Good luck on your search. I wish I could grow the varietgated hydrangea reliably here. I wonder about the cornus alba - you are probably right there. They also get pretty big. I have to remove about 1/3 growth each year to maintain their size and keep them from being overgrown.

I might try dwarf(ish) Cornus alba 'Ivory Halo' there, but since I lost one in a similar, but slightly more harsh conditions, I think my chances are minimal.
There is a perfect plant for the visual effect I'm looking there, variegated Fallopia, and it will grow there, but it has to be checked once in a while for runners and place is not so easily accesiible.
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I grow some variegated shrubs in full and partial shade that may be of interest.

Acanthopanax (Eleutherococcus) sieboldianus "Variegatus'
Five-leaf Aralia, viciously armed!, Z5-8 (Plant in front of your ground floor windows, to prevent break-ins!)

Pieris japonica 'Variegata' Slow growing, compact shrub, mine is 4'/10 years, Z5-8

Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Variegatus', False Holly,Extremely slow growing, Said to produce small flowers in fall, followed by blue/black drupes. In 20 years, I have never noticed even one. Hardiness rating is questionable, some list as Z8, Z7 or even Z6 (Dan Hinkley-Heronswood). They have performed extremely well in Z7, with no dieback or freeze damage.

All of these can be pruned to maintain a desired size and shape.
Rb

Wow - very pretty picture. I just did a search on it since I had never heard of it before. This statement from Monrovia scares me a bit 'spreading indefinitely by underground runners'. How bad are the runners? I see it is hardy here.

Razorback,
I grow Acanthopanax in a dry shade between two maples and it doing good there. It's not particularly fast growing for me and was 'pruned' few year ago by deers or woodchucks, but it recouped well and now some canes in a 6' range and arching very gracefully. It doesn't have a density I'm looking for that particular spot.
Pieris japonica 'Variegata' is a great shrub, but it will take forever to attain 4-5' I'm looking for.
Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Variegatus'. I had a 'Goshiki' (I guess the same hardiness as Variegatus) for 3 years and about half of it had to be pruned every spring due to dieback, though it was in a protected spot.
Thanks for suggestions, though.

SG, runners for Fallopia japonica 'Variegata' could be an issue in z7 and up, definitely not in your climate, though plain green species are very agressive.
In my garden it produces runners on a very rare ocassion and only in one, probably with a most favorable conditions, planting spot.
Those runners are easy to spot (and easy to remove) in a spring by bright red emerging foliage almost immediately turning to pure white

Unfortunately, as I said, prospective spot is not easy accessible and in a couple of years I migt will be not able to get there at all.
That is why I was looking for hydrangea that could be left on its own for years and simply produce a variegated foliage with no expectations for flowering.
Seems like I'm out of luck in hydrangea department either.

Persicaria virginiana 'Painter's Palette' is similar to the fallopia, perhaps even synonymous (fallopia, persicaria and tovara are all pretty much the same plant, given the arcane idiosyncracies of taxonomy) and other than a couple of stray seedlings, I have never had a problem with suckering and spreading.

George, I'd opt for the cornus in some form. Why the first one didn't work out for you I can't say, but both Cornus alba or sericia/stolonifera are extremely tolerant of both wet sites and rather intense shade and the variegation they offer is much more distinct than what would be provided by a hydrangea. I have used them a number of times in designs for similar situations with great effect.

Pam, I found "Painter's Palette' to be a problem in my yard. It doesn't spread by runners, but instead seeds everywhere. Though those seedlings are easy to spot and remove they might present some danger not only to my own garden, but to surrounding neigbors and woods as well.
I still grow it, but affraid that if next year it will produce as many seedlings as it did this year it will be a goner despite being a such gorgeous plant. On opposite side fallopia doesn't seed for me and ocassional runners are easy controlled.

Thanks for the encouragement, I'll try Ivory Halo there.
Worse come to worse, it's readily avalable and not that expensive shrub.

I just planted 'Painter's Pallete' this year and, interestingly enough had asked about it's tendancy to for invasiveness on the perennial page. Some said it may not be hardy for me. I will find out this year. Mine never flowered

I've also found the dogwood to do well in moist soil but never have grown it in shade.

I grow Caryopteris 'Snow Fairy' in shade. It definitely brightens things up. I moved it there when I thought it was too white in full sun.

This was taken at the end of the season when some of the white variegation fades a bit.

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Wendy, wow!
I would never thought about planting caryopteris in shade. Looks great.
Although I will be not able to use it in a particular spot for which I made an inquiry, due to the lack of accessibility for the maintanance, I like the idea very much and will try it somewhere else.
I see pieris, leucothoe, astilbe and hosta in your picture and got an idea of lighting conditions, though in z5-6 we could get away with more sun for 'shade-lovers' than in a warmer zones. How much sun do you have there?
Is it as late emerger as C. cladonensis?

If you haven't found anything - how about something bred for shade and wet - Leucothoe fontanesianna 'Girard's Rainbow'? In the ground, it should get to a good size for you (mine in a container is about a 2ft mound). I thought I had uploaded some more recent pics of it but here's one from 3 years ago where you can see the variegation in the leaves:

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The newest growth comes in red and depending on how much light hits it, it matures to almost all white/pink/green leaves (I think it'll go more green in dense shade, although it still gets some variegation regardless - mine gets very little direct light). You can see some ground-planted ones here. I have C. alba 'Elegantissma' and have seen it planted in the landscape and know it can get fairly large.

George, that spot gets sun early til mid-morning.

I really don't recall how/when it emerges... Its one of those self-sufficient areas that doesn't get much of my attention.

Ironically, I think that may be Girard's Rainbow in that pic and the variagation is long gone.

Jenny, thanks for suggestion, but it wouldn't work either.
I have Girard's Rainbow in several locations in my garden and as Wendy said, 'variegation is long gone'. By mid-June it become practically unnoticeable, though I saw couple of nice specimens grown in almost full sun conditions and those were really stunning. Main problem with a leucothoe grown in a summer shade is a lot of sun burns when they become exposed to the full sun in a winter, though they recover relatively fast in a spring.
I think I'll try "Elegantissima' in a spring. Spot could afford 6-8' tall plant.

George,
I have had caryopteris 'Fairy' in deep shade as it was the only place I could stand the intensity of the plant. I companioned it with variegated hydrangea that helped to tone it down a bit. But I don't know do two bad plants companioned together really make make one good display?? kt

Another Cornus to consider would be 'Cream Cracker'. It is supposed to be more leaf-spot resistant. That may be important especially in a damp situation. My Ivory Halo can get awful looking in a damp year. However, if your spot is not too accessible, maybe the leaf spot will not be as noticeable.

CC doesn't have as much white on it, at least not yet or in these conditions (sun til noon, dryish soil). I got CC to replace my IH, but I decided to give IH another chance.

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Another idea would be Kerria 'Picta'. I tried one last year but it didn't come back this spring. That could be a hardiness issue. It was borderline for me. This pic is not from my garden.

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Another idea is Annabelle Hydrangea. Not for the foliage, but the blooms are very long lasting. And you get get some winter interest from it if you left the blooms on.

Kt,
"But I don't know do two bad plants companioned together really make one good display??"
LOL, your sense of humor is always appreciated.

While we are on a subject of 'variegated foliage in a shade', let me mention another plant that is seldomly mentioned and even less often seen in Northeast landscapes, Rhododendron ponticum var. cheireanthifolium 'Variegatum'. The Massachusetts chapter of the American Rhododendron Society labeled it as a 'conditionally recommended'.
Pluses: evergreen, hardy to -20F, variegation not fading in shade, unusual narrow leaves with wavy and contorted leaf margin, relatively dense and compact to 5-6 x 5-6'.
Minus: less likely will form flower buds in considerable shade and those buds are not hardy below -10F.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rh. ponticum 'Variegatum'

Wow Wendy - that is beautiful. I always stayed away from that one figuring it wasn't hardy here. I may have to try it anyways. You are in zone 5A ?? How old is yours?

George, it's got yellow in the variegation but have you considered Hydrangea 'Lemon Wave'? It's one of my favorite variegated plants-maybe my favorite. I'll place another vote for Kerria japonica 'Picta'. Mine grows in some of the crappiest soil in my garden in the shadows of white pines and looks great all season.

Wendy, does your Caryopteris 'Snow Fairy' bloom in the shade?

Sue

Actually kerria 'Picta' should work in that particular dark and somewhat damp place. I consider all kerrias as a 'see-thru' plants and like very much the idea of planting suckering shrub there.
Does it grow as large (same vigor) as regular kerrias?

My Picta is in dry, crappy soil. It gets some direct sun-maybe a couple of midday hours. It definitely isn't as vigorous as the regular Kerria but the conditions may be contributing to that. It is growing and blooming though and the foliage holds up all season.

Sue

Silvergold, the beautiful kerria pic is not from my garden. It didn't make it here, except for a few weak suckering sprouts, which I eventually pulled. The C. Snow Fairy seems to be plenty hardy here. It has made it thru 2 winters, one of which was extremely cold, and the other one with not much snow cover.

Sue, my Snow Fairy has just a couple of blooms if you look real close! Actually I wasn't that impressed with the blooms even when I had it in full sun. THat helped me decide to give it a shot in the shade.

-Wendy

hi george,
is the area too wet/dark for a japanese maple? 'ukigumo' is a nice variegated one with lots of white. i also grow 'butterfly' in a location that gets about 3 hrs. of sun but don't know that it has to have it.
this is 'butterfly'; it is rather twiggy by nature but i have pruned out many of the smaller, interior branches

if not a maple, how about clethra alnifolia 'creel's calico'? the variegation is similar to that in your first photo with splashes and speckles of white. might even get some white flowers. they don't mind moist soil and shade (down here, anyway). have not seen this one in person but the pics look nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: rarefind nursery - clethra

Jeff, thanks for suggestions.
I think there will be too wet and way too dark for Jap.maples.
As to 'Creel Calico', I have two plants and while I'm pretty much happy with them I want something different in that place. BTW, if you'll be looking for CC for yourself, think of a space closer to the front of the border for two reasons:
a) variegation is so interesting that you wish to admire every single leaf on its own, no two of them are identical,
b) because of the variegation white flowers somewhat lost in a foliage from the disatance.

If you are interested, e-mail me and I'll send you a few suckers.

That clethra is gorgeous!

Something else I thought of, although it doesn't have a very strong variegation like some of the other examples and you may even have it considering the many specimens that you do have - but a variegated Daphne odora might work. One of my sisters has one and it appears almost all white when it is in bloom (thanks to the flowers and the leaf edges). It seems to be a pretty slow grower as well and can take shade or sun.

Another nice one might be Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Variegatus', although I know it's only maginally hardy here and probably less so where you are.

Jenny, thanks.
I don't have (yet!) a Daphne odora in my garden, but do have a Daphne transatlantica (formerly caucasica) 'Summer Ice' which in addition to variegated foliage have another great attribute, after the main spring flush, it blooms intermittently the whole season till late November.
Variegation is not as bright as on Carol Mackie, but IMO, it is a much more desirable plant. Not particularly fast growing, but I see how it easy could be 4-5x4-5' shrub. This one was a 8" tall single twig 3 years ago.
Picture was taken last week and by surrounding plants you could see in what condition it grows
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That filled out nicely from an 8" twig!! Wow!!

Seems we keep coming back to the dogwood, which is probably a good choice although I have seen that one get quite tall unless pruned. There is a variegated sambucus (S. nigra 'Marginata'), but I have a feeling that since they like sun, the variegated might need it moreso, although the claim is that they do okay in part sun. I get morning sun on my S. nigra 'Black Lace' and like my 'Wine and Roses' weigela, it tends to fade to green if it doesn't get enough sun. Plus the potential height would require major lopping back. LOL

Since I mentioned weigela, there is a pretty variegated of that (W. florida 'Variegata') that I've sortof lusted after and the height would be about right, but I don't know how the white variegation would do in shade and whether it would mind a wetter site.

Weigela would need almost a full sun here for good bloom and if one is looking for re-bloom it must be planted in full sun, no compromises.
I guess you are right, we are back to square one, Cornus alba almost a sure bet, but Sue's and Wendy's suggestions about Kerria 'Picta' made me curious and I'll be looking for this plant. At first glance this particular cultivar is too small for the place, 3x3' in 4-5 years is not good enough for me, but I definitely will find a spot for it somewhere else.
Thank you very much to all who contributed to such interesting thread.