Shade-Loving Shrubs in Zone 4

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 4 covers northern New England, the northern parts of the Midwest and Great Plains as well as parts of the Rocky Mountain chain in states like Utah, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming. Plenty of shrubs that crave sunshine are available for landscaping within zone 4. While those that prefer the shade are not quite so numerous, some do exist.

Japanese kerria is a deciduous flowering shrub toughened up for USDA zone 4 climatic conditions by its mountainous haunts in its native Japan and China. This shrub has multiple cultivars such as Picta and Pleniflora. Different types of azaleas work in the shade in zone 4, including royal, roseshell and deciduous azalea. Partial shade is the perfect setting for the smooth hydrangea and its hybrid forms. Bottlebrush buckeye grows in zone 4 in full shade as do bladdernut bush and leatherwood shrubs. Korean rhododendron is another shade-tolerant species suitable for zone 4.

Choose between smaller, more manageable shade shrubs for this zone and the medium to large bushes that grow in the shade. The smaller types include the Yaku Prince hybrid of rhododendron and the Girard's Mount Saint Helens cultivar of deciduous azalea; both are from 2 to 3 feet high. Medium-size shade shrubs such as aralia, Korean rhododendron, royal azalea and smooth hydrangea often grow as tall as a person does. The larger shrubs are rhododendron species like English Roseum, bladdernut and bottlebrush buckeye -- all mature to 10 feet or more.

The flowers on these shade shrubs often turn the tide in their favor of becoming part of a shady landscape in USDA zone 4. Bottlebrush buckeye, for example, has cylinder-shaped clusters of white flowers that bloom in early summer. Evergreen leaves are features on some of these species, such as Yaku Prince, which possesses olive-green foliage as long as 5 inches. Honeyberry grows in zone 4 shade and has the added benefit of providing edible berries as early as May.

Use some of the larger shade shrubs appropriate for USDA zone 4 as part of a shrub border or as an understory species along the edges of woods. The small- to medium-size types work along foundations and in mass plantings. Shade gardens, woodland gardens and shady naturalized areas are venues for many of these shrubs in zone 4. Some, including Japanese kerria, work well as hedges or privacy screens along property lines where shade rules.