Shade-tolerant shrubs for the chicken run?

[K0k0shka]

Can you guys recommend shade-tolerant shrubs I can plant in the chicken run? I currently have forsythias, which have been doing really well, but one winter recently two of my hens decided to de-bark the shrubs, and by the time I noticed and covered them with chicken wire, it was too late Most of them eventually died. I have an abundance of forsythias on the property so I can just plant new ones there, but wanted to add some variety. The new bushes will be protected with chicken wire going around them from the start. Most of the posts I found about planting things in/near the run talk about smaller plants - herbs, flowers, vines etc. - but I'm specifically looking for a shrub, something that can grow above chicken level and above the protective barrier. Right now my surviving forsythia has a loop of chicken wire going around the base around 18" tall, then a few inches of bare branches above that where the chickens jump to pluck leaves from it, and then above that it has an umbrella of nice leaves going up 6 feet. So I'm looking for something else that can do that. My chickens are lazy and don't fly or climb bushes, so I'm not worried about them getting up and into the bush.

 

[Perris]

I recommend Mexican orange blossom; my flock don't eat it or damage it but love to hang out in and under it. It's evergreen and the scent is a gorgeous bonus come springtime. It is the shrub filling the left in this photo, from December

 

[K0k0shka]

I recommend Mexican orange blossom; my flock don't eat it or damage it but love to hang out in and under it. It's evergreen and the scent is a gorgeous bonus come springtime. It is the shrub filling the left in this photo, from December
View attachment 3060249

I love it! But unfortunately my climate is too cold for it

 

[Perris]

It's tougher than it looks; it gets down to -10 C here - though that's very occasional, and it doesn't normally have to bear snow here for more than about 1 day. I suspect you get deeper chills and feet of snow there...?

 

[K0k0shka]

It's tougher than it looks; it gets down to -10 C here - though that's very occasional, and it doesn't normally have to bear snow here for more than about 1 day. I suspect you get deeper chills and feet of snow there...?

Yeah, we have serious winters over here. Winter is actually half the year, and it stays very cold for prolonged periods of time when it doesn't rise above freezing, and has frequent dips of -10 C or more and stays like that all night or for a couple of days. We also tend to get our snows infrequently, but in massive snowstorms that dump knee-high or hip-high snow.

 

[NightingaleJen]

What about roses? Some are at least halfway shade-tolerant. You might not get lots of blooms, but they make rather handsome shrubs.

I think butterfly bush and American elderberry might also be fair choices. Again, you may not get as much flower/fruit due to lack of sun.

You might also check the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center site:
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/c...rub&duration=&light_partshade=1&light_shade=1 (I plugged some info in for you)

They will not all be chicken-safe suggestions, but you should be able to cross-reference that online on your own.

(I'm in zone 6A; not so cold as you are.)

 

[Perris]

Would Skimmia survive there? It's another evergreen thriving in semi-shade here that's shown itself to be chicken-friendly and chicken-proof.

 

[Windrider]

Hey @K0k0shka !

My first thought was Camellias, but then I remembered where you are located. I have a huge 70+ year old Camellia in my run. It is non-toxic, but I also have some old, tough Azaleas in there and though they are considered toxic I've never had the chickens eat them.

Camellias for Colder Climates

There are "cold hardy Camellias," but I am not sure just how hardy is hardy. I am in zone 11, so what do I know!

 

[FortFusterCluck]

I also would suggest elderberry bush. They can be 8-10' wide and 8-10' tall. We just planted four. They have a different look each season.

 

[Alaskan]

I also would suggest elderberry bush. They can be 8-10' wide and 8-10' tall. We just planted four. They have a different look each season.

X2 on the elderberries