Native Shade Gardening Suggestions

Developed by: Mark Johns

NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Tall Perennials

Common Scientific color site

Bee balm Monarda didyma red average

Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa pink average

Horsemint Monarda punctata yellow average

Blue Lobelia Lobelia puberula blue average

Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis red moist

Great Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica blue moist

White Turtlehead Chelone glabra white moist

Pink Turtlehead Chelone cuthbertii pink moist

Goats beard Aruncus dioicus white average

Va. Bluebells Mertensia virginica blue average

Tall Bellflower Campanula americana blue average

Harebell Campanula divaricata blue average

Devil’s Bit Chamaelirium luteum white average

Turk’s Cap Lily Lilium superbum orange average

Carolina Lily Lilium michauxii orange dry

Phlox Phlox carolina pink average

White Snakeroot Eupatorium rugosum white average

Mistflower Eupatorium coelestinum pink average

Wreath Goldenrod Solidago caesia yellow average

Rough Goldenrod Solidago rugosa yellow average

Jewel Weed Impatiens capensis orange moist

Variegated Milkweed Asclepias variegata white average

Ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis purple moist

Blue Star Amsonia tabernaemontana blue moist

Medium Height Perennials

Common Scientific color site

Jack-in-the-Pulpit Arisaema triphyllum greenish moist

Columbine Aquilegia canadensis red average

Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum pink average

Alumroot Heuchera americana pink dry

Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum white moist

Solomon’s Seal Polygonatum biflorum white average

False Solomon’s Seal Smilacina racemosa white average

Spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera purple average

Bellwort Uvularia grandiflora yellow average

Nodding Ladies’ Tresses Spiranthes cernua white moist

Creeping Phlox Phlox stolonifera pink average

Skullcap Scutellaria integrifolia purple average

Fawn’s Breath Gillenia trifoliata white average

Whorled Coreopsis Coreopsis major yellow average

Short or Border Perennials

Partridge-berry Mitchella repens evergreen average

Wild Ginger Asarum canadense purple average

Foam Flower Tiarella cordifolia white average

Bleeding Heart Dicentra eximia purple average

Squirrel Corn Dicentra canadensis white average

Dutchman’s Breeches Dicentra cucullaria white average

Liverwort Hepatica americana purple average

Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis white dry

Green and Gold Chrysogonum virginianum yellow average

Eared Coreopsis Coreopsis auriculata yellow average

Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium blue average

Dwarf Crested Iris Iris cristata purple, etc. average

Dwarf Iris Iris verna purple, etc. dry

Trout Lily Erythronium americanum yellow average

Catesby’s Trillium Trillium catesbaei pink average

Spring Beauty Claytonia virginica pinkish average

Toothwort Cardamine diphylla white average

Ferns

Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides evergreen/well-drained

Marginal Shield Fern Dryopteris marginalis well-drained

Ebony Spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron well-drained

Mountain Spleenwort Asplenium montanum evergreen/well-drained

Southern Lady Fern Athyrium asplenioides

Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamomea

Interrupted Fern Osmunda claytoniana

Royal Fern Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis

New York Fern Thelypteris noveboracensis

Broad Beech Thelypteris hexagonoptera

Netted Chain Fern Woodwardia areolata

Sensitive Fern Onoclea sensibilis

Blunt-lobed Woodsia Woodsia obtusa well-drained

Bracken Fern Pteridium aquilinum very well-drained

Hay-Scented Fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula well-drained

Maidenhair Fern Adiantum pedatum well-drained

Vines for Shade

Coral Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens

Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans

Crossvine Bignonia capreolata

Peppervine Ampelopsis arborea

Yellow Jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens

American Wisteria Wisteria frutescens

Climbing Hydrangea Decumaria barbara

Virgin’s Bower Clematis virginiana

Shrubs for Shade

Beautyberry Callicarpa americana

Sheetshrub Calycanthus floridus

Sweet Pepperbush Clethra alnifolia moist

Hazelnut Corylus americana

Strawberry Bush Euonymus americana

Huckleberry Gaylussacia frondosa

Witch-Hazel Hamamelis virginiana

Wild Hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens

Virginia Willow Itea virginica moist

Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia

Doghobble Leucothoe axillaris

Fetterbush Leucothoe racemosa moist

Maleberry Lyonia ligustrina

Wild Azalea Rhododendron periclimenoides

Sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria

Highbush Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum

Wild Raisin Viburnum nudum moist

Downy Arrowwood Viburnum rafinesquianum

Blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium

Fringe-Tree Chionanthus virginicus

Witch-Alder Fothergilla gardenii moist

Big-leaf Snowbell Styrax grandifolia

Spicebush Lindera benzoin