5 Native Plants For Shade
The catalogs made me do it. My intention was to add only a few new plants this spring. But then the catalogs came. Before I go to sleep, I like to leaf through the garden catalogs. I find it soothing, and I told myself I was only looking. There’s no harm in looking.
But after they were put aside, the catalogs whispered to me. They reminded me that I still had holes to fill in the shady back garden: Along the south wall of the back porch, along the hedge to the west and the fence to the east, not to mention the fence along the alley. This was especially the case in areas that were filled with spring ephemerals in April and May, but then left rather forlorn for summer.
No gardener can long withstand the enticements of whispering plant catalogs. And so I ended up giving in, and ordered a whole bunch of new plants, including the following:
Marsh Phlox (Phlox glabberima). I don’t have a lot of Phlox – just a couple of clumps of the white-flowering cultivar ‘David’. This species likes moisture, as the name suggests, and it is supposed to be quite shade tolerant, and mildew tolerant as well. I’m going to try it in the border along the back porch, where the soil tends to be quite moist. I’m hoping it will bring more hummingbirds for our viewing pleasure. Native from Ohio to Illinois, and from Georgia to Arkansas.
Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginiana). This is the white-flowering straight species. I have a lavender cultivar in the Driveway Border out front. The straight species is very adaptable as to soil and sunlight. It blooms in summer, so I’m going to plant it along the west hedge, among the ‘Purple Sensation’ Alliums that flower in May and then gradually collapse. Native from Connecticut to Minnesota, south to Arkansas.
Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata). This is a Milkweed that tolerates full shade. It’s not what I would call a beautiful plant, but it’s interesting – and hey, anything for the Monarchs. It has a taproot, so it’s not an aggressive spreader. We’ll see how it does. Native from Maine to Minnesota, and south along the Appalachians to Tennessee.
Golden Groundsel (Packera aurea). This is a groundcover-type plant that is also highly adaptable in terms of shade and soil – however, it doesn’t like overly dry conditions. I’m going to try it along the back fence near the ‘Golden Raindrops’ crabapple. It has bright yellow flowers in late spring and early summer. Native from Maine to Minnesota and from South Carolina to Oklahoma.
Mistflower (Eupatoreum coelestinum). I tried and failed once already with this plant, so this is a second effort. Mistflower blooms look like the blue annual Floss Flower (Ageratum houstonianum). A plant that likes moisture, I think my first effort failed because I put it where it was too shady and the soil dried out in summer. Mistflower likes partial shade, but not full. It spreads by rhizome if happy, and can form a groundcover – though it grows up to 3′ tall. I’m going to put it with the Marsh Phlox by the back porch. Native from Pennsylvania to Illinois, and from Florida to Texas.
I ordered all of these plants from Prairie Nursery. And now I’m done – no more new plants for this spring. At least, no more plants for shade. Definitely no more for moist shade. I mean it.
gardeninacity 
I grow Marsh Phlox as well in purple color. I love it because it grows flowers and propagates itself 🙂
I was with you until you said no more flowers…then I lost it. Hahahahahahaha It sounds like you made some good choices.
Don’t laugh, I’m serious. Or trying to be.
I have promised myself that I will not buy one more plant of any kind this year. Don’t tempt me.
Good luck with that.
A little new plant gratification is always a good thing – no need to feel guilty.
Thanks for the reassurance.
Those are lovely choices. It’s hard to pass up those delicious photos and enticing descriptions.
Looking forward to hearing how they do in your yard.
I’ve grown Gregg’s Blue mistflower in central Texas for years, in full sun, and high shade, (in Texas we have many different types of shade). It seems to take our droughts in stride, dying back a bit but returning each year. I have a drip system in my garden but it doesn’t get a lot of water. What do you think of the idea of forming a ‘plant shopping anonymous’, for those of us fighting the addiction to plant buying?
Plant Shoppers Anonymous? Would it have a 12-step program?
Oh, those catalogs are hard to resist:) I placed an order back in January when the cold was getting to me. I ordered some Phlox divaricata and am hoping it likes the shade as well.
Phlox divaritica is beautiful. Unfortunately, the bunnies find it very tasty.
I planted Culver’s Root and Mistflower year before last. The Mistflower did very well almost immediately and I am thankful. The Culver’s Root is in a place that’s been hard to keep anything growing except for a huge hosta, but I’m hoping it establishes itself. I still have to subdue the tiger lilies that came with the house. I love the Culver’s Root. I also planted Tall Bellflower but am not sure it’s going to succeed either.
I’ve grown Tall Bellflower, it’s very attractive but also biennial so you have to keep planting it.
That’s good to know! I think I saw more planted in the Cook County forest preserves last year than ever.
Hahahaha….I don’t believe you’re done yet, it’s early days! Love those choices, looking forward to seeing them mature.xxx
I’ve seen the milkweed growing in dense shade but that was a single colony years ago and I haven’t seen it since.
I see Culver’s root at the edge of the woods where it gets probably 2 or 3 hours of sunlight.
I’ve never seen Poke Milkweed growing in the wild. Lots of Culver’s Root, though.
The joy of gardening is in the planning, especially in winter!
…I like the Marsh Phlox, that would be striking in any shady area….and the Culver Root swaying in the breeze.
I find it extremely hard to resist the siren song of the catalogs. You have a couple of plants that are new to me.
Learning about new plants is one of the joys of gardening.
Hello Jason, I’ve managed to resist the temptations of the catalogues so far because I don’t have any border space to plant up. I’ve also got a greenhouse full of increasingly impatient plants, waiting to have their own allotted space in the garden. I’ll allow myself something new once that queue has gone down!
There’s a quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson about the temptations of a seed catalog; you are in good company 🙂
Good to know.
You just couldn’t help yourself – we understand. Truly, we do, especially since I’ve been filling out orders this evening myself. 🙂
Ah, a fellow plant addict.
‘There’s no harm in looking’? Ha! Now you know.
But this next time, there really will be no harm.
Hadn’t thought of phlox as shade plant. Will have to look into Marsh phlox.
I never did either, but I tend to trust this grower.
I’m intrigued by poke milkweed too, although anything with the words “poke weed” makes me shudder a little bit. lol
I don’t know how mistflower grows in Chicago, but it’s almost a weed here! It spreads readily.
The “milk” in the middle is essential. My one attempt with mistflower was not successful, so I guess I’m not too worried that it’ll be a monster.
Catalogs get me every time!
They are the perfect bedtime reading. Btw, I left a comment on your blog and I think it might have ended up in the spam folder.