Dry Shade Plants

It's important to first assess the type of shade you are dealing with - not all shade is equal! There are varying degrees of shade; partial, dappled, bright indirect light, and full to deep shade. Typically plants preferring partial sun/shade conditions want morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in our hot/dry climate. A select few can tolerate the opposite - morning shade and late afternoon sun, or shade throughout the day with a few blasting hours in the middle. Part sun/shade loving plants placed in too much shade will grow thinner, leggier and will bloom less. Also consider other constraints like excessive needle/leaf drop that can smother daintier plants, rain shadows, drying winds and reflected heat. As with all drought tolerant plants, getting them established is crucial to longterm success. Just because they tolerate drier conditions doesn't mean you don't need to water them! Deep but infrequent soaks are the way to establish deep root systems that will hold up better in hot/dry weather. Some plants inherently have shallow root systems which, to our benefit, helps them adapt to areas with heavy root competition. These plants may require more frequent watering in the warmer months until they are well established. And remember - dry shade is one of the toughest conditions to garden in, so if your plants are less than vigorous it's par for the course!

**Notes plants that are tolerant of full shade (otherwise figure a few hours of morning sun would be preferable for better growth/bloom)

Botanical Name	Common Name	Comments
FERNS
Blechnum spicant	Deer Fern	**Native
Cyrtomium fortunei	Hardy Holly Fern	**Bold, glossy foliage
Dryopteris erythrosora	Autumn Fern	**Coppery new growth
Polystichum munitum	Western Sword Fern	**Native
Polystichum polyblepharum	Tassle Fern	**
Polystichum setiferum	Alaska Fern	**Native
GRASSES AND GRASS-LIKE PLANTS
Carex glauca 'Blue Zinger'	Blue Sedge	Ever-blue colonizer
Carex pensylvanica	Pennsylvania Sedge	No-mow woodland meadow
Deschampsia caespitosa	Tufted Hair Grass	Native, showy inflorescence
Festuca californica	California Fescue	CA Native, blue toned foliage, great under oaks
Liriope spp.	Lily Turf	**Purple blooms in fall. L. spicata is a creeping/colonizing species that would be most aggressive
Ophiopogon japonica	Japanese Mondo Grass	**Great en-masse, 'Dwarf' selection forms a carpet
Reineckia carnea	Chinese Reineckia	**Unique pink blooms in fall
PERENNIALS
Acanthus mollis/spinosus	Bears Breech	Impressively tall flower spikes, bold foliage
Ajuga reptans	Bugleweed	Purple/blue flowers, many colorful foliage selections
Asarum spp.	Wild Ginger	**A few native species, plus others
Aspidistra elatior	Cast Iron Plant	**Bold foliage, tough disposition
Bergenia spp.	Heartleaf Bergenia/Pigsqeak	Bold, glossy foliage
Brunnera macrophylla	Siberian Bugloss/Heartleaf Brunnera	**Early spring electric blue flowers
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides	Leadwort/Hardy Plumbago	Blue flowers in fall + burgundy fall color
Convallaria majalis	Lily of the Valley	**Toxic, there is a variegated form too!
Cyclamen coum, hederifolium	Hardy Cyclamen	**Blooms late winter/spring, beautiful foliage
Dicentra formosa	Fringed Bleeding Heart	**Native
Epimedium spp.	Bishop's Hat	**Exquisite foliage flowers, so many species and cultivars
Erigeron pulchellus	Robin's Plantain/Fleabane	'Lynhaven Carpet', mat forming Eastern Native, cute daisies
Euphorbia amygdaloides	Wood Spurge	'Purpurea' and E. v. robbiae - chartreuse flowers
Fragaria vesca	Wild Strawberry (Alpine)	**Alpine woodland native
Galium odoratum	Sweet Woodruff	Classic cottagey groundcover
Geranium spp. (like G. cantabrigiense and G. macrorrhizum)	Hardy Geranium	Scented species are usually deer resistant
Helleborus spp.	Lenten/ Christmas/Niger Rose	**Late winter blooming, evergreen
Hernaria glabra	Rupturewort	Great alternative to Irish/Scotch Moss
Heuchera spp. and hybrids	Coral Bells	Too many colorful options to count, hummers love red flowers
Hosta hybrids	Hosta	Stick w/green or blue leaf forms, get well established
Hypericum calycinum	St. John's Wort	Yellow flowers, aggressive groundcover
Iris chrysophylla, bracteata	Yellowleaf and Siskiyou Iris	Native, lovely spring ephemerals
Lamium maculatum	Dead nettle
Lamiastrum g. 'Herman's Pride'	Yellow Archangel/Dead Nettle	Great frosted foliage
Lysimachia nummularia	Creeping Jenny
Pachysandra terminalis	Japanese Pachysandra	**Evergreen ground cover
Polygonatum odoratum	Fragrant Solomon's Seal	**Beautiful foliage
Pulmonaria spp. and hybrids	Lungwort	Papery pink/blue flowers, spreading habit
Rubus calcynoides	Creeping Bramble/Raspberry	Tough!
Sedum s. 'Cape Blanco'	Stonecrop	Selection of native species, evergreen, great color
Stachys coccinea	Coral Hedgenettle	Fragrant foliage, attracts hummers
Vinca minor	Periwinkle	**Aggressive
SHRUBS
Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'	Compact Strawberry Tree	**Blooms and fruit ripens in fall
Arctostaphylos ssp.	Manzanita	Many coastal species/selections tolerate part shade
Aucuba japonica	Japanese Aucuba	**
Berberis darwinii	Darwin's Evergreen Barberry	Great for wildlife
Buxus spp.	Boxwood	**
Carpenteria californica	Bush Anemone	Endemic to CA Sierra foothills, fragrant white blooms
Ceanothus gloriosus	Pt. Reyes Blue Blossom/Wild Lilac	Attracts pollinators/birds
Cephalotaxus harringtonia	Japanese Plum Yew	**
Choisya ternata	Mexican Orange	Fragrant flowers
Cotoneaster dammeri	Bearberry
Daphne spp.	Daphne	Fragrant flowers
Elaeagnus ebbingei 'Gilt Edge'	Variegated Silverberry	**Fragrant flowers in fall, good wildlife plant
Elaeagnus pungens 'Clemson's Variegated' and 'Hosoba Fukurin'	Variegated Silverberry	Fragrant flowers in fall, good wildlife plant
Euonymous fortunei	Winter creeper	Many different variegated selections
Fatshedera lizei	Tree Ivy	**Unique hybrid, upright, trainable in tough spots
Fatsia japonica	Japanese Aralia	**Late fall blooms attract pollinators, tropical foliage
Garrya elliptica, fremontii	Silk-Tassel	Native, winter blooming
Hebe spp.	Hebe	Be sure to select only hardy species (Z 7 )
Holodiscus discolor	Ocean Spray	Native, excellent for wildlife
Hydrangea quersifolia	Oakleaf Hydrangea	Toughest Hydrangea, Eastern native. Many seasons of interest - long lasting late summer blooms, fall color, peeling bark
Ilex crenata	Japanese Holly	**Attracts pollinators
Ilex spp.	Holly
Juniperus conferta	Shore Juniper	Great color/texture, A-typical for the genus
Kerria japonica	Kerria	**Golden yellow blooms, green stems
Mahonia spp. (M. aquifolium, M. nervosa, M. repens)	Oregon Grape	**Native, great for wildlife
Mahonia hybrids	Mahonia (like 'Charity' & 'Soft Caress')
Myrica californica	Pacific Wax Myrtle	Coastal native, nitrogen fixing, wildlife
Nandina domestica	Heavenly Bamboo	**
Osmanthus heterophyllus	Hollyleaf Osmanthus (great cultivars)	**Fragrant flowers fall/winter, many cultivars
Osmerea burkwoodii	Burkwood False Holly	Fragrant flowers
Rhamnus californica	CA Coffeeberry	Coastal native, great for wildlife
Rhamnus tomentella	Hoary Coffeeberry	Native to higher elevations, larger w/bluer foliage
Ribes aureum	Golden Currant	Native, nice fall color
Ribes nevadense	Sierra Flowering Currant	Native
Ribes roezlii	Sierra Gooseberry	Native, thorny, cutest mini-fuchsia like flowers
Ribes sanguineum	Red Flowering Currant	Native, super showy, hummers love
Sarcococca spp.	Sweetbox	**Fragrant flowers in winter. S. hookeriana v. humilis colonizes and will be more vigorous
Sorbaria sorbifolia	Ural False Spirea	Colonizer, great foliage
Spirea betulifolia	Birch Leaf Spirea	Clay tolerant, white flowers, colorful foliage spring/fall. 'Tor' and 'Glow Girl' are great cultivars
Symphoricarpos alba	Snow Berry	**Native, colonizer, good for wildlife
Taxus x media	Yew	**Evergreen, many cultivars/shapes/sizes
Viburnum davidii	Viburnum davidii
TREES
Arbutus unedo	Strawberry Tree
Acer circinatum/glabrum	Vine/Rocky Mountain Maple	Native
VINES
Lonicera ciliosa	Orange/Trumpet Honeysuckle	Native, great for wildlife
Trachelospermum asiaticum	Asiatic Jasmine	Ground cover vine