Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry) Ranunculaceae (native)

• Will grow in full shade.
• Likes rich, moist soil of slight acidity.

Alchemilla mollis (Lady's Mantle) Rosaceae

• Also A. alpina (only 6" or less high), a good border Lady's Mantle.
• Likes fertile soil high in organic matter, cool, moist growing environment.

Anemone canadensis (Canada Anemone) Ranunculaceae (native)

• Also A. sylvestris (Snowdrop Anemone) and A. nemerosa (European Wood Anemone), all spring flowering woodland anemones.
• Prefer light shade, rich soil high in organic matter

Anemone cylindrica (Long-Headed Anemone) (native) with Blephilia ciliata

(Downy Wood Mint, NYS endangered?)

• Very drought tolerant, will tolerate sun.
• Neat seed heads for summer and fall interest.

Aralia cordata (Udo) Araliaceae

• Collected wild by CA staff. Bold, care-free perennial.
• Edible, used in Japan culinary dishes
• Extremely tough, hardy and adaptable to different growing environments.
• Prefers rich, high organic soils.
• Also our natives: A nudicaulis, A. hispida, and A. racemosa

Asarum europaeum (European Wild Ginger) Aristolochiaceae (Birthwort family)

• One of the evergreen Wild Gingers.
• Excellent native evergreen is A. shuttleworthii (Mottled Wild Ginger).
• Also our native A. canadense (Canadian Wild Ginger) deciduous and more heat tolerant.
• All are excellent groundcovers for shade gardens.
• Prefer organic, slightly acid soils (except canadense) and benefit from summer mulch. Sometimes slugs can be a problem (not at IES).

Arisaema sikokiana (Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpit) Araceae

• Also our native A. triphyllum.
• Excellent summer and fall fruit (wildlife food source)
• Prefer moist, high organic soils but are adaptable to most shade gardens.

Arisaema draconitum (Green Dragon) (native)

• Neat, poisonous plant with long pointed spadix and green spathe.
• Orange berries.

Astilboides tabularis (Sheildleaf) Saxifragaceae with Dicentra spectabilis "Alba"

• Tough, adaptable, grow-anywhere perennial.
• Prefers moist, organic soils.
• CW by CA staff in China

Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh) Berberidaceae (native)

• Prefers rich , organic soils
• Flowers appear before leaf fully opened, bluish white appearance to the plant.
• Deep blue berry-like fruit, very ornamental and persistent

Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Snakeroot) Ranunculaceae (native)

• Prefers slightly acid soils high in organic matter.
• Very drought tolerant

Cimicifuga racemosa "Brunette"

Cimicifuga simplex (Kamchatka Bugbane)

• Shorter and later flowering that our native.
• CW by CA staff in Kamchatka Mountains in Russia

Corydalis lutea (Corydalis) Fumariaceae

• Tough, adaptable perennial outstanding in stone walls, rock gardens.
• Blooming period is virtually all growing season. Reseeds freely (not invasive)
• Drainage is only requirement, prefers gravelly soils, avg. fertility.
• Related to Dicentra.

Corydalis cashmeriana (Himalayan Corydalis)

Dicentra eximia "Luxurient" (Fringed Bleeding Heart) Ranunculaceae (cultivar of native)

• Also the dwarf Western Fringed Bleeding Heart, D. formosa.
• Drainage is important to success, especially winter drainage (utilize pea stone)
• Prefers cool environments with organic soils.

Disporum maculatum (Nodding Mandarin) Liliaceae (native)

• Also a variegated form.
• Prefers well-drained, acid, organic soils.
• Will colonize if properly grown.

Dodecatheon meadia (Shooting Star) Primulaceae (native)

• Prefers moist, cool growing environment with organic soils.
• Drainage, especially winter, is critical to success.

Epimedium x youngianum "Niveum" (Young's Barrenwort) Berberidaceae

• One of the best groundcovers for shade gardens.
• Extremely tough, adaptable, grow-anywhere plant.
• Mow old foliage in early spring to encourage attractive new growth
• Prefers organic soils and light shade for best results.
• Great new hybrids on the market, especially German selections.
• Also E. pinnatum and E. x versicolor among others.

Epimedium alpinum var. rubrum

Epimedium grandiflorum "Rose Queen" (Long-Spurred Barrenwort)

Galium odoratum (Sweet Woodruff) Rubiaceae (Madder family) with Phlox stolonifera Blue Ridge

• Will tolerate full shade, but flowers best in partial.
• Great groundcover, prefers well-drained, organic soils.

Gentiana asclepiadea (Willow Gentian) Gentianaceae

• Prefers well-drained soil, neutral to slightly acid pH
• Resents disturbance
• Will tolerate moderate shade
• Also our natives: G. andrewsii (Bottle Gentian) and G. clausa

Geranium sanguineum (Bloodred Geranium) Geraniaceae

• Prefers well-drained, organic soils
• Will tolerate sun if soils are organic.

Geranium sanguineum var. prostratum with Veronica latifolia "Crater Lake Blue"

Geranium "Johnson Blue"

Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium) (native)

• Also G. macrorrhizum (Bigroot Crane's-Bill) quite easy to grow and drought-
• tolerant and will form a thick groundcover. G. endressii (Pyrenean Crane's-Bill); G. himalayense (Lilac Crane's-Bill); G. pratense (Meadow Crane's-Bill); and G. renardii with it's velvety, sage-like gray-green foliage.

Gillenia trifoliata (Bowman's Root) Rosaceae (native)

• Well-drained, somewhat acid soil
• Benefits from organic summer mulch.

Helleborus niger "Maroon" (Christmas Rose) Ranunculaceae

• Prefer well-drained, organic soils.
• Our collection CW by CA staff in Europe and Asia.
• All will self-sow, especially the evergreen types.
• Also H. orientalis (Lenten Rose), which blooms later, and H. angustifolius var. corsicus with it's unusual evergreen foliage (prickly edge).

Helleborus niger "White Cheer"

Helleborus foetidus (Stinking Hellebore) (another evergreen type)

Helleborus cultivar

Kirengshoma palmata (Kirengshoma, Yellow Waxbells) Saxifragaceae

• CW by CA staff in Japan
• Outstanding shade perennial, prefers moist, well-drained soils, but pretty drought-tolerant.

Phlox stolonifera "Blue Ridge" (Creeping Phlox) Polemoniaceae with Hosta "Wogan Gold" (cultivar of native)

• Prefers moist, well-drained organic soils.
• Many cultivars of this woodland native.

Phlox paniculata "Mt. Fujiyama" (Garden Phlox)

• All Garden Phlox will tolerate some sun if growing conditions are correct.
• Mildew-resistant cultivar.

Phlox paniculata "David" (Mildew-resistant).

Phlox maculata (carolina) "Miss Lingard" (cultivar of native Wild Sweet William)

• Earlier blooming and very mildew-resistant.
• Great, long-blooming perennial.

Polygonatum biflorum (Small Solomon's Seal) Liliaceae (native)

• Also our other native P. commutatum (Great Solomon's Seal) will grow 5'+ and the terminal flowering False Solomon's Seal, Smilacina racemosa.
• Extremely adaptable, grow-anywhere, drought-tolerant perennial for the shade.
• Will colonize quickly, not invasive.

Polygonatum odoratum "Variegatum" (Variegated Fragrant Solomon's Seal)

Polygonatum falcatum

• CW by CA staff in Asia
• Great diminutive groundcover (less than 6" in height).

Rodgersia aesculifolia (Fingerleaf Rodgersia) Saxifragaceae

• Also R. pinnata (Featherleaf Rodger's Flower); R. podophylla (Bronzeleaf Rodgersia).
• All extremely tough, grow-anywhere perennials for the shade.
• Prefer well-drained, organic soil.
• IES collection CW by CA staff in China.

Stylophorum diphyllum (Celadine Poppy) Papaveraceae (native)

• Prefers cool, moist, organic soils.
• Ornamental persistent poppy-like seedheads.
• Also a companion woodland native, Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh),in the Barberry family (Berberidaceae). Small star-shaped yellow flowers followed by persistent and attractive deep blue berries.

Tiarella wherryi (Foam Flower) Saxifragaceae (native)

• More clump-forming than our indigenous native T. cordifolia which is stoloniferous and colony-forming.
• Prefers a cool, moist growing environment.
• Incorporate organic mulch with this plant.

Tricyrtis ssp. (Toad Lily) Liliaceae

• Prefers well-drained, organic soils.
• Late summer blooming until frost.
• Benefits from summer compost mulch.
• Ours CW by CA staff. Seeing new cultivars in the trade.

Tricyrtis hirta "Miyazaki"

Viola labradorica (Labrador Violet) Violaceae (native)

• Prefers cool, organic soils with good drainage.
• Also V. odorata (and cultivars), Sweet Violet; V. pedata. Bird's foot Violet; and V. cornuta the Horned Violet. These will grow in drier, more infertile conditions.