Woodland Perennials

Family:  Malvaceae
Zone:  6 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich, drought tolerant
Light:  Sun, part shade
Height:  36"
Bloom Time:  May to July
Attracts:  Butterflies, Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Rosettes of small glossy palmate leaves.  Vibrant pink flowers on tall spikes.
Notes:  Great for pollinators.
 
Pot size:  4" Pot

Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: China, Japan
Soil:  Moist, humus rich
Light:  Part shade, shade
Attributes:  Deciduous, foliage is 24" tall bloom spikes are up to 7' tall.  Blooms in summer. Unusual umbells of upward facing pink, and white flowers.  Silver, pubescent new growth.  Mature foliage can be more than 1' across with deeply toothed, narrow foliage.  Broadly toothed segments. 
Notes:  This woodland composite is a must have for the foliage enthusiast.  In early spring the foliage emerges from the soil looking like Shaggy Mane Mushrooms.  One of three species of Syneilesis.  S. palmata over time will form a sizeable patch, creating an invaluable focal point in the shady garden.  I have found that S. palmata takes shade better than s. acontifolia but needs to keept cool and moist.  Syneilesis palmata is reported to adapt well to a moderately dry shaded garden.  One of my top five favorite foliage plants.  Rare but becoming increasingly popular with collectors.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Moist, humus rich, well drained
Light:  Part shade, sun
Attributes:  Deciduous, 15" tall.  Light purple - lavender blooms in spring.  New growth is purple - red with silvery - gray veins. 
Notes:  A fantastic dwarf meadow rue that does not over take its neighbors and is a great companion to other woodlanders.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range:  Hybrid
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Part shade
Height: 12" - 24"
Bloom Time: Late summer into Fall
Attracts:  Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Tall stems with white flowers with reddish-purple spotting.
Notes: A Japanese cultivar.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range:  Hybrid
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Part shade
Height: 12" - 24"
Bloom Time: Late summer into Fall
Attracts:  Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:Deciduous.  Tall stems with white flowers with purple spotting.
Notes: A Japanese cultivar.

Pot Size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family: Liliaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range: Hybrid
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height: 27" - 31"
Bloom Time:  September to October
Attributes: Deciduous.  Vase-shaped cum with upright stems.  Creamy white, lily-like flowers with burgundy-purple spots.
Notes:A popular selection in the cut flower industry in Japan.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family: Liliaceae
Zone:4 - 9
Natural Range: Hybrid
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height: 12"-24"
Bloom Time:  August to September
Attributes: Deciduous, Fall blooming.  Foliage is heavily spotted with purple.  Tall, upright stems with lavender flowers spotted purple.
Notes: One of the best Tricyrtis for spotted foliage.  In the wild they grow on rocky cliffs in forests and woodlands.  Work well and look good in a hanging basket.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family: Liliaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range: Taiwan
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height: 27" - 31"
Bloom Time:  August to September
Attributes: Deciduous.  Yellow leaf margins.  Reddish purple to blue violet speckled blossoms.
Notes:Excellent perennial for late season color to the shade garden.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family: Liliaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range: Taiwan
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height: 27" - 31"
Bloom Time:  August to September
Attributes: Deciduous.  Clumping with spotted purple foliage with dark highlights.  Tall, upright stems with white and reddish purple spotted flowers.
Notes:This form flowers earlier than most.

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family: Liliaceae
Zone:4 - 9
Natural Range: Japan, Taiwan
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height: 3'
Bloom Time:  September to October
Attributes: Deciduous. Pale lilac flowers with green spotted leaves.
Notes:Nice spotted leaves

Pot Size:  Medium Band Pot

Family: Liliaceae
Zone:4 - 9
Natural Range: China, Japan
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height: 12"-24"
Bloom Time:  Fall
Attributes: Deciduous, Fall blooming.  Yellow bell shaped flowers with red spotting.
Notes:  In the wild they grow on rocky cliffs in forests and woodlands.  Work well and look good in a hanging basket.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family: Liliaceae
Zone:5 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Average to moist, humus rich
Light: Shade, part sun
Height: 12"-24"
Bloom Time:  August to September
Attributes: Deciduous.  Clumping with heavily spotted purple foliage.  Tall, upright stems with yellow and brown spotted flowers.
Notes: One of the best Tricyrtis for spotted foliage.  One of my favorites for always looking great and ease of cultivation.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; Oregon, California
Soil:  Moist, humus rich, well drained
Light: Part shade
Height: 14"
Bloom Time:  March to May
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Large mottled foliage.  Early spring blooming.  Sessile blooms that are white in color, or some times pink at the base.
Notes: Great foliage.  One or two more years to bloom.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range: Eastern US
Soil:  Moist, humus rich, well drained
Light: Part shade-shade
Height: 12"-20"
Bloom Time:  April to June
Attributes:  Deciduous, Trifoliate leaves with purple, red -  brown mottling.  Yellow blooms in spring.
Notes: Like all Trilliums, this is the first plant that comes to mind when thinking shade garden.  Trilliums will add both foliage and blooms to the early spring shade garden.

Pot Size:  4" Pot

Family: Melanthiaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; Washington, Oregon, California, BC
Soil: moist, humus rich, well drained
Light: part shade, shade
Attributes: Deciduous.  12" - 18" tall. White spring flowers.  Trifoliate foliage.
Notes:  In the wild Trillium ovatum grows in cool moist ravines and woodlands from sea level to alpine forests.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Great Plant Picks

Zone: 3 - 8
Natural Range: Eastern North America
Soil:  Moist, humus rich, well drained
Light: Part shade, shade
Height: 12" - 16"
Attributes:  Deciduous, 1" - 2" long yellow flowers in spring, blue - green foliage.
Notes:  A rewarding spring bloomer that forms a large clump over time.

Pot Size:  Quart Size Pot

Family:  Colchicaceae
Zone: 4 - 9
Natural Range: Eastern US
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light: Part sun, shade
Height:  8" 
Bloom Time: April to May
Attracts: NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes: Deciduous.  Wiry stems with small green leaves edged with creamy yellow.  Yellow bell flowers in spring.
Notes: Selection discovered by plantsman Darrel Probst

Pot Size: 4" Band Pot

Family:  Berberidaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average to must humus rich, drought tolerant
Light:  Shade, part shade
Height:  12" - 18"
Attributes:  Deciduous, three lobed leaves with up to thirty white flowers with petals that stick back.
Notes:  This is an Epimedium relative that looks very similar.  In a moist garden they will form large colonies over time.  Best given room from smaller perennials or divided regularly.

Pot Size:  4" Pot

Family: Berberidaceae
Zone:7 - 9
Natural Range: Southwestern Oregon and Northern California
Soil:  Moist to summer dry, humus rich, well drained
Light: Shade - part sun
Height: 12'
Bloom Time:  May to June
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes: Evergreen. Glossy leaves turning bronze in more sun.  Inside-out, white flowers.  Stoloniferous.
Notes: Not as dense growing or fast to spread out as Vancouveria hexandra.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Brassicaceae
Zone:  3 - 8
Natural Range:  Japan
Soil:  Average, moist
Light:  Part sun, shade
Height:  12"
Bloom Time:  April to May
Attracts:  Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Semi-evergreen mounding habit.  Glossy, rounded leaves with prominent veins.  White flowers in spring.
Notes:  Does best in cool climates.
 
Pot size:  Quart Pot