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 Searching for plants that grow in full shade is a job filled with challenges. The challenges begin with the definitions of sunlight requirements, so the relevant terms need to be discussed first, starting with the definition of full shade. The term full shade does not mean no sun. For horticultural purposes, a location is considered to be in full shade if it receives less than three hours of direct sun daily and receives filtered sun the rest of the day. Preferably, the hours of direct sun occur in the cooler hours of the morning with filtered protection from intense sun in the late afternoon. A distinction should also be made between the terms surviving and thriving. Many plants can survive in full shade, but that is not sufficient for the purposes of most gardeners. Ornamental gardens are meant to beautify a property, and a plant that underperforms (for example, by not flowering as much as it should) is not helping the garden live up to this goal. A plant that is merely survivin...

  Common Names: mountain laurel, calico bush Family: Ericaceae (heath Family) Description Mountain laurel is a dense, bushy shrub that is usually less than 10 ft (3 m) tall with an equal spread. Occasional specimens may reach tree size, up to 30 ft (9 m) in height. Mountain laurel has leathery evergreen leaves that are glossy dark green, elliptic to oval in shape, 2-5 in (5-12 cm) long, and arranged alternately on the stems. With mountain laurel it’s all about the inflorescence, which is extremely showy. Individual flowers are bowl shaped, a little less than an inch (2.5 cm) across and may be pale pink, fuchsia, almost crimson or white, usually with darker pink markings on the inside of the corolla. Several flowers are borne in rounded clusters (corymbs) 3-4 in (7-10 cm) across. The buds that precede the flowers are dark pink and nearly as showy as the flowers. Mature fruits are inconspicuous dry capsules that eventually split open to release extremely tiny seeds. This beautiful Am...

Description Although there are some 400 species in the genus  Ixora , only a handful are commonly cultivated, and the common name, ixora, is usually used for  I. coccinea . Ixora is a dense, multi-branched evergreen shrub, commonly 4-6 ft (1.2-2 m) in height, but capable of reaching up to 12 ft (3.6 m) high. Ixora has a rounded form, with a spread that may exceed its height. The glossy, leathery, oblong leaves are about 4 in (10 cm) long, with entire margins, and are carried in opposite pairs or whorled on the stems. Small tubular, scarlet flowers in dense rounded clusters 2-5 in (5-13 cm) across are produced almost all year long. There are numerous named cultivars differing in flower color (yellow, pink, orange) and plant size. Several popular cultivars are dwarfs, usually staying under 3 ft (1 m) in height. Ixora 'Nora Grant' is a popular dwarf and 'Super King' is a popular hybrid with much larger flower clusters than the species. Location Ixora coccinea  is nativ...

Description Under ideal, frostfree conditions copperleaf grows as a spreading evergreen shrub with upright branches that tend to originate near the base. It can get up to 10 ft (3.1 m) tall with a similar spread. The leaves are alternate, elliptic to oval, serrate, 5-8 in (12.7-20.3 m) long and multi-colored. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, hanging in 4-8 in (10.2-20.3 cm) catkinlike racemes usually hidden in the foliage. Many cultivars are available with different leaf forms and colors.   Acalypha wilkesiana   'Marginata' has coppery-green leaves with pink or crimson margins. 'Macrophylla' has larger leaves, variegated with bronze, cream, yellow and red. The leaves of 'Musaica' are mottled with orange and red. 'Godseffiana' has narrow, drooping leaves with cream colored margins. Location Copperleaf is native to Fiji and nearby islands in the South Pacific. It has escaped from cultivation and become established in disturbed sites in a few sca...