Please help me find the right shrub.....

[Spoisal]

Currently I have some Alberta Spruce planted that are about to kick the bucket. My friend's husband is a "tree doctor" and said they just don't do that great in my area - they live a couple of years & then die. HE didn't think they were getting enough sun either. I believe him because these aren't the first Alberta Spruce I have had to die in this location. I will eventually replace these if they don't turn around. Please help me figure out what to plant. This is my situation:

*foundation planting
*I want an evergreen shrub
*sun in morning - afternoon shade (about 1:30p)
*I live in Maryland, I think it is zone 6/7

Anyone have some good ideas?

 

[LAinSEA]

From my observations around my neighborhood, the Alberta spruces go from little and cute, to a little larger with nice form, to medium size with tip die-back but starting to lose that wonderful conical shape, to larger (about 4-5 feet tall) and lumpy with large brown spots! My cousin will only grow them in large containers now and replaces them every few years when they begin to lose their form and the tip die-back begins. So please don't feel terrible about the shape of your tree.

Maybe a low-growing rhodie is what you need. I have a ramapo (sp) which is only about 2 feet tall with a 4 feet spread after being planted for 13 years. It blooms profusely each spring with purple flowers and sometimes it will bloom again (not as profusely) in the fall. The rest of the year, it maintains really nice dark green leaves even though I have it planted where it gets bright afternoon sun (it really is supposed to have morning sun and afternoon shade).

You may also consider planting some varieties of New Zealand flax. Phormiums come in all sizes and colors. They have survived 15-20 degree temps in our neighborhood even though they are listed usually for zone 8.

-Laurie