Growing shrubs in BC

Hi all I am looking for a shrub that will grow well in shady acidic soil. Please let me know if there is something out there! Trying to create privacy along my fence line that is very shady and acidic, thank you!

In Clearwater bc

 

um, how cold does it get in the winter in Clearwater? If you were on the coast, I'd recommend rhododenderons or azaleas or pieris or euonymus, but I don't think they would survive too well if it gets colder than -15C or so. You could check the proven winners website, Proven Winners | The #1 Plant Brand if you like. You just put in your growing zone, the type of plant and light level, and it should come up with some options for you. Several garden centres carry Proven Winners products; I'm partial to The Home Depot myself and they offer a 12-month grow guarantee on shrubs.

 

I’m not sure what my growing zone is here, but it can get up to -35 in the winter.

 

Have you chatted with the folks here: Rooted by the River Nursery Products ? They seem to have a number of shrubs that would work well.

 

I think you're in hardiness zone 4b north of Kamloops; some websites vary in where they draw the lines. I'm afraid my previous recommendations probably won't survive your winters. I think Daniel's recommendation is your best bet.

 

I have some family in Northern Alberta that grow Russian willows along fence lines bordering muskegs, which would have somewhat acidic soil. They grow rather quickly as long as there is an adequate water supply, and I just googled Russian Willows and acidic soil, and it appears that they are being used to remediate mined areas in Scandinavia: Willow trees are cost-efficient cleaners of contaminated soil
They are extremely easy to propagate; just take some cuttings in the spring or summer, stick them in water or wet soil, and they root easily. I'm sure they prefer full sun, but I've seen rows of them in areas shaded by evergreens as well, and they looked reasonably healthy. Good luck!

 

Thank you all!

 

Do lilacs grow in Clearwater ? They grow planted decades ago in the Okanagan way high up above the valley floor on the old Kettle Valley Rail Trail (lake level Penticton airport is approx 1240 feet above sea level I think )

I notice them in Jasper AB too

The ones I know about don’t get watered after established and deal well w deer and range cattle

Pretty too in the spring

you could mix in some Mock Orange (Philadelphus) which also grows in the Okanagan wild ... Saskatoon shrub too ... some Oregon grape in the tall variety perhaps

It would be like a hedgerow - and the garden birds would sure like it

This all said - remember to check your local interface wildfire recommendations - your local fire department or online will have info

For example - no cedar hedge!

ÉDIT - start here about wildfire smart landscaping etc www.firesmartbc.ca

Also remember your water lines and septic system ... willow roots might cost you a lot of money in a few yrs

 

Yes lilacs grow here I have quite a few, I wasn’t sure if they would grow in needles and no sun tho, I also have some mock orange and wasn’t sure if they grow in those conditions as well? No I will not be playing willow under neath spruce, I already have 1 willow tree and it is a lot of work to keep up with the mess it makes!

 

I meant to include Douglas Maple in the list — small native maple ... does well in wild garden in Okanagan with no water irrigation once established

The other plant to include if you like a hedgerow casual effect is POTENTILLA (cinquefoil) ... it does well in Jasper and in Kalispell and in Penticton that I’ve seen

It comes in yellow or pink or white .... it is short so won’t offer privacy but could layer in to a casuàl hedgerow or be good around a foundation or swim pool

Again you’d have to verify its firesafe attributes

Those blue spruce are everywhere aren’t they ... and certainly not firewise - so before going to great effort and budget in this garden - I’d revisit the spruce

How close to structures etc - see website linked above ... if you do get rid of spruce do it before Xmas and donate the cut tree or boughs to wreath fundraiser or sell them to the floral industry

(Edit - correct spell mistake Potentilla)

 

I made the mistake of planting a white lilac in a shady area northwest of my emerald cedars 9 years ago, and it only blooms every second year, not much at that. I'm not sure if it's the acidity or lack of light that it's protesting. Everything else around it seems to be fairly happy so I don't think it's a lack of nutrients. Lilacs do prefer full sun so my money's on the lack of blooms due to lack of sun.

I hadn't thought about the willow roots because on the farm they were about 200 yards from the house, so no conflict. Thanks for pointing this out.

Potentilla are a very nice shrub but I didn't realize they would grow in colder climates. I don't think I've ever seen them more than about 2 feet high high though, if that.

Spirea might be another idea for you, they like moderately acidic soil. I remember seeing some in towns in the foothills northwest of Edmonton, so they can tolerate the cold winters. I think the plant label specifies sun to shade, but I've seen some that look a bit burned from too much sun, and mine does well with a fence to the south and east of it so that it gets some mid-day and afternoon sun. My spirea is close to 20 years old, but not much more than 3 feet high. I believe there are taller varieties out there though.

 

what about Caragana? They tolerate acidic soil, cold winters and some shade. Plus, they're a nitrogen fixer so don't really need to be fertilized. They grow like weeds in Northern Alberta. Might be a concern for fire hazard though, I'm not sure about that.

 

I came across this handy reference from Agriculture Canada --- yes it's likely intended for the prairies but the weather is the similar (cold, dry, some wet, etc)

LINK below

again - i would cross reference with the FireSmart guidelines re: plant choices and other recommendations ... the McClure Fire 2003 was a wake-up call.

Shelterbelt planning and establishment - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)