For me, it's Hostas, hands down. They are beautiful, easy to care for, and So many different varieties, you can't have just one.

I agree with the Hosta, but I like Astilbe, Hellebore, Japanese Fern, and Solomon Seal. Got my first Solomon Seal today at the swap so I am on cloud nine!

Blessings,
Jennifer

Hostas. I planted two last year, and they came back this spring twice the size. They seem to flourish under any conditions, as long as they don't get too much sun, and you can keep the slugs and snails away. I planted 3 types of ferns this year, and I'm in love with them. Autumn, japanese painted, and ostrich. Autumn seems to be doing the best. Can't wait to see how they look next year. I'm wondering though, if I should mulch them over the winter?
Not sure.

My all-time favorite shade plant is Aucuba, the kind with yellow spots. I had a huge stand of this planted on the north side of my other house as a foundation planting. They got about six feet tall and three wide (might have gotten taller had we not trimmed). I think they're supposed to be marginally hardy here, and sometimes in the winter when it would get really cold the leaves would turn BLACK, and I would be like, "Uh oh..." :) But they always greened back up and looked beautiful in the spring.

I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful plants we received at the plant swap. This was our first year & we thought everyone was awesome! People were friendly and very knowledgeable. We are excited about learning more about our plants & looking forward to having lots more types of plants to be able to trade next time.

thanks,
Patricia