shady shrubs

There are two more shrubs in the evergreen group that will do well in mostly
shade.
Both of these are touted locally as immune to deer grazing.

First is pieris, a broadleaf evergreen,  which has both flowers and bright red
opening foliage.  Pieris floribunda is hardy in zone 4.  There are some
cultivars that are superior to the species.  The extraordinarily beautiful
pieris seen in the south of England are not hardy for northern zones but
floribunda is pretty good.

Second there is leucothoe fontanesiana.  This is usually rated zone 5 but is
growing near me in what is more like zone 4.  There are others and zone
ratings vary.  As an understory shrub this a feathery dark green plant looking
good all season.  There are other leucothoes but a search is necessary. One cv
called, I think, Scarletta is lovely.

Both of these shrubs should be shopped carefully for species and zone but both
do well in my area.  The trick seems to be spring planting and mulching the
first year or two.  When the shrub has some woody barked over stems it is less
likely to be damaged.  On nearly all evergreens outside the spruces, hemlocks
etc., there can be some winterkill.  It can be trimmed off in late spring and
the plants recover quickly.  Last year there was no winterkill and so far this
year we have had nearly the same weather.

I do not think zone 4 is broadleafed evergreen country but a few here and
there do well.

Claire Peplowski
East Nassau, NY
z4
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