The use of gray dogwood in the home landscape is limited somewhat by its suckering habit. It grows well in sun or shade and tolerates most soils. Arrowwood viburnum grows about 6 to 8 feet tall. Plants produce white flowers in spring followed by blue-black fruit in fall. Its mature height is 3 to 6 feet.
Alpine currant is one of the first shrubs to leaf out in the spring.
It tolerates pruning well and makes an excellent formal hedge. It's also possible to grow evergreen shrubs in the shade. However, they do require well-drained soils. Yews often die in wet soils. They are also prone to winter injury when planted in windy, exposed sites.