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Arizona Gardening

Full shade in winter, afternoon sun in summer

12 years ago

Hello All, I am new to gardening in Arizona. I have an area in my backyard that I cannot keep anything growing in it due to it sun exposure. In winter it gets full shade and by midsummer it gets the hot Arizona sun from about 2-8 pm. Any suggestions? thankyou

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Comments (8)

MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
12 years ago
Sounds like a north facing wall. I planted a cactus garden two years ago, it's doing well.
ra
12 years ago
do you want something that's evergreen throughout the year?
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harsh sun i summer, total shade in winter--help!
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We too have this problem on the north side of the house but as it is quite narrow and on the side we haven't done much to it. This area is up against a block wall which intensifies the heat (reflected heat) in summer so not many plants could survive this. We planted Texas ranger (leucophyllum) there and as it doesn't grow in the winter anyway it survives just fine and grows and blooms like crazy during the summer. They come in different sizes and leaf and bloom color and would certainly be up to your dog but I don't know about hardiness in Reno as we live in Las Vegas. Your lavender should handle your dog okay when they are bigger but might appreciate good drainage in the winter to help with the wetness. If you add some coarse sand or gravel and some organic matter to your soil it would really help with this. Good luck! Maria Maria
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Azalea success in Winter sun, Summer shade?
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Comments (1)
Flower buds for spring bloom are formed in the summer and early fall. If this area is in really dense shade, bloom will be significantly reduced. Direct sun in the winter is pretty hard on rhododendrons and azaleas as well. Winter sun, especially when combined with low temperatures and wind, can and does do serious damage, especially to evergreen azaleas. It might be worth trying one or two azaleas in this area to see how they do - protection from winter sun and wind with burlap or other type of screen will help a great deal - but I certainly wouldn't commit to an entire hedge without a trial planting.
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Tough spot!! Winter shade, summer sun
Q
Comments (1)
Choose something appropriate for your area that you find desirable. Note these are edibles for the most part. There should be plenty of non-edibles tolerant or even thriving with only partial shade. Of course some things may go dormant for winter...or even summer. I think I would try the alpine, musk and lipstick strawberries. Or plant a pecan tree to get the area overhead shade (dappled) in the summer that I could then plant under.. SHADE TOLERANT Partial Shade May have less fruit. Alpine Strawberry Bamboo (some types) Dogwood Elderberry Evergreen & Red Huckleberry Filbert Gooseberry Hydrangea Jasmine Lipstick Strawberry Lingonberry Magnolia Vines Musk Strawberry Paw Paw Pie Cherry Salmonberry Serviceberry Sugar Maple Thimbleberry Full Shade Bamboo (in sunny climates) Currants Carolina Allspice Evergreen Huck. Flowering Currant Wasabi Highbush Cranberry Here is a link that might be useful: List from Raintree Nursery
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Russian sage with summer sun and winter shade
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Comments (2)
It needs 8 hours of sun during the growing season. Winter exposure is irrelevant. The perennials forum would have been a more appropriate place for this question.
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xica_da_silva
12 years ago
Are you thinking of shrubs? If so, I've noticed the Ilex Vomitoria (Dwarf Stokes) seem to do ok under these exact conditions. And they're quite pretty...although they do grow quite slowly on my north side.
I'd also recommend African Boxwoods; mine do pretty well except for the fact that I accidentally over-watered one last year, so it died. I think the key thing is checking the soil and refraining from watering when it cools off.

Both are pretty frost hardy...never had to cover either during winter(I live downtown).
ra
12 years ago
Yellow broom is another good shrub that likes the sun and it's frost hardy as well.
neilaz
12 years ago
Hawthorne,ruella, phoenix robellini,roses,citrus trees, ice plant...... really just about anything that likes the hot summer sun should work. Just cut way back on the water in the winter.
xeriojo
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you all for you suggestions. I just moved here from last September after spending my whole life in the Northwest. This year has been a challenging year and huge learning curve for me. Most of my 'full sun' plants died in the summer heat, I watered my cactus way too much, and my palms all look like crap. I am geared up and ready for year two, haha.
grant_in_arizona
12 years ago
Welcome to gardening in AZ and to this forum. We hope you'll post a lot, and often. :) I moved here from Seattle in 2000 and absolutely love it here, gardening included.

You've gotten some great suggestions for sure, so let us know what you select and how it works out. My north facing walls get sun in summer and shade in winter. I've had great luck with red "yucca", Hesperaloe parviflora, good ol' Aloe vera, and African "ocotillo" (not at all related to our native ocotillo, but it does look sort of similar), Alluadia procera. Good luck and let us know who the lucky winner is and how it does.

There are some great local gardening books that are great resources, along with this forum of course. :) Post often!

Take care,
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: My garden pics October 2011
sherizona
12 years ago
I have the same kind of spot on the north side of my house too. I put an herb garden in. Things like basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme and even mint survived full, strong sun all summer. It's doing well in spite of having no sun at all since back in September (although it'll die off when frost hits of course).

Other plants I have on that side that are doing well include yucca, katie ruellia, bougainvillea, emu bushes and palo brea trees. Very, very little water in the winter and plenty of infrequent but deep watering during the summer keeps everything strong and healthy. I've been in the desert for 8 years, gardening the first year was a total disaster...you'll learn :)

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