I’m looking for something that will provide some privacy in a heavily shaded area. I don’t care about the early spring blooms but I’m hoping that some forthysia would still grow and provide enough leaf barrier to hide some unruly wooded area during the summer months. Would I have any luck planting a few of these and will they get leafy? It’s well drained soil but very shady.
Forsythia would struggle in shade. They will get leggy and not have the dense foliage that they get in the sun they prefer. I’d suggest Canadian hemlock, and evergreen that can thrive in shade. The tops can be trimmed when thy get older to force lower, dense growth for a hedge in shade. Oak Leaf Hydrangea (grows to 6′) might be another shade tolerant shrub that could do the job.