need plant ideas!!

[mener6896]

I have a bed on the NW side of my house (Indiana zone 5) that has lots of shade; probably only a few hours of sun/day due to large tree blocking the western light. I have spirea on one corner, and another tall flowering shrub on the SW corner (not sure what it is) I also have myrtle ground cover throughout the bed. I am looking for something that has a little height to it (up to 36") to add dimension. I wouldn't even mind some sort of bush, etc.

I also plan on adding a few bleeding hearts, but I'm not sure the height of these, or what they look like in winter.

Need suggestions!! I tried to add a picture, but my camera battery is dead.

 

[patandchickens]

Bleeding heart dies back to the ground in winter; you can either leave the (rather messy and collapsy) dead foliage standing, or cut it back for winter. It needs humidity and constant soil moisture and to be protected from much of any wind, so it is only appropriate for a NW exposure that is very *sheltered*. If it is only "half happy" in your location, it may die back in mid summer and leave a gap in the bed.

Some small shrubs for shade:

IME, Peegee type hydrangeas do reasonably well with not much sun, although some varieties may get bigger than you want and they can get straggly in a lot of shade unless pruned well.

Snowberry/coralberry/indiancurrant (Symphoricarpos spp) do real well in shade, and have attractive berries, but be aware the bushes themselves are rather straggly and unkempt looking, although I find that pruning helps keep them looking more civilized. They sucker pretty badly too, good if you want to fill in a 'semi-wild' area but not good for a more formal planting.

Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa, I think it is sometimes labelled as Photinia melanocarpa these days?) is also pretty shade-tolerant, and as long as it gets a couple hrs of sun will also have nice bright fall color. Brief white flowers in spring, then dark purple berries. Less untidy than Symphoricarpos, but still benefits from pruning.

Some Potentillas will flower somewhat even if they only get a couple hrs of sun a day, although really they *prefer* more.

Perennials:

Daylilies will flower *somewhat* even if they don't get much sunlight.

Solomon's seal is an EXCELLENT EXCELLENT shade plant, and some spp get as much as 3-4+' high (not generally the first year). They spread but are easily removed if they get carried away. Highly recommend. SOme of the striped-leaved forms are nice for brightening up a dark corner.

Filipendula purpurea (a relative of queen-of-the-meadow and meadowsweet) does real well for me under a large pine tree where it gets minimal if any sun; it gets about 2-3' tall with light pinkish meadowsweet-type flowers.

Astilbe is always a good shade perennial as long as the ground is evenly moist and does not dry out (likes conditions somewhat similar to bleeding heart, although has a *bit* more of a sense of humor)

There are plenty of others, of course, but that's what comes most to mind at the moment and should give you some things to think about

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[mener6896]

wow!! Thanks soooo much!! I can't wait to browse the nursery to see what I like!! We live on 8 acres of somewhat woods (the acreage around the house has been cleared - about 3) so I don't mind the wilder unruly look. You have given me such great ideas!

 

[ducks4you]

Pat, I'm amazed at what you know!! BTW, I planted 3 Astilbe in a partial shade bed last season. They looked sickly. But, THIS YEAR, they came back really strong, and already have a good deal of foliage.

 

[Lavender2]

Astilbes are one of my favorites for that situation if they can be kept moist ... they brown up and go dormant, or even die if they get too dry. The chinensis types tolerate somewhat drier conditions.

If you like bleeding hearts ... check out Fringed Leaf BH. They are smaller, but they don't yellow out or go dormant by late summer like the old fashioned BH. 'Dolly Sods' is so cool! (not sure if it's available everywhere) ... but it has blue/green lacy foliage and repeat blooms from late Spring right up til Fall if I deadhead. Mine gets about 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall. There are other varieties, also, that re-bloom as long as summers are not too hot.

Another favorite shrub size perennial (abt 3 ft and will get abt 3ft across or more) ... Chelone (Turtlehead) ... late Summer/Fall color and easy care perennial... (Well, except that the deer like em too) ...

 

[jojo54]

you guys are good. I can use some of these in my shade bed too! thanks! :rainbow-sun

 

[patandchickens]

Oh, how could I not think of it before -- perennial geraniums!! Some are fairly short but others are as much as 3-4' high, and do great in shade (even dry shade, for many of them). Lotsa different kinds. Two thumbs up They disappear in winter (foliage dies and collapses and disappears) so no 4th season interest, but are great the rest of the year.

Pat