Ferns, ferns, and more ferns. Liriope? Prickly shrub Ruscus aculeatus. Try deciduous shrub Sambucus nigra Variegata. Cotoneaster - a silvery-leaved one. Ground covers: Asarum europaeum, Oxalis oreganum, Geranium macrorhizum (might only get foliage), Saxifrages such as stolonifera, umbrosa primuloides, and others for shade.

No guarantees, but worth a try.

I have reas that installing a mirror to reflect light into the space may help. I have not tried it though, as I have a lot of sun

Thanks! I'll give those plants a try. Even if the Really Dark Spot turns out to be too dark for them, I could also use more green stuff in the Pretty Dark Spot.

A mirror's an interesting idea. It would be possible, I think, to put one on the fence.

Thanks,

Burnet

I like those technical terms for your levels of shade!

I was just outside and noticed I'd missed a few options from my own Dark Side: Yew (the variegated one might stay a touch lighter than the garden variety, Acanthus mollis, and Euphorbia (probably characias/Wulfenii). While I know that yews grow in lots of shade, the other two grow for me where they do get some summer sun, so those might be under advisement. Have you tried the other classics like Epimedium or Hostas, or even boxwood?

Also, have you thought of thinning the evergreens or spacing/carving the fence boards to let a little light in?

I'm not quite sure if you are looking for shrubs or perennials there, but in z8 you could grow a lot of large showy ferns that might be not reliably hardy here. They would need a constant watering though.
You may also try Tricyrtis there as they bloom in almost full shade for me.
Few shrubs that will do great in full shade,
Aucuba japonica (plain green or 'gold dust'ed), Skimmia japonica (female plants would need a male polinator to produce berry, but if you are not there in a fall/winter you shouldn't care. Male plants are much showy than female when in bloom, early Spring), Osmanthus heterophyllus ÂGoshiki would love to be in a such protected spot as well.

I haven't tried epimediums, no - the nurseries around here don't seem to carry them, and they always seem to get cut from my mailorder lists. I'll make them a higher priority.

I had a vague notion that hostas and box required more light than I have there, but I could give them a try. (I've also never liked hostas much, but in this spot, I'll grow anything that grows. :) And I often find that I dislike certain plants until they're in my garden, and then I love 'em.)

Thinning the evergreens is probably out - my co-garden-owner wants that nice opaque hedge. But taking out a fence board or two is an interesting idea.

I should have clarified that I'm more interested in perennials and ground covers than shrubs, but those shrubs do sound interesting - anything that gets green in the spot is a good thing.

Thanks again,

Burnet

If you don't mention that part about not liking hostas, you could ask on the hosta forum for suggestions as to which ones will grow best in near darkness. I suspect you'll get ventricosa mentioned, but I don't know offhand which others. Funny, I remember saying that same thing about hostas before buying my first one "just so I have one" and now I have more than a few... very perceptive comment about liking things once you have them (could be because the fun is not so much in the plant itself but in watching it grow). I think kids are like that too!

With epimediums I think some are more vigorous than others... E x peralchium "Frohenleiten" is the most vigorous for me, but I fing they definitely "sleep-creep-leap" over a period of years. One strategy you might consider is growing plants up to size before putting them in this challenging spot. I used to try to nurture 4" perennials on my Dark Side and always wondered why they had so much trouble when they were supposed to WANT dry shade.

I would think that the cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) would do great there. It's evergreen and is lovely all year round.

OK--I've got that shade--I've got 80 foot Oak Trees +Heavy
Rhododendron and Azalea Hedges with an intermediate canopy
from a mid size maple.

Aside from Japanese painted fern and other ferns, here is
what grows AND THRIVES (you realize--no sun, no sun, no sun--
at all--EVER!!!)

Hosta Ventricosa (the good old plain green one)
Caladiums in summer just look great!
Lilies of the valley--go for dry shade
English Ivy
Myrtle

but NO Tuberous Begonias--they might grow, but will NOT
flower.

Good luck

I wanted to thank you all for the additional suggestions.

I think I'll make the area plushy in every other way - improved soil (but probably not actual fertilizer, I'm thinking?), enough but not too much water, etc. - and try one or two each of several of the suggestions that you've made for smaller plants, to see who survives and who collapses. If I plop them in this winter, they'll have the temporary advantage of the bareness of the deciduous tree, so while they're taking hold they might see a ray of sunlight in windy moments once a week or so. :)

Burnet

I can't believe it's really as dark as you claim, unless the house is to the south and is two stories high. You don't say where you are, but Zone 8 suggests you are in the south where the sun gets pretty darn high in the summer. How about limbing up the decidious tree to give more light?

In addition to the epimediums, which are ideally suited to this situation, two of my best performers for heavy shade (will tolerate dry shade as well) are Euphorbia robbiae and Sarcococca. Both are stoloniferous spreaders so will act as groundcovers. The sarcococca comes in various heights, but I've found the dwarf (S. hookeriana var. humilis) to be most suited to the heaviest shade - taller forms get too leggy.

You might want to consider Brunnera 'Jack Frost' as well. You won't get much flowering in heavy shade but that silvered foliage will brighten things up considerably.

btw, I've tried the mirror thing - make sure the mirror actually gets and reflects light. If just placed in the shade and reflecting only more shade, you are just creating a bigger and darker hole.

I second the Cast Iron plant and the Acuba.

They both thrive in heavy shade. And they both can give you a lushness when massed, and they're evergreen. Even better, once established, they need very little water. They would look swell on their own, could even be mixed together, or they could serve as back drops for shorter perennials or ground covers, and would give you year-round interest.

They would be my first choices for a spot like that.

I have a spot like yours, enclosed on 3 sides and then shaded completely by a 12' Japanese maple. What thrives: tiarella (foam flower), golden creeping jenny, and small bulbs like muscari, rain lilies, and snowdrops. What just hangs on and doesn't increase in size: hostas, including halcyon, climbing hydrangea, and heuchera.

I am growing various species of Amorphophallus (Voodoo lilies) in very deep shade. Love them! Try an inexpensive one to see if it wants to adopt you. Fun plants! Garden Delights carries a good selection.

How about hellebore (lenten rose)?

I would have thought one of the yellow leaved hostas which to my understanding tolerate sunlight not at all.

I second the ferns and the aspidistra. In zone 8 there's a lot of different native ferns that get sizeable in a spot like you describe, 3 or 4 might fill the location.

Do you appreciate small stuff? Trillium are pretty, come in several colours and thrive in deep shade.

Corydalis is a delicate shade plant and also comes in many varieties. Might be worth trying...

Stone, I think your ideas of trillium and corydalis are good, also hellebore - not the gold hostas. If my dormant hosta brain cells are correct, some sun is needed to maintain gold colour. Some are not all that vigorous either, and don't do well in adverse conditions.

Sorry but hellebores will NOT do well in heavy shade. This is a pretty common misconception. They are only a shade tolerant plant, preferring a fair amount of sunlight to produce good flowering and upright habit and several of the species would prefer to be sited in full sun.

And yes, gold leafed hostas are the most sun tolerant of the hostas - coloring will be off in heavy shade.

Brunsfelsia and Clivia do well and bloom in deep shade.

Quite an old thread, but I have a similar space in zone 8 and am trying for a moss garden bordered by hardy ferns. May add sarcococca for structure.

I know this is old but if your still looking for the right thing to plant You might try hydrangas, tiny Japanese maple, a garden sculpture made of chicken wire with succulants, gardinas, cammillias and there is a beautiful Japanese holly that has sort of purpley leaves and berries (sorry not sure of the name) that might also work, there were some great ideas on this tread so hopefully something will work, I also have an entire back yard very shady some intense shade and some filtered, just b sure you have the soil amended and water and fertilize correctly, because I have figured out that that can go along ways in getting a plant that might not work in certain spots to cooperate with you and be happy

I would love to try the succulent idea, but I thought succulents need lots of sunlight to thrive?

Most do but the term 'succulent' can be (and often is) used to describe any fleshy-leaved plant. I would consider the saxifrage referred to earlier as succulent in appearance if not in practice (and they DO tend to be pretty drought tolerant as well). They also spread by producing off-sets or pups much like more sun loving succulents do and can be adapted to grow on a moss/soil filled wire support.

"Saxifrages such as stolonifera, umbrosa, primuloides".........I would also include S. xurbium to this mix. Saxifraga 'Primuloides'.