what you mean by DEEP SHADE ....

and don't even get me started about maples.. lol .... find the recent post about root barriers.. just hit the link below ... once you check that out.. knowing what the roots look like.. and knowing that you are in what you call deep shade ... there just aren't many things that can thrive with no light.. and no water ....

listen.. you are a newbie.. and you are trying to accomplish something that people who have decades of experience.. have failed at ...

i gotta be really honest.. go ahead and mess around.. but don't give up because you are trying to accomplish the impossible ....

if you could post a picture.. maybe we can help you brainstorm some alternatives... other than that.. good luck

ken

PS: sounds like a nice cool place for a gazebo .. a few lawnchairs.. and a beer cooler ... now there is an option that will work .... lol

Here is a link that might be useful: link

here is the picture of my side yard, I'll build a shed against the wall the next year, and plan some shrubs along the chain link fence.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:283167}}

I would strongly advise you NOT plant Honeysuckle of any kind. Really turns into a pest. Unless you keep after it constantly, it sure won't stay the 4-6 ft you want. Grows with suckers and seeds. Birds eat seeds and spread uncontrolled growth in any open spaces. Around here, a real nuisance plant, hard to kill off too. I have to clean my fence lines yearly, dragging the wire down, interfering with the electric charge. Honeysuckle is the WORST pest bush to deal with I have.

You might check for understory trees, but they do need a little sunshine. Probably will need additional watering, maybe a soaker hose, so maples won't get all the moisture. Tardiva Hydrangeas say they grow in shade. Mine has dappled shade, doing all right, bloomed both falls since planted, needed extra water under Oaks. Only the rotten Honeysuckle will grow in my deep shade, and I keep trying to kill those! I do get other tree sprouts, Hickory, Oaks coming up in the heavy shade.

Perhaps a privacy fence might be a solution. I love mine. A light color fence could brighten the area under trees, reflect light for shrubs or plants in front of it.

here's what gets me...

fast growing, but not more than two meters in height?

There are a number of possibilities, but most have ancillary problems associated with them that you can't afford to focus on.

Yews. Perhaps too large, perhaps too slow.
Hydrangea. Perhaps not enough sun to perform fully, perhaps not enough water.
Rhododendron/kalmia/pieris Again, perhaps not fast enough, perhaps too expensive in sizes large enough, perhaps moisture issues.

Any time you consider planting under large shade trees, consider some mechanism of providing supplemental water. This may be nothing more than a hose and a sprinkler, a soaker hose, or a stock tank with a hose plugged into the drain plug.

It may be as complex as a sprinkler system.

If one is to believe what one reads on these forums, on could feel justified in carrying a chainsaw and cutting down every maple tree one sees (or perhaps explosive cords?). However, without maple trees, then it would be oak trees that are the enemy...or perhaps sweet gum...or sycamore...

IF one of the trees is a silver maple, you might want to think about taking it out. Silver maples are notorious for dropping limbs as they get big. I don't know the law in Canada, and think it varies from state to state here, but I THINK the owner can be held liable for limbs that land on other people's property - since the trees in question are next to a street, it's something to think about. I don't know which tree IS the silver maple, nor what shape the scaffold/structure of branches is in, but it would give more light to the area. Some (depending on species) of the other maples aren't quite as aggressive with surface roots.

You could limb up some of the trees, and get more light in that way too.

I can certainly see why you want shrubs there, it's just a matter of finding them. Vines along the fence, as long as they aren't TOO aggressive, would be one way to give privacy. Evergreen vines are more difficult. Even though it can be an invasive thug, and would eventually need careful pruning, esp. to keep it out of the trees, ivy, I think, can take your winters if you aren't too cold - maybe not. (It's been too long since I lived/gardened in the North to remember!) Since we don't know your zone, it's a little harder to make suggestions.

Clematis would grow, but might not flower, and they are deciduous. Grape vines the same, as with Boston ivy. Hardy kiwi vine, five-leaf akebia and AMERICAN (NOT the Japanese, it's an invasive thug) bittersweet, might also do, with the same caveats - few or no flowers and they are deciduous.

You could try an non-invasive berberis, if such exists. Aronias or amelanchiers might grow - probably no fruit/flowers, and they would need pruning since they will try to grow to light. Ceanothus americana - New Jersey tea - might do - and might be hard to find. With watering, Clethra alnifolia might grow, and might flower. Some of the shrubby dogwoods might be OK. Fothergilla is another possibility, but might be too small. One of the deciduous hollies is another thought. And one of the native azaleas might survive.

I would research all these to see what will do well for your area, and which are available in your area, which may not both be the same thing!

see .. there you go ... from the little picture.. that is NOT deep shade .... so you should be able to grow something there ... especially if you limb up the trees a little ...

BUT ... you still cant get away from the root/drought problem ... the more you water the new plants... the more you will encourage the trees roots to grow into the new plants ... a real catch 22 ...

what direction are we looking in that picture? ... how does the sun move across that area? what is your best estimate about how many hours of sun actually do get in there? .. 2 hours in the morning .. two at night.. etc ...

i will leave it to others for suggestions .... i am just trying to help by helping us define the variables ...

good luck

ken

opps.. original post said north side ...

so if i am correct.... i am standing on the west side ... looking east... and the blue truck is north of that part of the fence????

that means the shade of the trees is out in the street ... but we cant see the house.. and presumably that is adding to your shade woes ....

are there any easements.. or restrictions on what you are thinking about?

ken

so if i am correct.... i am standing on the west side ... looking east... and the blue truck is north of that part of the fence????
----- correct!

my house is on the right side of the picture.

Mahonia aquifolium would grow there but would not get to 2 metres high. I don't know if some of the other Mahonias are hardy in your area. For example 'Charity' looks a picture round here at the moment with racemes of fragrant yellow flowers in Winter. Snowberry, Symphoricarpus albus, will tolerate shade too.

There are a few good plants for deep shade clethra, maple leaf viburnum, lindera benzoin, keria japonica

Good old privet will grow anywhere. If you are just looking for a quick visual barrier, this plant is quite good. Not very interesting itself, it does serve a purpose (in my yard, anyway). Despite being deciduous, it holds its leaves long into winter and turns great shades of deep greenish purple. The twiggy, dense growth provides privacy even when the leaves are gone.

It is best in really deep shade, to keep the stinky (in my opinion) flowers to a minimum. I don't cut mine, so I do have to tolerate the smell every year; some people don't mind it and they flowers are kind of sweet looking too.

Euonymus kiautschovicus 'Manhattan' is hardy in zone 5, you might consider that too. It's a non-invasive, somewhat lax, shrub type evergreen. Very easy to propagate, quick growing, and takes deep shade. I have it beneath a Norway maple along a solid board fence, and it does very well there.

Since the site is so difficult, these super-easy plants may be your best option. I wouldn't use either of them in a really prime spot, but they're great background plants. My 2 cents.

I believe that American beautyberry/callicarpa americana is native to your area. Down here it not only grows in dry shade, it blooms there, too.
Sherry