Can Holly Bush tolerate medium shade?

I am looking for something to build a tall privacy screen in a medium shade area. Any thoughts?

Around here Holly self-seeds under Cedar and Douglas Firs rampantly. They seem to tolerate quite a bit of shade in those situations but are more open growing. If you are wanting a tall privacy, why not Thuja 'Green Giant' http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80097/ which grows fast, can tolerate some shade and is evergreen.

If you have deer, thuja can be a challenge to protect from injury.

I've never seen that before and we've got tons of deer & Thuja here. Wow! That wasn't an afternoon snack, it was a smorgasbord.

Thanks for the warning Weerobin. We also have many munchers passing through. I love the idea of the holly berries for my birds. I just don't know of varieties that grow tall in shade.

For Weerobin:

That looks a lot more like a rub than a meal - and was that T. occidentalis or T. plicata? I have many T. plicata (including several aptly named 'Deer Proof') that have never had a smidgen of nibblin'.

For ronnitta:

Can you give an approximation to "tall privacy"? Short people want to know...

Also - how much horizontal space is available? There are a number of evergreen Viburnum selections that make great screens, including V. x rhytidophylloides 'Alleghany' and V. x pragense. Both are relatively rapid growers.

I would want a height that I could prune, so I am imagining topping the hedge at 10 ft. The width of the screen is 50 ft.

The berries are what make Ilex aquifolium a noxious weed in my area: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/english-holly.aspx
It's not a recommended plant around here. Maybe another species/hybrid would work.

I see your point Growin. Thanks Valley, I'll look into the Viburnum. (;-/

I wasn't asking about the length of the hedge, as much as thickness. Viburnums won't be thin upright pencils like some conifers might be.

Prague Viburnum can reach 10' with no problem, and as much wide/deep. 'Alleghany' goes it one better, with 15'x15' without batting an eyelash - and to 20' if you turn your back on it.

Viburnum x burkwoodii and its named selections are another set of choices you could use - except for 'Mohawk', which is entirely deciduous.

Resin, you're right - definitely antler abuse. VV, it's thuja occ Degroot's Spire.
I have several (I was trying to create some hedging) and all are ravaged by antler rubbing.
I have to protect my saplings with trunk protectors, but it's hard to do with a densely foliaged evergreen!
They particularly seem to like thuja's for antler polishing.
I have had the same experience in multiple locations in my yard.
Here's another set of thuja's with the lovely foliage pruning pattern courtesy of the deer.

Looks like Thuja occidentalis Dropped Trou™...

Ok, thanks to ALL of you for your advice. Now the trouble I'm having is finding a viburnum that is evergreen rather than deciduous. Do they exist? Thanks

Yes, here's an article: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/articles/evergreen-viburnums-of-ubc
I have Viburnum davidii in my front yard http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1743/

ronnitta:

See my post above from May 21, 2012 @ 11:46 PM (http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=9132875 )

There I listed several evergreen Viburnum selections that should be readily available. You just need to decide the size/look that you prefer.

Viburnum x pragense

Viburnum x rhytidophylloides 'Alleghany', 'Willowwood', others

Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Chenaultii', 'Fulbrook', others

Should've read growin's link first...

Most of those fine viburnums listed are really good ones for relatively benign climates like Vancouver, BC or Seattle/Oregon Pacific northwest areas. You'll find some of them further south in the eastern US, but not terribly often. The colder winters and hotter summers are not very friendly to these plants.

All that said: I would still encourage you to try every evergreen viburnum you can lay your hands on, and learn what works for you. The choices I listed should be solid backbone plants, around which you may wish to try the more tender ones from the article posted.

Depending on how big a plant you want to start with, you could do worse than have a conversation with the fine folks at Classic Viburnums (in Nebraska).

Ilex x meserviae are but 4-5feet here. I.verticilata is bigger--1male,4females in damp ground sounds great!

Sorry not to reply. Have been away. I want to thank ALL of you for your kind advice. I'm sure you can tell I am a novice both to gardening and Dave's site. (8-)

ViburnumValley knows what he's talking about. That's his specialty and business too.

(VV, you're welcome for the pat on the back!!)

Doug

You must be laid up at home, sick again. That's the delirium talkin'...