12. Western Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa) Native to moist woodlands of the Pacific Northwest, from British Columbia to California A beautiful addition to any woodland garden, western bleeding heart delights with pink heart-shaped flowers held on delicately curved stems above fern-like foliage. The plants thrive in consistently moist soil rich in organic material; where they’re happy, they’ll begin to naturalize. Plant with other delicate flowers, such as forget-me-nots (Myosotis spp.) or meadow-rue (Thalictrum spp.), in areas with dappled light and watch them return year after year. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Water requirement: Moderate to regular; grows best in moist, fertile soil Light requirement: Partial shade Mature size: 1 foot tall and wide
11. Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) Native to the eastern U.S., primarily from New York south through Virginia to northwestern Georgia and west to Kansas Blanketing woodlands in early spring with swaths of blue, the blooms of Virginia bluebells (also called Virginia cowslip) celebrate the end of winter. Try planting them with narcissus and other spring-flowering bulbs (the Virginia bluebells will extend the bloom season after the bulbs fade) and alongside ferns and hostas, which will come into their own as the Virginia bluebells die back post-flowering. The flowers are a significant early food source for bumblebees and other native pollinators. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zone 3 to 8) Water requirement: Moderate; grows best in moist, well-drained soils Light requirement: Partial to full shade Mature size: 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 1½ feet wide
10. Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) Native to prairies, pine barrens and open woodlands from Massachusetts to Kansas south to Florida and Texas It’s difficult to find a native grass that puts on a show as dramatic as pink muhly. In fall the medium-green, fine-textured grasses explode with clouds of pale magenta blooms, best appreciated when planted in drifts and masses. Despite their delicate appearance, the plants are tough — able to withstand high summer temperatures (particularly in partial shade) and grow in poor soil. Try pairing pink muhly with blue-green agaves for dramatic form and color contrast. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
9. Pink Alumroot (Heuchera rubescens) Native to western North America, from the Sierra Nevada mountains of California north to Oregon and south to northern Mexico Heuchera of all types are shade garden workhorses, offering interest for months, if not year-round, in the form of beautiful, vibrant foliage and pretty bloom spikes. If you’ve grown heuchera, why not try a native variety? Pink alumroot has a large native range on the West Coast and looks as decorative in a garden setting as many heuchera hybrids do, while also attracting pollinators with showy, long-blooming pink blossoms. It’s perfect for planting in tricky spots, such as semi-dry shade under native oak trees. Also try island alumroot (Heuchera maxima), native to California’s Channel Islands, and hairy alumroot (H. villosa) for East Coast regions. Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 10) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established and can withstand periods of drought Light requirement: Partial shade Mature size: 6 inches to 1 foot tall and wide with flower spikes up to 2 feet tall
7. Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina) Found throughout the United States, northern Europe and Asia Elegant Lady Fern can stand alone as a specimen plant in a container or be used in groupings to create a lush ground cover of oversized fronds. In spring the deciduous ferns send up curling fronds that unfurl to reach 2 to 3 feet long. Try lady fern in mixed borders with autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora), hellebores and Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) or planted on the north side of a stone wall. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Water requirement: Regular; grows best in consistently moist soil rich in organic matter Light requirement: Partial to full shade
5. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) Native to New Brunswick in Canada, south to Georgia and west to Michigan With cloud-like blossoms from white to light pink in late spring, this woodland ground cover forms a bright carpet in shaded garden settings. Plant foamflower where you don’t mind a natural carpet. Plant heartleaf foamflower (T. cordifolia var. collina) where spreading is not desired, as it stays put in a clump. Also plant colorful Tiarella hybrids in beds for more interest once the blooms of the natives fade. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate to regular; keep soil consistently moist Light requirement: Partial to full shade Mature size: 8 to 15 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide; some selections are more aggressive spreaders
4. Downy Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens) Native to eastern and midwestern North American woodlands, from North Dakota eastward to Maine and southward to Texas in the west and Georgia in the east; in Canada it occurs from Saskatchewan eastward to Nova Scotia Add a splash of color to the shade garden floor with downy yellow violet. Leaves emerge in late winter followed by yellow blooms in early spring. “Violets are an important source of nectar for bee species that emerge in spring, including small carpenter bees and mining bees,” says Heather Holm, author of Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide and Pollinators of Native Plants. Plant downy yellow violet alongside woodland strawberries and native alumroot. Looking for a native violet with the classic blue-purple petal hues? Try common blue violet (Viola sororia), also native to woodlands of North America. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 42.8 degrees Celsius (zones 2 to 7) Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Partial to full shade Mature size: 4 to 6 inches tall and 8 inches wide
3. Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) Native to the eastern U.S. and Canada, south to northern Florida and west to Texas Don’t be deceived by the delicate fronds of this native fern — it’s tougher than it looks. The plant’s ability to withstand cold temperatures throughout winter while staying green earned it its common name. The plants are drought tolerant but look more lush when grown in moist soils. Accent a shaded border with groupings of three to five ferns or plant them in swaths below trees or down a rocky slope. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 8) Water requirement: Moderate; grows best in consistently moist soil but can tolerate dry soil for periods of drought Light requirement: Partial to full shade Mature size: Up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide
2. Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum) Native from Minnesota to eastern Texas and further east This fall-blooming perennial has smaller flowers than other asters, but what it lacks in bloom size it makes up for in interest, as flower centers change from yellow to purple-pink through the season. “This perennial is a critical food source for early-fall insects,” says landscape designer Benjamin Vogt of Monarch Gardens. “In fact, it is known to support more than a hundred species of adult insects. Several moth species use it as a host plant, as do silvery checkerspot and pearl crescent butterflies.” Plant calico aster with other fall-blooming perennials such as goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and coneflower (Echinacea spp.). Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun (in moist soil) to full shade (in medium to dry soil) Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
1. Appalachian Barren Strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides) Native from Minnesota east to Maine in the north and south to Arkansas and South Carolina Appalachian barren strawberry, a native alternative to Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis), grows well along garden edges, under canopy trees or in other spots with light shade. The perennial fills in to form a lush carpet of three-leaf foliage — similar in appearance to edible strawberries — dotted with yellow flowers. In areas with higher heat and humidity, consider planting related native species Piedmont barren strawberry (W. lobata). Where it will grow: USDA zones 4 to 7 Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Part shade to full sun Mature size: 3 to 6 inches tall and 6 inches to 1 foot wide
13. Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) Native from Manitoba, Canada, south to Oklahoma and eastward to Quebec in the north and Georgia in the south A perfect border plant for areas with dappled light, easygoing wild geranium has long-lasting purple blooms with a tidy mounding plant form. Wild geranium’s leaves take on a reddish hue in fall in areas where it receives more sun. “Wild geranium provides both nectar and pollen to visiting pollinators,” Holm says. “The flowers are visited by many bees, including bumblebees, sweat bees, mining bees and honey bees, as well as several flies.” Try planting with hellebore, ferns and coral bells (Heuchera spp.). Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 42 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 41.1 degrees Celsius (zones 2 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Partial sun to shade Mature size: 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
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