• Japanese yews thrive in partial shade.yew needles image by Fyle from Fotolia.com
  
  While evergreens are a consistent design element for your yard since they do not lose their leaves, getting the most out of your evergreen plants is highly dependent on careful selection for your particular site. Many evergreen trees and shrubs thrive in full sunlight, so if your yard instead allows partial shade, choose from a select number of partial-shade varieties that will grow into vigorous, healthy trees.
  
  

Canada Hemlock

• Canada hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) are evergreen trees that display small evergreen needles. These evergreens are well-suited for use in partially shaded areas; tolerances include full sun to full shade. Canada hemlocks prefer moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. They cannot handle drought or windy conditions. Widely used as natural screening, Canada hemlocks take on a pyramid shape. Dwarf varieties appear like more of a shrub than a tree. Growing to a height of 40 to 60 feet in maturity, Canada hemlocks should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 7, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
  
  

Japanese Yew

• Japanese yews (Taxus cuspidata) are evergreen shrubs that display green needled foliage with red fruit on female plants. Both foliage and fruit seeds are toxic, so be cautious. Japanese yews are ideal for growth in areas with partial shade, but thrive in a wide range of sun exposure from full sunlight to deep shade. Japanese yew shrubs prefer moist, well-drained soil and are often used as screens, hedges and borders. Cultivars such as Densa can be as low-growing as 4 feet, but in maturity, these evergreens generally reach 10 to 40 feet. Plant Japanese yews in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 7, as directed by the University of Illinois Extension.
  
  

Sargent Juniper

• Sargent junipers (Juniperus chinensis 'Sargentii') are creeping evergreen plants that perform well in full sun to partial shade. Creeping or "prostrate" junipers are low-growing and often used as ground cover. Sargent junipers come in both blue and green varieties, displaying scaly foliage and tiny blue berries on female plants. Green sargent junipers display consistently green foliage and grow to a height of 10 inches with a spread of 6 to 7 feet. Blue sargent junipers display consistently blue foliage and reach a height to 18 inches with a spread of 6 to 7 feet, explains the University of Missouri Extension. With a preference for moist, well-drained soil, sargent juniper plants tolerate drought and hot temperatures. Plant these evergreens in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 8, recommends the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.