Good for: Shade garden

Scientific Name Common Name(s) Ground cover? Evergreen? Plant Form(s) Tolerates
Acer pensylvanicum Striped maple No No Shrubs & Small Trees
Adiantum pedatum Northern maidenhair fern Yes No Fern & Fern Allies
Amelanchier canadensis Canadian serviceberry No No Medium Trees Wet conditions
Amelanchier laevis Smooth serviceberry No No Medium Trees Air pollution, Salt, Soil compaction, Urban environments
Amsonia tabernaemontana Blue star No No Herbs
Hepatica americana Round-lobed hepatica, Round-lobed liverleaf No No Herbs
Apocynum androsaemifolium Spreading dogbane No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Arisaema dracontium Green dragon No No Herbs
Asplenium rhizophyllum Walking fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Athyrium asplenioides Southern lady fern Yes No Fern & Fern Allies
Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania sedge, Plantainleaf sedge, Plantain-leaved sedge, Seersucker sedge Yes Yes Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Mowing, Some foot traffic, Wet conditions, Dry soils/drought
Carex plantaginea Plantain-leaved sedge No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes
Carex platyphylla Broad-leaved sedge No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes
Caulophyllum thalictroides Blue cohosh, Common blue cohosh No No Herbs
Celtis occidentalis Common hackberry, Northern hackberry No No Large Trees Air pollution, Poor soil (sand/clay), Wet conditions, Salt, Soil compaction, Acidic soils, Alkaline soils
Chasmanthium latifolium River oats, Indian wood oats, Inland sea oats, Wild oats, Wood-oat, Northern sea oats No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Dry soils/drought, Allelopathic plants **, Salt, Wet conditions
Chelone glabra White turtlehead No No Herbs Wet conditions
Chrysogonum virginianum Green and gold, Golden knees Yes No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Convallaria pseudomajalis American lily-of-the-valley No No Herbs
Cornus racemosa Gray dogwood No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay), Urban environments, Wet conditions
Cystopteris bulbifera Bulblet fern, Bulblet bladder fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Cystopteris protrusa Lowland bladder fern, Lowland brittle fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Deparia acrostichoides Silvery spleenwort No No Fern & Fern Allies
Dicentra canadensis Squirrel corn No No Herbs
Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's breeches No No Herbs
Dicentra eximia Wild bleeding heart No No Herbs
Dirca palustris Leatherwood No No Shrubs & Small Trees
Dryopteris carthusiana Spinulose wood fern, Toothed wood fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Dryopteris celsa Log fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Dryopteris cristata Crested wood fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Dryopteris goldieana Goldie's wood fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Dryopteris intermedia Evergreen wood fern, Fancy fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Erythronium americanum Yellow trout lily, Fawn lily No No Herbs
Euonymus americanus Strawberry-bush, American strawberry-bush, Heart's-a-bustin' No No Shrubs & Small Trees Allelopathic plants **
Fagus grandifolia American beech No No Large Trees Allelopathic plants **, Salt
Galearis spectabilis Showy orchis, Showy orchid No No Herbs
Goodyera pubescens Downy rattlesnake-plantain No No Herbs
Heuchera americana American alumroot No No Herbs Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought
Heuchera villosa Hairy alumroot Yes No Herbs
Homalosorus pycnocarpos Glade fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Hydrangea arborescens Wild hydrangea, Smooth hydrangea No No Shrubs & Small Trees Allelopathic plants **, Salt
Iris cristata Dwarf crested iris Yes No Herbs Some foot traffic, Dry soils/drought
Isotria verticillata Large whorled pogonia No No Herbs
Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay magnolia No Yes Medium Trees Alkaline soils, Salt, Wet conditions, Soil compaction
Maianthemum canadense Canada mayflower, False lily-of-the-valley No Yes Herbs
Micranthes virginiensis Early saxifrage No No Herbs
Mitella diphylla Two-leaved miterwort No No Herbs
Onoclea sensibilis Sensitive fern No No Fern & Fern Allies Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought, Wet conditions
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum Cinnamon fern No No Fern & Fern Allies Wet conditions
Oxydendrum arboreum Sourwood, Sorrel tree No No Large Trees Salt, Acidic soils
Phegopteris hexagonoptera Broad beech fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Polygonatum biflorum King solomon's-seal, Large solomon's-seal No No Herbs
Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Pyrola americana Round-leaved pyrola, American wintergreen No No Herbs
Quercus michauxii Swamp chestnut oak, Basket oak No No Large Trees Soil compaction, Urban environments, Wet conditions, Acidic soils
Quercus montana Chestnut oak, Rock chestnut oak No No Large Trees Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Salvia urticifolia Nettle-leaf sage No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Saururus cernuus Lizard's-tail, Water-dragon No No Herbs Wet conditions
Smilax herbacea Common carrion-flower, Smooth carrion-flower No No Herbs
Thalictrum dioicum Early meadow-rue No No Herbs
Tilia americana American basswood, American linden, Bee tree No No Large Trees Dry soils/drought, Air pollution
Trillium erectum Red trillium, Wake-robin, Stinking benjamin No No Herbs
Trillium grandiflorum Large-flowered trillium, Great white trillium No No Herbs
Trillium sessile Toadshade, Sessile trillium No No Herbs
Tsuga caroliniana Carolina hemlock No No Medium Trees
Ulmus americana American elm No No Large Trees
Ulmus rubra Slippery elm, Red elm No No Large Trees
Uvularia grandiflora Large-flowered bellwort No No Herbs
Uvularia perfoliata Perfoliate bellwort No No Herbs
Uvularia sessilifolia Sessile bellwort, Wild-oats No No Herbs
Veratrum viride American false-hellebore, White hellebore, Green hellebore, Indian poke No No Herbs
Viola blanda Sweet white violet No No Herbs
Viola canadensis Tall white violet, Canada violet No No Herbs
Viola pubescens Downy yellow violet No No Herbs
Viola sororia Common blue violet, Confederate violet No No Herbs
Viola striata Striped violet, Cream violet No No Herbs
Acer floridanum Southern sugar maple, Florida maple No No Large Trees, Medium Trees
Actaea pachypoda White baneberry, Dolls'-eyes No No Herbs
Astilbe biternata Appalachian false goat's-beard No No Herbs
Campanula americana Tall bellflower No No Herbs
Galax urceolata Galax No No Herbs
Polypodium appalachianum Appalachian rock polypody, Appalachian rockcap fern No No Fern & Fern Allies
Trillium sulcatum Southern red trillium, Barksdale trillium No No Herbs
Actaea podocarpa Mountain black cohosh, Late black cohosh No No Herbs
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