You are in shade denial. I recognize the symptoms. Goatsbeard will reach for the sun, and become a big mess with more sun than it sounds like you have. Cimicifuga also seems to want a fair amount of sun.

Ferns are good for shade. Solomon's seal is fairly tall. Most of my shade plants are under large shrubs, so I don't particularly want large perennials.

Azaleas or Rhododendrons?

Goatsbeard and Monarda will need more sun.
Will be interested in the responses as I have a similar spot.

I disagree :-) Aruncus is a classic shade plant, a native woodlander. It is often used in combination with astilbe, hosta, columbine, polemonium and aconitum. And it is very low maintenance. It and the actaea (also a shade lover - will tolerate sun if sufficient water) will have a very close textural similarity so you night want to consider something like thalictrum (meadow rue), which has more delicate foliage. IME monarda's tendency towards powdery mildew increases with the amount of shade it receives, so I'd save that for a sunnier position.

I'd consider adding some sort of ornamental grass for additional textural contrast - hakonechloa, various carex, sea oats are all very shade tolerant. And keep some of those hostas - that big foliage is important - and add some ferns as well. You risk getting more of the cottage garden look if you add too many different types of plants. Just pick a few that contrast and compliment each other and repeat them.

Sorry, I got confused between Goatsbeard and Jupiter's beard......carry on

Thank goodness...I've had my eye on Aruncus. I can't wait. I have a mostly shade spot in my back yard for the Actaea, next to some shrubs.

My first try with Monarda, granted it was in a container and I overwintered in my uninsulated attic, it did not survive, but was full of powdery mildew. That's scared me off, but some of those pics I see are tempting...bummer.

Miclino, I also thought Rhododendrons would do well in full shade, not so, at least for me. I had mine there for several years with just one solitary bloom. They need some sun. I just moved last season to temporary holding, and it's going to be moved again this spring. Hopefully, I'll see some blooms next year, but I'd never try a rhody again in full shade. My azaleas were in maybe half shade half sun, but they did better in more than 1/2 sun prior to that, so I moved those as well. Thank goodness the roots are shallow.

Gardengal, thanks for the valuable suggestions.

Goat's beard is a nice, easy plant but the flowers are turn brown within a week or two, on male plants. The flowers on the female plants last longer but are less showy. They also grow pretty large and take up a lot of ground space, all things to consider.

Two other plants to consider are Japanese anemones and rodgersias. They'll both take heavy soil and shade in stride so long as they aren't allowed to dry out.

I have Actea/Cimicifuga 'Brunette' in an area that only gets a few hours of late afternoon sun and it's done quite well. In the same spot I also have Variegated Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum') which is about two or two and a half feet tall with neat white edges on the leaves. Thalictrum (meadow rue) would also probably do well in your conditions.

There are three ferns native to my area that are pretty tall: Royal fern (Osmunda regalis), Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), and Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris).

Here's another really cool taller shade perennial that doesn't look weedy but has a nice refined and elegant look. I forgot to include on the 'underused' perennial list.

American Spikenard (Aralia racemosa)- 3 to 5 tall with white flowers in pannicles. One of my favorite large shade perennials. May to have source it from a native plant nursery but well worth the search.

If the shade is only what is caused from the house, and not surrounding trees, it's bright enough for many varieties of clematis.

I have goatsbeard planted against the north side of my house and it does very well there.

How about some different hosta. Nothing brightens up a shady area like a nice yellow or chartreuse leafed mound.

mao

Fothergilla 'Mount Airy'.
Deutzia.
as mentioned "hakonechloa" (nice color for shade),not tall though.
variegated red twig brightens a dark area.
Oak Leaf Hydrangea is outstanding for shade but gets wide.
Bleeding Heart(not tall).

Bleeding Hearts are wonderful in the conditions you suggest.
Some new and underused varieties.......
Goldheart
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flower off and on all summer.....
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Also Hellebore, Ligularia and Astilbes
I agree that ferns can be used to good effect in an area like this as well......lots of shapes and sizes.
Here is a pic of my 'cottage' style....I just gotta hav'em all!!!!!
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Have Fun,
Flora

Persicaria polymorpha
Huge! Impressive! Likes shade! Different, never seen it in a garden around here!

Marie (no exclamation point needed)

On my north side, I have a nice weigela that's doing great.
I've not done any other plantings, besides what the previous owners have done, but I certainly plan on it after the front of my house is re-planted!

I plan on using heuchera,tiarella and heucherella since there are lots of varieties to choose from. Georgia Peach is a particularly lovely heuchera.

The Cimicifuga you're looking at is also very neat but should be contrasted with something limey, like the Hakone grass mentioned above so that both will have good impact.

Lady's Mantle also does well in this setting.

And I absolutely LOVE an ostrich fern at the back of the garden! Fantastic!

Now, a great suggestion I have for you is one I saw on a garden tour last year. In the same hole, plant a green bleeding heart and a gold bleeding heart. When they grow together, they look like one plant with 2 different colors of foliage. It was stunning. After seeing it in June here, I decided to try it on my own here at the end of the growing season. I'm anxious to see the results this year!

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First, I agree with the previous poster about goatsbeard - takes up a lot of space for a brief bloom period if you have a small yard. We are in similar zones, so I can tell you what I have in terms of taller, non-hosta "structure" plants on the north side of my house.

Aconitum carmichaelii and fischeri
Schizophragma hydrangeoides (vine that goes up the north side of the house - that's height after all!)
Clematis 'Perle d'Azur' and viticella species (climbing up the schizophragma)
various dwarf Tsuga canadensis (like 'Jeddeloh')
Rodgersia
Tricyrtis hybrids (taller ones like T. formosa hybrids around 3', shorter ones around 18" or so)
The aforementioned dicentras, though that's pretty cottage-y
The aforementioned Persicaria polymorpha
various Japanese anemones, but they spread somewhat more than you might want
various Pieris
two hardy clumping bamboos - Fargesia nitida and murialae

Great suggestions, I'm trying to narrow down the list.

There are huge mature maples on the city way, so I have to correct my earlier statement in saying that this area receives morning sunshine...this area gets only slight afternoon sunshine, and not much indirect sunlight.

I also have a bleeding heart. This will probably be the first year the roots go undisturbed as I've moved it around in prior years.

Flora, great landscaping. I wish my bleeding hearts looked like that.

Melissa, great suggestion. I'll consider another bleeding heart if I have the room. My ferns don't look as nice as yours. :(

I've seen Hakonechloa in pics before and liked it, though I didn't know what it was. I'm not particularly a fan of ornamental grasses in my landscape, but I do find this one attractive, something to consider for the shade.

Of the taller suggestions, I'm leaning towards goatsbeard, Persicaria polymorpha or Oakleaf Hydrangea, though I've read persicaria has a tendency to be invasive? Oakleaf hydrangea looks like it gets pretty big.

I've been looking at Fothergilla Mt. Airy, but most pics that I see appear very leggy and sparse, I otherwise have no knowledge of this plant.

From what I can tell, the foliage on Goatsbeard isn't actually 5 feet tall, the measurement is with the flowers, correct?

Michael, I like the idea of the climbing hydrangea. I have one on the south face of my house in full sun, I am determined it will do well there. Going on three years and so far so good...too bad they take so long to establish.

Fothergilla Mt. Airy...great plant.

Leggy in "shadier" locations...as most plants.

If you have rabbits, you will need to protect this plant.