Category: Shade

Goatsbeard has great foliage and is very tough. We grow it in partial shade with very dry conditions and although slow to establish in these conditions, it has thrived. The feathery blooms last a long time and will provide winter interest. Similar to Astilbe in habit and bloom but much bigger. Light:       … Continue reading Goatsbeard – Aruncus dioicus

Also called Polygonatum canaliculatum or Great Solomon’s Seal, this plant has long, arching stems that dangle cream-colored flowers early spring.  Large purple seeds and golden leaves add interest in fall.  Germination takes time but it is well-invested; plants spread slowly and form colonies once established.  Solomon’s Seal can grow in full sun or full shade.

Jack In The Pulpit – Arisaema triphyllum A native plant with a unique form and bloom. The single stalk with the “pulpit” bloom will continue to get bigger each year and produce some offshoots. The leaves will hold up most of the summer with regular water. They will go dormant and can disappear by midsummer… Continue reading Jack In The Pulpit

American Ginger – Asarum canadense This is a native plant with light green leaves and small unobtrusive deep maroon flowers in early spring. It spreads by seed and it quickly forms a sizable clump. Light:                    Full to partial shade Bloom Color:        Maroon red… Continue reading American Ginger

False Solomon Seal Lovely arching stems with fuzzy white blooms. Forms large stand quickly. Bloom color: white Bloom time: Late May/June Bloom height: 18-24 inches We use it for: companion for hostas

Doll’s Eye – Actaea pachypoda Tough, well behaved dark shade native. Fuzzy white blooms yield to clusters of bright white berries with dark eyes which are poisonous. It’s a slower growing plant and seems to spread mainly from rhizomes despite yearly seed production. Bloom color: white Bloom time: May Bloom height: 36-48 inches We use it… Continue reading Doll’s Eye

Blue Cohosh  Caulophyllum thalictroides Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh) is a beautiful woodland plant with a preference for rich moist conditions, typical of a woodland floor. Compound leaves fill out the single leaf stalk with a lacy effect similar to Meadow Rues. New foliage can show a tint of blue or purple pigment.   The flowers… Continue reading Blue Cohosh

Bloodroot  – Sanguinaria Canadensis One of the earliest Native woodlands. Its early blooms are fleeting but are a harbinger of warm weather. The emergence of the blooms (illustrated in the photo above) is also one of the charms of the plant. The full leaves gives them an entirely different appearance post bloom. They like hillsides… Continue reading Bloodroot

A great shade plant that is tough and well behaved. Slow grower that tolerates dry shade conditions. It gets a beautiful pink flower spike in late summer.  Light:                    Full to partial shade Bloom Color:        Pink Bloom Time:         Late Summer… Continue reading Astilbe

This is  a cheery early blooming perennial that has a distinctive sharp leaved foliage and lovely blooms for nearly a month! Light:        Full sun to partial shade Bloom Color:       White Bloom Time:        3 weeks Bloom Height:    16 inches Foliage Height:   12 inches Habit:   … Continue reading Anemone Sylvestris