Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

The best way to find a variety of plants that will work for your situation, is to utilize the recommended species section of our website. Here you can look up native species that are commercially available for your state. Once you have the full list of plants recommended for New Jersey, narrow your search, with the criterias of shade, shrub, and or, tree. With these found lists you can look through the selections and pick out the plants you like best. 

When considering a shrub or tree for an area near a fence you have to be careful to research the maximum size of the plant. You can do this by clicking on the plant name or photo, this will give you the details that you need and photographs of what they will look like fully grown. You want to plant your shrub or tree far enough away from the fence so that when this plant has matured it isn't squashed on one side or pushing too hard against the fence. It is also neighborly to consider what or who is on the other side of that fence. Try to be consciences of how adding a tree especially, might change your neighbors conditions in their yard; blocking light in their vegetable garden, would be a good example.

Ilex opaca (American holly) would be a good choice. This holly does very well in even a deep shade. It is evergreen and can take pruning. In the winter it is especially nice to have for the berries. Berried sprigs from a holly can last a surprisingly long time out of water and make wonderful wreathes during the holidays. Thuja occidentalis (Arborvitae) is an evergreen that does well in crowded spaces so if your area does not have a lot of room, you can plant this tree fairly close to the fence. In doing so, it will actually grow more upright than if you plant it farther away. Kalmia latifolia (Mountain laurel) is another evergreen option, although this plant needs some horizontal room to really look its best. It has lovely flowers which is a plus for plants in the shade. Rhododendron maximum (Great laurel) is an evergreen Rhododendron. This too, looks best if you have some room for it to grow wide as well as tall. It is a dense rhody and if this works for your space, you will never have to see that fence again. 

There are many lovely flowering understory trees and shrubs that would work with your conditions, but many of them are deciduous, meaning they won't have leaves through the winter. You can use these and add other perennial shrubs and flowers in combination to have coverage all year long. So don't discount the idea of grouping some plants together to solve the problem. Play with the search options and see what you come up with.