Long story short:

Would you ever want these guys in your shade garden for any reason:

oenothera biennis, Horsetail,
aegopodium podigaria, geum canadense, parthenocissus quinquefolia

They were all deliberate introductions to the gardening world. So may have been planted by a gardener prior to knowledge of their nature being widespread or who hadn't yet heard about their take-over abilities.

Bishops weed and Virginia creeper can be thugs that have adapted to a wide variety of growing conditions and most all questions here about them relate to "how do I get rid of these"? Not something I'd grow even though there is some reported medicinal purpose for them.

Evening Primrose self seeds fairly readily in environments it likes, so some do find it a bit of a problem while others do not. Evening Primrose also is reported to be a medicinal plant.

Horsetail is an ancient plant also reported to have certain medicinal properties and, again, some find it to be an unwanted plant while others do grow it. I have had it grow in places not much else would.

White Avens, "geum canadense", is a member of the rose family and can be an aggressive, and potentially, invasive plant.

If any of these get out of your garden and invade a neighbors you may not be a very popular person.

kimmq is kimmsr

Someone posted recently about trying to get rid of horsetaill, as it has taken over their garden. I would get rid of all of them and pick out your own plants.

Any thoughts on good ground covers for a shade/woodland garden? Something that won't overtake my plants, but will still spread nicely in bare spots? The violets only do an ok job of covering bare spots in the back. And blue mist flower does a great job in the center of the front yard, but only starting in about June. The side yard, along the fence, is where most of the bishops weed is (and that neighbor seems to use it as a ground cover too).