Ground Cover for Shade Moist Site

GROUND COVERS that do well in shade and moist soil. Suggestions: carex, ferns (Woodwardia virginica, Osmunda regalis), Mitchella repens- partridgeberry, hostas. Plant large sweeps of a few of these plants for more dramatic effect. Add Phlox divaricata, woodland phlox, for a spring flower display and evergreen leaves.  Royal Fern Osmunda regalis - Habitat: wet soil -- along streams and lakeshores, in bogs, and in wet meadows; Height: 2-5 feet; Location of spores: on fertile leaflets, which are at the ends of the fronds; they are initially green, turning light brown after release of the spores. Leaf stalk: smooth, slender, and pale green, tan, or pinkish. Growth pattern: symmetric clump, deciduous. (http://ct-botanical-society.org/ferns/osmundarega.html)  Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamomea- Its fiddleheads are food for ruffed grouse, and hummingbirds sometimes use the fuzz on young fronds to line their nests. Habitat: swamps, streambanks, shores. Height: 2-5 feet; separate fertile fronds are cinnamon-colored, narrow and erect; leaf stalk: round and slightly grooved; at first covered with cinnamon-colored hairs, later smooth and green; Growth pattern: symmetric clump; deciduous - http://ctbotanical-society.org/ferns/osmundacinn.html  Virginia Chain Fern Woodwardia Virginica - looks roughly similar to cinnamon fern. Habitat: sphagnum bogs, swamps; Height: 2-4 feet; deciduous - http://ct-botanicalsociety.org/ferns/woodwardiavirg.html  Mitchella repens, partridgeberry –Part-Full Shade groundcover. Under 6” h x 15-18’ w. Grown for evergreen foliage. Blooms: white/near white flowers in late spring/early summer. Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings. Red berries can be seen on the forest floor in winter.  Aruncus dioicus, goat's beard - Full sun to part shade; 4 to 6 ‘h x 2 -4’ w; Bloom: April – May; showy, plume-like spikes of tiny, cream colored flowers rise well above the foliage in early to mid summer, creating a bold effect; tall, erect, bushy, clump-forming plant with dark green foliage; similar in appearance to astilbe. Water: Medium to wet- occurs in moist woodlands . Plants with male flowers (numerous stamens per flower) produce a showier bloom than plants with female flowers (three pistils per flower). Excellent background plant for shady, moist spots in the border or woodland. Plant as a specimen or in groups along streams or water gardens. Maintenance: Low http://www.mobot.org/gardinghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=J430 Expert Eye—Hartmann-Bacher property Other Ground covers for shade: Allegheny pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens)—Native; tolerates most soils Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)—flowers in April-May; is semi-evergreen Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)—flowers in late spring to early Summer, grown more for its aromatic evergreen foliage. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)—clusters of small white star-shaped blooms in late Spring and a fragrance described as resembling newly mown hay or vanilla. Partridge berry (Mitchella repens)-evergreen, hugs the ground, has small leaves and produces red fruit in the Fall Pachysandra Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny spurge), Pachysandra terminalis (Pachysandra)—evergreen, can grow quite vigorously Golden ragwort (Packera aurea)

Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera)—part shade, well-drained soils Piedmont barren strawberry (Waldensteinia lobata)—fall colors yellow to bronze to burgundy Bugle Weed (Ajuga reptans) Liriopes (Liriope muscari, L. spicata) Japanese Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) Evergreen groundcovers: Callaway ginger (Hexastyulis shuttleworthii harperi ‘Callaway’)—rounded, heart-shaped green and silver veined leaves; part shade to full shade Lady fern (Athyrium felix-femina ssp. angustum ‘Lady in Red’) Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) [from Rick Lewandowski. “Dress Your Naked Soil.” The News Journal (28 February 2008): E1,E3 ] Shade-loving ground covers such as cranesbill (Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue;’ ‘Purple pillow;’ or ‘Roxanne’); lilyturf (Liriope), ferns such as Japanese painted lady ferns (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’); and Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’)