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The grass is always greener on the other side… or is it? Most of our customers who have shady yards are desperate for more sun, and while they may not be able to grow a sunny pollinator garden, there are so many stunning textures, shapes and colors that we love for shady spaces!
Ideally, we’d give you a short list of our favorites, but there are so many we love that we decided we needed two weeks to present them all! This week we are focusing on lower-growing plants, most of which put on their show in early to mid spring. Join Dana on Sunday, April 7th, for our first Talk and Tour, as she takes attendees on a tour of our shade plants and discusses favorites, why she loves them, ideal growing conditions and more!
FILLERS
Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides
NATIVE perennial (z3-9) part-full shade, 12-18'' tall and wide
Glossy, leathery, evergreen foliage; upright, clumping habit
Can tolerate dryish, rocky soils
Can fade/look stressed in heat of summer or depth of cold winter, but does stay evergreen.
Lungwort, Pulmonaria x 'Raspberry Splash'
Perennial (z4-9) part-full shade, 12-18'' tall and wide
Intensely colorful early spring blooms start out bright pink and mature to rich purple
Prized for its gorgeous, mottled, semi-evergreen foliage; excellent groundcover for woodland settings
Thrives in rich, moist, well-drained soil that does not dry out in hot summers; must have protection from afternoon sun
GROUNDCOVERS & EDGING
Japanese Forest Grass, 'All Gold'
Perennial grass (z5-9) full shade-part sun, 12-18'' tall, 20-24'' wide
Bright golden-chartreuse color gleams in the shade - lovely flowing texture as well
Foliage turns pink-tan in fall
Likes well-draining soil; great in containers
*May not have this spring 2024.
Siberian Bugloss, Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart' & 'Alexander's Great'
Perennial (z4-8) full-part shade
'Silver Heart' is 6-12'' tall & 1-2' wide, 'Alexander's Great' is 12-18'' tall & 24-30'' wide
Large, silvery, heart-shaped leaves are stunning in gardens & containers
Exquisite, petite, bright blue blooms early spring
Remarkably tough cultivar, stands up well to heat and humidity; excellent groundcover for moist, well-drained woodland
Aka false forget-me-not
Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense
NATIVE perennial (z4-6) full-part shade, 6-12'' tall, 12-18'' wide
Cup-shaped, unique purple-brown flowers appear in spring
Attractive groundcover for shady spots - glossy, low growing foliage is slow to spread
Woodland Phlox, Phlox divericata 'Blue Moon', 'May Breeze'
NATIVAR perennial (z3-8) part-full shade
Blue Moon is 8-12'' tall & wide, May Breeze is 12-15" tall & wide
Clusters of lovely fragrant blooms in spring, adored by pollinators (white or blue)
Can naturalize in time, creating a beautiful woodland carpet of flowers in spring
Dwarf Crested Iris, Iris cristata
NATIVE perennial (z3-9) full sun-part shade, 6-9'' tall and wide
Pale blue iris flowers with gold crests in spring; narrow, sword-shaped leaves
Grows low and spreads rapidly, good woodland groundcover
Fun fact: Irises are named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow
Green and Gold, Chrysogonum virginianum
NATIVE perennial (z6-8) full-part shade, 3-6'' tall, 18-24'' spread
Yellow blooms April-October, with a lull during hottest months
A great shade groundcover
Seeds provide food for birds; one of the best performers at the WNC Arboretum
Allegheny Spurge, Pachysandra procumbens
NATIVE perennial (z4-9) full-part shade, 6-10'' tall, 1-2' wide
Semi-evergreen, foliage emerges mottled and matures to solid green
Fragrant flower spikes in spring
A truly lovely native groundcover, but a slow spreader
*Limited quantities in 2024
Barrenwort aka Bishop's Hat, Epimedium x 'Pretty in Pink'
Perennial (z4-8) part-full shade, 1-2' tall, 2-3' wide
Marvelous groundcover for dry shade; covered in small, whimsical pink flowers in spring
Foliage takes on dramatic bronze tones in spring and fall
Vigorous, low maintenance, durable; drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant
Aka fairy wings
Barrenwort aka Bishop's Hat, Epimedium x perralchicum 'Fröhnleiten'
Perennial (z5-9) part-full shade, 4-8'' tall, 1-2' wide
A compact cultivar and one of the toughest -- makes an excellent weed-suppressing evergreen groundcover for dry shade
Bright yellow flowers in spring; attractive foliage takes on bronze tones in spring and fall
Drought tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant
Bugleweed, Ajuga reptans 'Chocolate Chip'
Perennial (z3-10) evergreen, full-part sun, 3'' tall, 9-12'' wide
Dwarf variety with smaller, deep maroon leaves
Brilliant violet-blue flower stalks in spring
Excellent for small spaces; doesn't spread as aggressively as species
Bugleweed, Ajuga reptans 'Mahoghany'
Perennial (z4-11) evergreen, full sun-part shade, 3-6'' tall, 12-18'' wide
Dense, rapidly spreading groundcover
Larger leaves emerge black-burgundy and mature to deep mahogany
Spikes of lavender-blue blooms in spring
Yellow Archangel, Lamium galeobdolon 'Hermann's Pride'
Perennial (z6-10) part-full shade, 8-12 tall, 12-18 wide
One of the easiest and loveliest solutions for dry shade; beautiful silver-streaked foliage
Tubular butter-yellow blooms late spring
Restrained mounding habit, not overly aggressive
Spotted Deadnettle, Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy'
Perennial (z3-8) part-full shade, 6-8'' tall, 2-3' wide
Variegated silvery-white, heart-shaped leaves with green margins; beautiful groundcover
White blooms spring to summer; cut back after flowering to stimulate new growth
Prefers moist, well-drained soil
SPRING EPHEMERALS
The following ephemerals (native plants with short periods of active growth, often growing only during brief periods when conditions are favorable) put on their show in woodland habitats in early to mid spring. Plant them in part shade and lightly moist, rich soil (think forest floor) for best performance. While their show is short-lived, they're each magical in their own right and often my favorites in the garden each year. We have several other spring wildflower species as well!
Native Trilliums - Trillium grandiflorum, cuneatum, erectum, luteum, recurvatum & more
NATIVE perennials, hardiness range from zones 3-9, size range from 3-18'' tall & 6-12'' wide
Bloom colors can be white, maroon, pale pink or yellow, and species such as T. cuneatum have lovely mottled foliage and sweet-smelling blooms.
Go dormant mid-summer
*Note that our supplier of trillium roots mixed up the species a bit this year--we have a wide selection of healthy plants, but you likely won't know which species you are getting. All are native, beautiful & beneficial!
Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum
NATIVE perennial (z3-8) part-full shade, 12-18'' tall and wide
White spring blooms hide beneath umbrella-like foliage
One of the first to emerge in spring - unfurling leaves are simply magical
Perfect for naturalizing in woodland areas; goes dormant in summer
Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum
NATIVE perennial (z4-9) part-full shade, 1-2' tall, 1' wide
Unique dark purple and green striped spathe blooms in spring are a showstopper
Goes dormant mid-summer
Clump-forming habit; needs consistently moist soil
Celandine Poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum
NATIVE perennial (z4-9) part-full shade, 1' tall and wide
Cheery yellow spring flowers atop pretty, lacy foliage - a staff favorite!
Self-seeds in optimal conditions
Thrives in moist woodlands and stream banks; excellent choice for native rain gardens