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Landscape Design Conifers

Need help with an awkward shady space

3 years ago

I have a triangular shaped bed next to my front porch that gets 2-3 hours of morning sun. Currently there is a chamaecyparis fernspray (I think) in the front of the triangle, but it has outgrown the space and it is leaning to the front of the bed toward the sun. Hellebores are growing very happily in front of the fernspray. We’ve never tried to plant anything behind it, but wild ferns, moss, and morning glory have planted themselves there.

We are relocating the fernspray this fall and want to replace it with something that will fit the space better. I LOVE the slender hinoki gracilis in the picture below and would love to plant one farther back, more in the center of the triangle. The bed is 8-10 feet wide at the center. Could it work there? I know those can get wide, but could we keep the branches trimmed to stay narrow at the bottom like the photo? Or am I just asking for trouble? Are there any other tall slender evergreens that could handle that much shade? Any other suggestions for a tall narrow, shade tolerant feature plant?

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (7)

plantkiller_il_5
3 years ago
how about Taxus
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
remind us where you are ...

with that little direct sun.. whatever you put there.. will grow slowly ... and i think.. but cant tell from the pic.. its even darker down below .. perhaps even less direct light ???? .. in regard to the walls that create the triangle ....

so then the question would come to.. how big are you thinking of planting??? ... and all the attendant issues about large transplants ...

the fact that the old one is leaning toward more light.. and you are tucking this one further back into the cubby hole.. suggests a slo motion future ... which is an issue. for your consideration ...

not much dies due to reduced light.. they just dont perform to expectation .. and may have a longer establishment period ... annual growth might be reduced ....

since you are removing the old one.. regardless.. you might want to get such done.. and see how it impacts light levels.. considering the declination of the sun this time of year ...

seeing that door and brick work.. i would love to see the whole house.. but i cant come up with a reason to say its requisite for this question .. lol ...

ken
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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years ago
Anyone in north Georgia should contact Cox Arboretum in Canton and see what does best there. You’ll get plenty of ideas. That said, yews may be the best way to go.

http://coxgardens.com/welcome/

tj
kendravicknair
Original Author
3 years ago
The door and brickwork in the second pic aren’t our house. That’s a pic from Houzz showing a hinoki gracilis that I love and would love in that spot.

In our case I think slow growing would be ideal, but the fernspray that’s there certainly hasn’t been slow growing. It was only about 2’ tall 4 years ago and now it’s probably close to 10’.

Looking at the yews... Irish yew looks like a possibility to get that tall, narrow look I’m after, but I don’t see many yews for sale around here. Any online sources?

Tsugajunkie-we aren’t far from Canton and I’ve never heard of Cox Arboretum. Will have to check that out!
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years ago
Once you decide what you want the folks at Cox may have suggestions for local suppliers.

tj
DeanW45
3 years ago
I think the 'Gracilis' would work beautifully there. That cultivar never gets very wide, and 8-10 feet should be plenty of room. You can easily find 'Gracilis' at local nurseries here in north Georgia, and maybe even some of the big box retailers (like Lowes or Home Depot). Does Pike have any stores up there? If not, try a retailer which carries Monrovia plants.

And while I'm at it, be careful when digging up that 'Fernspray.' It's getting close to a size where it becomes difficult to capture enough of the root system to ensure the transplant takes. I killed a similar sized 'Fernspray Gold' with an ambitious transplant attempt a few years ago.
kendravicknair
Original Author
3 years ago
DeanW- We are near a Pike Nursery. I have seen Gracilis there before, but for $$$. Planning to make a trip to Kinsey in Gainesville next week. They usually have many of the same plants as pike, but cheaper. But it’s quite a drive for us so we only go once or twice a year.

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