Conifers for shade
Conifers are cone-bearing, woody seed plants, mostly trees and mostly evergreen, characterised by their attractive conical shape. They are an excellent way of adding colour and shape to your garden and are relatively easy to look after. Many conifers have long, thin leaves, often with a needle-like appearance, whereas others have broad, flat, strap-shaped foliage. Some conifers, most notably yew plants, will thrive in the shade. With their evergreen foliage, they can provide a year-round backdrop to showier plants all well as offering seasonal interest of their own. The glossy green needles become clothed with fleshy red berries in autumn. There is a wide range of varieties, large and small, upright and spreading, some with colourful or variegated foliage. Yew are one of the rare conifers that will tolerate hard pruning and still regenerate completely, making them very useful for hedging in shaded areas. Note that varieties with ‘Fastigiata’ in the name refers to fastigiate conifers that have a very narrow, upright growth habit with tightly clustered, near vertical branches.