Shrubs for low sunlight areas...?

I live in the Pacific North West where Azaleas grow wild in the Conifer Forest. They seldom get direct sunlight beneath those 200 ft. Tall Fir Trees.So I don't think your problem is lack of sunlight. Most likely the soil is not acid enough for Azaleas.

Mix in lots of wood shavings, bark, etc.To duplicate the wild growing conditions. A Shrub that grows well in sun or shade is Rosemary. There are several different varieties from 3 ft.Tall to creeping ground cover.

Rosemary is an evergreen, and does not loose it's needles in the winter. It also has tiny flowers that range from violet to white, with several shades of light blue. Rosemary will grow in any type soil, clay to loam, and the best parts are the smell and that the needles are used as a spice to cook meats.

Azaleas prefer shady areas so I don't think that was the problem. Is your soil alkaline? They need acid soil.

Euonymus is a good shrub for shade.

Add a bunch of leaf compost or pine fines because it sounds more like you have a soil issue more than a shade issue. You could also try a camelia, rhododendron or mountain laurel although with the laurel they like gravel and good drainage.

Hardy fuchsias lose their leaves in the winter but bloom for quite a while in summer and fall. They can do full sun in the Pacific Northwest or full shade. Once you start with them though it becomes addicting.

You will want to keep adding new varieties Happy planting.

Well they're not flowering, but they will grow in almost total darkness with a always dark green effect. You've seen them all your life; they are called "Mother-in-Law's Tongues" and are almost indestristable plants usually just grown indoors because of their lack of need of sunlight, and even water. But they could certainly work in your case as long as you don't need some flowers.

You might not get lots of flowers with hostas, but you get plenty of interest in the variegation of the leaves. There are lots of hosta varieties from tiny to giant bunches of bushes. I would also use coral bells, or heuchera, which also have an astonishing variety of leaf colours.

Both plants have pretty pink/white/purple flowers in summer. Lupine is well-known for its conelike flowers. They come in bright yellow, orange and red and can brighten up a low-light area.

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