Berry Plants that Produce Fruit in Partial Shade
Please note that nothing herein should be taken as medical or as personal advice, nor as a diagnosis or a prescription in any form.
While many berry plants produce higher yields in full sunlight, there are a number of native* plants that can produce good yields of edible berries in the partial shade (at least 4-6 hours of sunlight), including: *here, “native” means to the east, north-central Midwest
- aronia berries (also chokeberry, Aronia spp.); highly adaptable; primarily self-fertile (SF)*, but benefits from 2 or more plants for cross-pollination
- blueberries, lowbush (Vaccinium augustifolium): suitable pH (4~5.5) is key; primarily SF, but benefits from 2 or more plants for cross-pollination
- bunchberry (Cornus canadensis): primarily SF, but benefits from 2 or more plants for cross-pollination
- buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis): dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female, and both are required (to be in proximity with each other to) to yield fruit; also accumulates nitrogen
- chokeberry (Prunus virginiana): SF, but benefits from 2 or more cultivars for cross-pollination
- currants and gooseberries (Ribes spp.): afternoon shade preferred; SF, but yield better among multiple varieties; some gooseberries are thorny; some Ribes require higher chilling hours
- elderberries (Sambucus spp.): although some are self-pollinating (ex. canadensis), most benefit from cross-pollination with another variety; fruits need to be cooked; seeds, roots, leaves, and stems are believed to be toxic if ingested
- black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata): technically SF, but not necessarily self-pollinating, and usually requires insect mediation and cross-pollination from other plants for optimal fruit production
- nannyberry (Viburnum lentago): although flowers have male and female parts, cross-pollination with a different plant (not a genetic clone) is needed to set fruit
- partridgeberry (or twinberry or deerberry, Mitchella repens): evergreen; requires cross-pollination with a different plant (not a genetic clone)
- wild raspberries (Rubus spp.): while many cultivated Rubus species are SF, many wild varieties are dioecious, needing male and female plants to set fruit
- serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.): generally SF, but two or more plants can increase yields
- teaberries (or wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens): SF; evergreen
*“SF” = self-fertile, meaning it can set fruit on its own without needing pollen from another plant, however, having multiple, compatible plants growing nearby usually improves yields
Another berry plant that yields in partial shade, but is actually native to the cooler, temperate regions of North America (also Europe and Asia), is honeyberry (or haskap, Lonicera caerulea), which benefits from cross-pollination with other varieties.
And there can be several benefits to growing berry plants in an understory. A healthy over-story can result in:
- improved soil fertility due to leaf fall and increased beneficial microorganisms in the soil
- good soil water content (generally) due to decreased evaporation, groundwater lift and distribution, and water infiltration
- reduced erosion
- temperature mitigation, typically leaving the understory with cooler temperatures in the daytime and warmer temperatures at night
- increased biodiversity, benefiting pollination and natural pest management (an estimated 99% of mischievous insects are naturally (each) controlled by 10-15 native and natural adversaries)
As it happens, there can also be challenges to growing fruit trees and shrubs in an understory, such as:
- conditions of reduced light and higher humidity, which can be a benefit to some plants, can increase the risk of fungal disease to others
- the interception of some precipitation (especially light rains and dew, ~10-30%) by an over-story canopy, plus root competition for water during extended, dry periods
And, most plants tend to do better with good companions, including those that accumulate nutrients, those that help attract pollinators, etc. For more ideas and details, please see our additional information.