Hi there Linda!
I have had a litle bit of this stuff several years ago and didn't know how to care for it- I plunked some in full sun- which never came back- and I put some in a very dry full shade area which came smaller every year for several years till it dissapeared.... I always was going to move it to a better location.......
I have wanted more of this myself and was suprised while searching about it that there are many "types" of Liriope with different colored blooms and height and variegation- It certianly could be that there are different zonal requirements as well.
Good luck with yours!
Julie

Thanks, Julie. I will do some more research on this and see if I can find one that will do well here. Then I will have to try to find some! LOL

Linda

I grew the plain green form of liriope years ago in the shade. Seemed to be very hardy in zone 4 and evergreen. However the leaves in spring were quite ratty and distasteful, and most years it barely had time enough to even begin blooming in our short zone 4a growing season. Spreads very slowly. Overall, not a deserving plant in my opinion.

Rick

Thanks Rick, good information.
I want something that will tolerate heavy shade on the north side of the house, and something other than the obvious....hosta. Any other suggestions?

Linda

I have Bishops weed- lilly of the valley and spiderwort. Annabell hydrangia does well there also-
Julie

Tiarella, Heucherella, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Ligularias, ajuga, wild Ginger, Bloodroot, Uvularia, Epimedium, ferns, Brunnera, Pulmonaria....all tolerate fairly heavy shade. Chelome would work but perhaps become a bit floppy in heavy shade? My personal choice (granted I am biased!) would be the Ligularias...both the dentata types combined with either L.japonica or L. stenocephala....or both if you have space. Ligularias give a 'tropical look' to the shade bed.

Rick...welcome back! Got that computer fixed?
Jan

lamium, lamiastrum, jacob's ladder, bleeding heart, columbine, vinca, astilbe...

disclaimer: some of these and others mentioned need good moisture. I have a &*@#! maple about 10 feet from the north side of my house, so it's very dry.

Maybe I will move my Jacob's Ladder, wild ginger, some heuchera and tiarella over there from my other beds. That will give me some space for new things! YAY!

I have Ligularia "The Rocket", but they are too tall for that space as it is in front of two windows.

Linda

I always go for a mix of things, more interesting of course, but ultimately some species won't do as well and you won't have to replant - possibly your whole bed!

Pulmonarias, love 'em. My favorite most intense blue flowered-Blausmeer(solid green leaves); best silver leaved-Silver Streamers, because it also has a ripply margin.

I am totally amazed at the drought tolerance of epimediums, especially E. x rubrum. It has never flinched since transplanting (since transplanting!) under a 30ft river birch, 2ft from the trunk. It's been 5 years, and I water it maybe 3 times a year.

Something really different: maybe Vancouveria hexandra will grow up there. One member here in our Rock Garden Society who grows it says it grow like a weed. This is only my second season with it, so I can't say. But even for her, it can't be that bad because she has had it for more than 10 years and doesn't complain about it. Another slowly spreading thalictrumlike plant is Thalictrum coreanum(ichangense).

Yes, I am back and happy to be here, and so is my new-old pc too. Went to unplug the original pc during the last big electrical storm we had back in mid June, but it was already too late. My power supply and the drive in my hard drive fried(and of course the surge protector too). So I got another used one with the next generation pentium processor for $150. Thanks for asking Jan, it's nice to be missed.

Rick