How much sun?

Check out Annabelle Hydrangea.

any chance at a pic ...

what about a shrub that dies to the ground .... like fallopia .... which is full shade ... and mottled with lots of white ...

see link ... it is very shallow rooted and not invasive in any sense for me...even though i think it is a type of knotweed ....

i wouldnt be surprised if it was not more aggressive in warmer climes..

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Aruncus dioicus (White Goat's Beard) is a native shrub/ woody perennial that looks like a giant astilbe. It grows in low light and grows wider and taller and more floriferous in high shade. If you search this forum you will find a thread with pictures of Goat's Beard and hostas.

Cimicifuga Racemosa (Black Snakeroot) also is a native. Its lacy purple foliage would make a beautiful contrast with your S&S.

How much light do you have? Bleeding hearts Dicentra spectabilis 'King of Hearts' (pink) or 'Alba' grow well in light to deep shade, provides gorgeous flowers in spring to early summer and nice blueish green foliage in the summer.

Baptisia (blue wild indigo) also is a shrub-like perennial. The hybrid 'Carolina Moonlight' is a creamy light yellow bloom. Baptisia à variicolor 'Twilite Prairie Blues' has blueish-green foliage and coppery-purple blooms.

Caryopteris clandonensis 'Longwood Blue' (Blue Mist Spirea) also comes to mind. I believe it is hardy to Zone 5.

Thanks for the ideas! I have several pannicle hydrangeas and they are doing great. I never even thought about the annabelle. I'll check it out. Because of the positioning of the pines, the spot only gets 3-4 hr. direct sun, the rest of the time it is still a bright area but no sun. Ken the fallopia is gorgeous! I'll have to check and see how tall it gets and just how hardy it is. I had wanted a shrub that reaches about 4-5'. Manyhosta, I love the idea of the cimicifuga racemosa. The purple foliage will make a lovely contrast with the hostas. I had originally wanted Japanese Maple but they don't survive here. Great ideas everyone. Thanks. Marg

Ah ha! Purple! Sambucus nigra 'Black Beauty' and 'Black Lace' are worth a look. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Beauty Elderberry

I second the vote for hydrangeas. They are my 2nd favorite plant (after hostas) and I think they combine nicely with hostas.

Oakleaf hydrangea!!!!!

You can always go with one of the smaller yews, especially the ones with foliage on the gold side, to really "pop" in the shade.

I like a standard type of hydrangea, ie, tree hydrangea. It would be a nice focal point and give you some height too. I love my annabelle hydrangea.
I also like kerria, native spice bush, native holly, service berry, many of the viburnums and hydrangeas.

Mahonia is a shrub that works in part shade, and has powder blue holly-shaped leaves and produces interesting berry clusters for wildlife/birds. Just pick a variety that will fit your space constraints. Check it out!

red twig dogwood and lace leaf japanese maple

fallopia.. 3 to 4 feet in full shade

ken

Blue Girl Holly. It takes part shade and grows up to 8' tall x 5' wide. Dark green leaves with red berries. Evergreen. Hardy to -30 degrees F below. Slow grower that likes moist soil.

The dogwood will look leggy and scraggly in deep shade. It also will likely not grow as tall.

if you originally wanted japanese maple, do consider the elderberries...don't get black beauty though, it's a dud, imho.

However, the chartreuse colored Sutherland Gold is stunning and very japanese maple-esque. I grow mine like a tree and do not cut it back to the ground each year, but you can cut it down to the ground every year and it will still come back big. Maybe bigger than you want, it can be as big as 10 x 10'. It's gorgeous. Black lace is nice, too, but the plantings I've seen are much more leggy.

Here is a link that might be useful: pics of sambucus sutherland gold