Good berries for mostly shade? (flowers, grow, Honeysuckle, jasmine)

[mrs1885]

We're putting a gazebo in the front yard which is surrounding by very old shade trees. I'd like to put a lattice panel 'wall' a couple feet behind the back portion of the gazebo and grow some berries on it. I just don't know what will do good there.

It's very hard packed clay, but I can dig up the first few feet of ground back there and put in good soil. But there's nothing I can do about the shade. It gets very early morning filtered sun and later afternoon filtered sun.

If there are no berries that will grow there, can anyone suggest a very fragrant vine that I can put in?

I'm in middle TN BTW. Zone 7b.

[littlelizzy]

That is a trouble. Berries need sun to get that sweet taste we all like. It's what helps them convert their inner workings into sugar to get that really sweet fruit.

I would go with your vine idea. Wisteria is beautiful and fragrant. Jasmine is beautiful and smells amazing. You could try trumpet vine (a pretty firey orange color) There are also some less permanent solutions, like the annuals moonflower and sweet pea, which both look pretty and smell pretty. The only trouble with the permanent vines is that they are very very permanent. They are difficult to disentangle from the support and they tend to be very invasive because they are such vigorous climbers.

You may also want to research to see if there are any climbing roses you might like that would tolerate your shade situation. I would suggest Jackson and Perkins rose catalog. I would also contact your nearest garden center for some ideas.

[NY Annie]

Some nasturtium would look really nice - and you can use the flowers in soups and as garnish (yes, it's edible). I like sweet pea too, so pretty. I'm not sure how they'll do in TN - I'm still researching my veggie garden, haven't gotten around to ornamentals yet.

[gwynedd1]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

We're putting a gazebo in the front yard which is surrounding by very old shade trees. I'd like to put a lattice panel 'wall' a couple feet behind the back portion of the gazebo and grow some berries on it. I just don't know what will do good there.

It's very hard packed clay, but I can dig up the first few feet of ground back there and put in good soil. But there's nothing I can do about the shade. It gets very early morning filtered sun and later afternoon filtered sun.

If there are no berries that will grow there, can anyone suggest a very fragrant vine that I can put in?

I'm in middle TN BTW. Zone 7b.

Hi mrs1885,

One of the better fruit trees for shade is in the Ribes family. That would be currants and gooseberries. I don't think they are restricted for your area due to White Pine Blister Rust. You are a little warm for it, but still in a doable zone. You would not want midday direct sunlight anyway in that zone.

[kinkytoes]

I think there's something called a honeyberry that likes partial shade... I read on gardenweb that they are also called edible honeysuckles and are natives of Siberia. You need to buy a boy and a girl so you can get the berries.