The list is too long to type. Either go to the local nursery and see what's appealing to you and does well where you're at OR get a catalog like the Plants Delight Nursery catalog and review the many possibilities. Plant Delights is one of many specialty nurseries that can supply you with something that your neighbor is less likely to have. If you do decide to mail-order, check the nursery out on Garden Watchdog to make sure they are reputable.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Delights On-line Catalog

Brandon's right, the list goes on and on, but I'll tell you a couple of my favorites for shade (I had a lot of shade at our previous home). You can Google them for photos/descriptions.

1) Aucuba. Evergreen shrub. Supposed to be only marginally hardy in our zone, but mine were outstanding on the north side of our house as foundation shrubs. Ours had little yellow spots and grew about 6 ft tall x 3 ft wide (would have probably gotten bigger if we had let them). I like them because you rarely ever see them in someone's yard.

2) Mahonia/Oregon Grape. Evergreen shrub. The looks are not for everybody, but I absolutely love it and it does beautifully in shade. The variety we had never got very big, only about 3 ft tall. The leaves are very spiny/sharp, so I wouldn't plant it where there is a lot of traffic. OTOH, I am currently installing it as a barrier to keep the dogs away from an area of the fence they seem to be attracted to digging under. he he he ;)

I've had a shade garden going for several years and have narrowed it down a few favorites.
Hostas (go well with everything), bleeding heart (they get big), tiarella, heuchera, tiger lilies (bloom fine in shade) and ferns.
If you don't mind some extra work, try begonia evansiana. It's perennial - has beautiful foliage and flowers. The downside is that it's invasive and most of the plants have to be dug out every spring. On the plus side, they make good trading stock when swapping plants.

I also like the look of Leatherleaf Mahonia/Oregon Holly-Grape, but be aware that it's on the TN-EPPC invasive species list. I wouldn't advise planting it because of it's negative impact on the environment.

Here is a link that might be useful: TN-EPPC Invasive Plants List

Thanks for the suggestions. I definitely do not want to plant anything that is invasive. The former owners of our house, planted mint in our back yard, and it is every where. Smells nice when we run over it with the lawn mower though. :)

Wow, you're kidding! Mahonia on the invasive species list? I am super-surprised...ours was there for years and years, and wasn't growing at a very fast rate at all. What kind of negative impact does it supposedly have on the environment? It's one of very few species of evergreen shrubs that are non-toxic to dogs/pets, so it has a special place in my heart if only for that...

Invasives don't necessarily have to grow quickly. They only have to be efficient enough at reproducing and spreading. Generally, invasives displace native vegetation. When this happens, not only does the native vegetation loose out, but wildlife is also threatened as their normal food sources are reduced or eliminated. Invasives can also have other negative impacts. For instance, they can become weed pests in crop production. Invasives have been called live, or active, environmental pollution. Not only are they pollution, but they actively reproduce and grow into a larger and larger problem. Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent or lost in the US each year as the result of invasive species.

Mahonia is a category II invasive. It's not nearly as much of a problem as Ligustrum (privet) or Albizia julibrissin (mimosa), but it's significantly more of a problem here than even the worst Mentha (mint) species, which are only on the watch list (catagory IV, or A). I like Mahonia too, but I've seen quite a bit of it cropping up in wooded areas where it wasn't planted.

One mahonia is not going to be the end of the world. If you have to have one, you could justify your decision by thinking about how much less impact your one mahonia will have on the environment than the hundreds I've seen in woodland gardens or than that mimosa a neighbor is babying down the street. I bet there are over a hundred mahonias just between Ijams Nature Center and Racheff Gardens here in Knoxville. I just wanted everyone to be aware of what they were dealing with. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it definitely has a downside.

If you compare the number of invasives to the total number of great plants available, it's a very tiny drop in the bucket. I try to pass on the few invasives I run across and choose from the among everything else. But, I have planted invasives before o-:

For perennials you can't beat heucheras! There's a huge number of varieties, each with different color traits, and they grow well in dry shade. The deer and rabbits don't seem to bother mine and that is an issue here. I have hostas, astilbe, and Soloman's Seal mixed together with our heucheras.

I put a picture up on Flicker of our Corner shade garden. It's just a little nook. Ignore the gas meter, one of the necessary evils of houses. The Oak leaf hydrangea should one day cover that back area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dave's Corner Shade Garden

Heucheras are great plants. I'd point you in particular toward varieties that have H. villosa in their breeding, as that species is native to TN, likes our weather and is more drought tolerant than some others. As a rough guide you can tell villosa in the background by hairy leaves. There are some truly breathtaking new offerings in this group covering a wide span of colors, including copper, soft rosy red, purple with a silver sheen, sharp lime green, deep mahagony and so forth.

Many of our beloved shrubs have shown up on the Invasive list unfortunately. Nandina is another, along with Burning Bush (Euonymus alata). None of these are as fast spreading as the true bad actors like privet, vinca minor, Japanese honeysuckle, kudzu or the dreaded Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei, which frankly I think should be no longer be sold).

Marty

Okay, I was wrong. Our entire porch is NOT shaded just one side. I tried to attach a picture, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right since I'm new around here. Our front looks pretty much the same, only we pulled out the hibiscus and Adam's Needle (not sure if you can see it or not in the photo). I'm open to all suggestions. We planted some hostas last weekend. Thanks!

My house is facing north, and except for two hours of afternoon sun, it's all shade and moisture. Hostas are my favorite, they come back bigger and better each year, the dark green one at least- dont know the variety. Don't like the ones with purple flowers as much. Ferns are awesome! Japenese painted fern and it's silvery green fronds, and Autumn fern- hardy, a splash of orange here and there, and evergreen as i've been told. White columbines add some deep green color where needed, and the white ones I have harmonize some of the other colors. I'm going to plant marshmallow seeds, skullcap, and perhaps valerian and pennyroyal. It will take a while for these to become established- perennials from seed- I'm excited about their different heights and flower colors, as well as medicinal values. But I'm in love with hostas and ferns for a shady, moist area!