The New Shade Garden: Creating a Lush Oasis in the Age of Climate Change
- Shadblow, Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
- Pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides)
- Redbud and Silver Bells, Cercis and Halesia
- Eastern dogwood (Cornus florida)
- (Mexican) Eastern dogwood (Cornus florida subsp. urbiniana)
- Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)
- Dwarf baldcypress (Taxodium distichum ‘Peve Minaret’)
- Lace Lady black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Lace Lady’)
- Thornless honeylocust (Gleditsia triancanthos x inermis)
- Honeylocust (Gleditsia triancanthos)
- Weeping Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Morioka Weeping’)
- Moosewood, snakebark maple (Acer pensylvanicum)
- Manchurian snakebark maple (Acer tegmentosum)
Bark:
- Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)
- American Beech (Fagus grandiflora)
- Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
- Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
- London plane (Platanus x acerifolia)
- Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana)
- Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)
- Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
- Seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides)
Foliage:
- Hairy alumroot, giant alumroot (Heuchera villosa ‘Caramel’)
- Umbrella plant (Syneilesis aconitifolia)
- Gold spot scuba (Aucuba japonica ‘Picturata’ )
- American boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
- Variegation:
- Variegated Andromeda (Pieris japonica ‘Flaming Silver’
- Grace Barker Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum x hybridum ‘Grace Barker’)
- Striped lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis ‘Albostriata’)
- Creeping broadleaf sedge (Carex sideroschia ‘Variegata’)
- Lungwort (Pulmonaria ‘Mrs. Moon’)
- Majeste lungwort (Pulmonaria ‘Majeste’)
- Siberian bugloss, perennial forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’)
- Liverwort and Siberian bugloss, perennial forget-me-not
- (Hepatica sp. and Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’)
- Windflower (Anemone x lipsiensis)
- Gold alpine strawberry (Fragaria vesca ‘Golden Alexander’)
Big Leaves:
- Umbrella plant (Darmera peltata)
- Umbrella Leaf (Diphylleia cymosa)
- False hellebore (Veratrum nigrum)
- Pigsqueak (Bergenia ciliata)
- Bigleaf ligularia (Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’)
- Japanese Ligularia (Ligularia japonica)
- Royal fern (Osmunda regalis)
- Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’)
- Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’
- Hosta ‘Great Expectations’
- Hosta ‘Spilt Milk’
- Hosta ‘Striptease’
- Hosta nigrescens
- Hosta kikutii
- Fragrant August lily, funkia, peace lily (Hosta plantaginaea ‘Grandiflora’)
- Hosta ‘Stained Glass’
- Hosta ‘Venus’
Woodland Plants:
- Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
- Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
- Eastern columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
- Wild sweet William (Phlox divaricata)
- Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum)
- False Solomon’s seal (Mianthemum racemosa)
- Starflower, starbead (Mianthemum stellata)
- Dry woodland shade, Variegated wild oats (Uvularia sessilifolia ‘Albomarginata’)
- Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
- Perfoliate bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata)
- Spotted-mandarin (Disporum maculatum)
- Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans)
- Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
- Oconee bells (Shortia galacifolia)
- Galax, wandflower (Galax aphylla ‘Watnong Form’)
- Partridge berry (Mitchella repens)
- Bluets, Quaker ladies (Houstonia caerulea)
- Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
- Double bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’)
- Trillium luteum
- Toad shade (Trillium sessile)
- Nodding trillium (Trillium erectum)
- Trillium erectum ‘Album’
- Trillium cuneatum
- Trillium ovatum
- Trillium flexipes
- Trillium pusillum
- Trillium simile
- Trillium grandiflorum
- Trillium grandiflorum ‘Flore Pleno’
- Paris quadrifolia
- Paris polyphylla
- American anemone (Anemone canadensis)
- Liverwort (Hepatica acutiloba)
- Hepatica nobilis var. japonica ‘Seihou’
- Hepatica japonica ‘Daishihou’
- Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum x hybridum)
- Fairy bells (Disporum flavens)
- Night Heron Chinese Fairy Bells, Disporum longistylum (cantoniense) ‘Night Heron’
- Navelwort (Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’)
- Woodland Poppy (Hylomecon japonicum)
- Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
- Adonis amurensis ‘Chichibu Shinku’
- Adonis brevistyla
- Japanese wood poppy (Glaucidium palmatum ‘Alba’)
- (Anemone nemerosa ‘Bracteata Pleniflora’ )
- Wild ginger (Asarum canadense)
- Hexastylis shuttleworthii
- European wild ginger (Hexastylis [Asarum] europeum)
- Chinese wild ginger (Hexastylis [Asarum] splendens)
- Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)
- Himalayan Mayapple (Podophyllum hexandrum)
- Podophyllum pleianthum x versipelle
- Wild bleedingheart (Dicentra eximia)
- White old-fashioned bleeding heart (Lamprocampos spectabilis ‘Alba’)
- Appalachian false goat’s-beard (Astilbe biternata)
- Dwarf Chinese astilbe (Astilbe chinensis var. pumila)
- Astilbe ‘Color Flash’
- Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla)
- Asian twinleaf (Jeffersonia dubia)
- Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens)
- Variegated Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis ‘Variegata’)
- Shiny Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis ‘Green Sheen’)
Shrubs:
- Camellia japonica ‘Korean Fire’
- Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
- Mahonia hybrid
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica)
- Sweet box (Sarcococca hookeriana)
- Leatherleaf viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum)
- Sacred lily (Rohdea japonica)
- Chinese snowball (Viburnum macrocephalum [‘Sterile’])
- Viburnum sargentii ‘Onondaga’
- Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’)
- Snowflake oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’)
- Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’)
- Weigela canary (Weigela subsessilis ‘Canary’)
- Winter hazel (Corylopsis sinensis)
- Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha)
- Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’)
- Carolina spicebush (Calycanthus floridus)
- Athens Carolina spicebush (Calycanthus floridus ‘Athens’)
- Venus spicebush hybrid (Calycanthus ‘Venus’)
- Alabama snow wreath (Neviusia alabamensis)
Herbaceous perennials:
- Spring vetch (Lathyrus vernus)
- Lathyrus vernus ‘Alboroseus’
- Common goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus)
- Bugbane, Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
- Doll’s eyes (Actaea pachypoda)
- Ligulaira species
- Himalayan primrose, candelabra hybrids
- (Primula x bulleesiana)
- Hairy alumroot, giant alumroot (Heuchera villosa)
- Fringe cups (Tellima grandiflora)
- Species peony (Paeonia japonica)
- Bear’s breeches (Acanthus hungaricus)
- Straw foxglove (Digitalis lutea)
- Yellow foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora)
- Saruma henryi
- Yellow wax bells (Kirengeshoma palmata)
- Toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta)
- Corydalis ochreleuca
Bulbs:
- Ramps, spring onion, ramson, wild leek (Allium tricoccum)
- Ivy-leaf hardy Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium)
- Flowering onion (Allium ‘Mount Everest’, Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’)
- Glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa sardensis)
- Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
- Arum italicum ‘Pamela Harper’
- Trout lily (Erythronium americanum)
- Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)
- Galanthus nivalis ‘Blewbury Tart’
- Yellow Canada lily (Lilium canadense var. flavum)
- Martagon lily (Lilium martagon ‘Album’)
- Ebony spleenwort (Blechnum spicant)
Ground Covers:
- Foam flower (Tiarella wherryi)
- Epimedium, barrenwort (Epidemedium x cantabrigiense)
- Epimedium, barrenwort (Epidemedium grandiflorum [Lilac seedling])
- Polygonatum humile
- Dwarf goatsbeard (Aruncus aethusifolius)
- Bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Alba’)
- Muckdenia rossi ‘Karasuba’
- Hellebores
- (Helleborus x hybridus ‘Yellow Mix’)
- Double hybrid hellebore
- (Helleborus x hybridus ‘Winter Jewels’)
- Hellebore hybrid
- (Helleborus Ashwood Garden hybrid, slatey grey)
- Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
- Rhododendron macrophyllum
Grasses and grass-like plants:
- Golden forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’)
- Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
- Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’)
- Variegated liriope (Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’)
- Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)
- Blue Zinger sedge (Carex flacca ‘Blue Zinger’)
- Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii var. temnolepis ‘Silk Tassel’)
No ferns?
Sorry…there are just too many ferns to list. I could make a list of ferns not to grow (’cause they want more sun and dry situations). For example many species in the genus Cheilanthes.
Why is poison ivy on the list? Though not suffering from it right now, some other toxic plant has managed to cover my hands, back, and face. It’s unpleasant enough to fish out any possible culprit in my woods which might be responsible. So again, why poison ivy?
Including poison ivy does need some explanation. I don’t recommend planting PI, but leaving it if it is in a spot that is out of the way. PI has the highest value to wildlife of any woody vine. Birds love the nutritious berries, for example. But the main reason to appreciate PI is that it grows in to disturbed areas and stabilizes soil — fighting erosion. We might not have the Cape Cod National Seashore without PI holding the dunes. Humans are the only beings allergic to PI. I have no idea how that serves the plant in an evolutionary sense.
There are many plants that can cause reactions — especially in sun. For example, the herb rue may cause phytophotodermititis if handled in sunlight. Other plants that may produce rashes if handled in the sunlight include carrots and parsley.
You mentioned that burning bush should be ban…invasive character……what other plants do you suggest that we steer clear of in planting a new garden?
There are many plants I would avoid. You can find lists online. Check by your state. Here are just a few more shade-tolerant thugs.
Winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia, Chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon) — still sold everywhere, Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Bush honeysuckle (Lonicera species and hybrids) and many, many more.
I hope everyone knows the list above were plants to remove/avoid/never plant…
Thank you for your suggestions… but I have to say right of the top that the multiflora rose and the japanese barberry are considered invasive….I’ll not be using them.
Stylophyllum diphylla is very weedy in my garden and I am trying to keep it out of my back woods. However /s. lancelolatume is much more restrained.
I appreciate Anemenopsis more and more each year. Despite its common name, False Anemone, there is nothing false about it.
Ken: I love the woodland plants . Mostly various hardwoods, plus some dogwoods,redbuds etc. Plants from nature are phlox,trilliums, mayapples, multiflora roses,fleabane etc.
What sort of plants would do well in such a community? Is there a fast growing colorful phlox? Will Astilbe’s do well in such an area?
Lots of leaf litter, humus in these untended area.
Enjoy your books:)
Phlox divaricata (wild sweet William) is perfect for what you describe. More woodland plants are on the list, above (“woodland plants”). I wouldn’t go with Astilbe, they won’t look as natural with what you are describing, which are mostly native. Multiflora rose is not native and a monstrous thug. It was introduced by the government for hedgerows, and it instantly escaped (with the help of birds). Now, farmers (if they are left) are spending time and money to get rid of it. If you’ve ever tried to dig out a mature plant, and survived, you know how difficult that is.
I agree about the astilbe, although there are a few that look more “natural” than others. The list was form a slide show, so wihtout explanation, you are right — AStilbe doesn’t seem to go with other woodlanders.
In the early days, I spent months digging out Multiflora rose. It is among many “farm” weeds aorund here. Another woody was shrub honeysuckle.
I replaced Japanese barberry (berberis thunbergii) planted by previous owners with Mountain Laurel (kalmia latifolia) under a cherry tree, hoping that it is a good substitution.
Mountain laurel likes an acidic soil. Berberis will take just about anything. I don’t know if your soil is good for the Kalmia. You can test it, or wait and see. Mountain laurel is slow, too.
Hi, Berberis and multiflora rose are not on the list.