evergreen flowering shrub for full sun?

16 years ago

i had planned a "glade" of rhododendrons along what we had thought was our shady driveway. Well, that was back in November and i didn't think about how much higher the sun would be in spring. Now the sun is so high above the surrounding trees that we have full sun in that area, from 10am-6pm.

I posted on the Azalea/Rhododendron forum to ask whether the rhododendrons that are described as sun-tolerant would be able to tolerate that much sun. It sounds like some hybrids might, but I'm not sure I'm green-fingered enough to try that!

So, I'm looking for some full-sun, evergreen, flowering shrubs. Our soil is clay-ish but has lots of tree mulch mixed in, and its quite a slope, so drainage is a little better.

So far I have found abelia, viburnum tinus, viburnum prague. Any other suggestions would be great. Esh, are there any evergreen natives that would work there?

Thank you

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mayland
Original Author

16 years ago

Thanks everyone, I have a great list now!

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Comments (9)

Iris GW
16 years ago
How tall do you want them to be? There are some smaller evergreen native holly hybrids (often a Ilex opaca hybrid with Ilex cassine), there is a dwarf wax myrtle that is very nice ('Don's Dwarf' can be found/ordered from Buck Jones), then there's Yucca, dwarf Yaupon holly. None of those are showy flowering plants, however. Well, perhaps some people consider Yucca showy (and it does come in a variegated form).

In the non-native category, I think Abelia has some very nice cultivars lately like 'Canyon Creek' and 'Rose Creek' (check the mature sizes on those) - both are Georgia Gold Medal winners.
killerv
16 years ago
I like Indian Hawthornes, excellent for full sun. I planted 4 Drawf Yedda last year and now they are covered in white flowers.
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mayland
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you both! Sorry, i forgot to mention height -- I'm looking for something around 6' high. well anything in the 4-8' range would be OK, so that i have some variation in height.

Esh, thanks for the dwarf myrtle suggestion, i do like their leaves a lot so i could add some as a nice complement to other flowering shrubs.

Killerv, we have so many Indian Hawthornes planted outside my work building that I fear I may feel like I'm at work if i plant them at home! They certainly do really well in sun though.

Lowes carries Abelia Canyon Creek (as does Growers Outlet) so i might go with that, a dwarf wax myrtle, and perhaps the viburnum tinus since that has nice flower clusters. These evergreens would be mixed with some deciduous shrubs that I've already planted (cotinus, fothergilla, callicarpa, viburnum plicatum).

I'm also thinking about Enkianthus campanulatus (but can only find it mail-order) -- is anyone growing that?

Any other suggestions welcome, I have a lot of space!
mayland
Original Author
16 years ago
It didn't occur to me that any Yucca's were native! Do they do well in our soil? Or would I need to add in some gravel or something sandy to give them better drainage? I love spiky and other architecturally-interesting plants so I'd love to try some. I could add a few grasses, although I think I should be careful about balancing that look with the wooded area we live in.

Atlanta Botanical Garden had some fantastic Farfugium (not native, though), which i would love to put in a shady area. I can only find it mail-order, but I might try that. Some Yuccas would look great in the sun across from it!
Iris GW
16 years ago
I use my yucca in a very non-woodsy location, it is next to the fence by the pool. I wanted it for it's "tropical" effect. I put it in regular soil, just slightly raised. It grows all over roadsides around here, so I don't think special drainage is required.
petalnet
16 years ago
How about Loropetalum? good size, sun, color, flowers! I love 'em---though they are becoming overplanted.
Or some other Viburnums, like 'Shasta'.
Osmanthus fragrans.
jennifratrix
16 years ago
Rabbiteye blueberries are beautiful bushes with tasty berries and are mostly evergreen, at least in my yard. Don't know why more people don't use them as ornamentals. If your rhododendrons did well in that spot the soil must be right for blueberries too.

Pineapple guava bushes are truly evergreen, have wonderful silver-backed leaves and have done well for me. Their flowers are beautiful and delicious and I'm told the fruit is good although I haven't seen any yet.
Kathy Bochonko
16 years ago
What about Gardenias? Mystery or August Beauty both get 6-8ft.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mystery gardenia