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Thursday - September 10, 2009

From: Diamond Bar, CA
Region: Southwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Flowering shrub for part shade in Southern California
Answered by: Amy Johnson

QUESTION:

What shrubs would be able to flourish in morning shade but deal with afternoon sun and 90 plus degrees in the summer months in Southern California? I would like a shrub that is about 5 ft. tall and 3 to 4 ft. wide that flowers. There is now a common yellow daisy bush there that is growing prostrate as it seeks the sun. I don't want to make the same mistake twice. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

ANSWER:

Here are several shrubs that come close to meeting your requirements - the exact size was the hardest to match. All of them will take part shade, which sounds like it best describes the condition of the spot you want to fill, have flowers, grow in Southern California, and are not too far from the size you were looking for:

Arctostaphylos hookeri(Hooker's manzanita)

Carpenteria californica (Tree anemone)

Diplacus longiflorus (Southern bush monkeyflower)

Diplacus puniceus (Red bush monkeyflower)

Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume)

Gaultheria shallon (Salal)

Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon)

Holodiscus discolor (Oceanspray)

Larrea tridentata (Creosote bush)

Rhododendron occidentale (Western azalea)

Rhus ovata (Sugar sumac)