For you landscaping experts...

[dieselman]

Have a space to fill in the yard between my stone work and fence, about a 3'x3' square. Not much sunlight. Looking to plant some sort of tree or perennial plant, low budget. Suggestions?

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

Not an expert... but I'ma fan of azalea bushes. When mature it would fill a 3x3 and are full and pretty hardy.

 

[ModernGunner]

Without seeing the specific area, perhaps a variety of hosta? They come in a bajillion (technical term, LOL) color variations, typically stay 'low' (under, say 2') and are quite hearty.

Maybe Aureomarginata, Lancifolia, Guacamole hostas or perhaps the Blue Angel or the Bressingham Blue (personal favorite) for full to part shade.

Plant ONE. Most individual plants spread to 2' - 4', readily propagate and will easily fill in that area in a season or so.

Generally speaking, I'd shy away from trees if the location is near a rock wall or similar type area. The roots of most trees are hearty and substantial enough that they'll eventually push that wall out of position, almost invariably. As a 'rule of thumb' remember that with trees, the root system is as large as what you see above ground. That's how they manage to survive wind storms and so forth.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

Hardy dwarf almond tree. It will provide slightly more shade cover than you're intending, but it's well worth it, and the dwarf varieties are much smaller than their full-size counterparts, and the blossoms are pretty through the summer. Some cultivars are even self-pollinating.

 

[Lectric102002]

Spiraea - Yellow bushy plant. Fills in nicely.

Spiraea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Plus, it's great for a headache.