Evergreens – For Dry Shade

Q: Can you suggest some tall evergreen shrubs for dry shade? I keep finding shrubs that require a moist soil.

A: Winter hazel, Distylium Emerald Heights ™, and columnar Japanese plum yew, Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’, both do well in dry shade. Also consider Florida hobblebush, Agarista populifolia and aucuba, Aucuba japonica, plus common nandina, Nandina domestica and Japanese cleyera, Ternstroemia gymnanthera ‘Big Foot’.