Raymond’s Garden Center

Not Your Mama’s Shade Garden

By: Brenda Rosbrook & Kay Campbell

BARRENWORT (Epimedium) Shade/part shade. Moist well drained soil, semi-evergreen, flowers red or yellow in early spring. Great ground cover & will spread but not invasive. Attracts butterflies & deer resistant.
H 10-2”, (Zones 5-8)

BEAR BREECHES (Acanthus) Shade/part shade. Low to moderate water. Large, white/mauve flowers in June. Attracts bumblebees. H 3-4’ feet (Zones 5-9)

BELLWORT (Uvularia) Shade/part shade. Dry to medium moisture. Yellow flowers bloom May – June, H 1-2’ (Zones 3-7)

BLEEDING HEART (Dicentra) Shade/part shade. Loose well-drained consistently moist soil. Very hardy. Growth habits & bloom times vary with species. Attracts pollinators & deer resistant. (Zone 3-9)

BOWMAN’S ROOT (Gillenia trifoliata) Part shade. Rich moist, well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Dainty white flowers in late spring. Bronze foliage in spring, burgundy orange in fall. Bees and butterflies love it. Deer resistant. H 2-3’ (Zones 5-9)

BUGLEWEED (Ajuga) Part shade. Moist well drained soil. Blue flowers in early spring. Attracts butterflies & hummingbirds. This will spread! (Zone 4-10)

BUGLOSS (Brunnera) Shade/part shade. Moist well-draining soil. Many with variegated heart shaped foliage. Dainty light blue flowers. Bee friendly & deer resistant. (Zones 3-8)

CARDINAL FLOWER (Lobelia) Part shade. Moist well drained soil. Various zones depending on cultivar. It’s a hummingbird magnet. Attracts birds & butterflies. Bee friendly & deer resistant.

COLUMBINE (Aquilegia) Shade/sun. Prefers light, moist, well-drained soil. Blooms in various colors April - June. Attracts hummingbirds and bees. Self-seeds. H - 2’ (Zones 3-8)

CORAL BELLS (Heuchera) Various sun requirements and hardiness. MANY cultivars. Prefers moist well-drained soil. Bees, hummingbirds & butterfly friendly. (Zones 4-9)

CULVER’S ROOT (Veronicastrum virginicum) Morning sun. Prefers medium to wet well-drained soil. White to lavender blooms in early July. Loved by butterflies & deer resistant (Zones 3-8)

DEADNETTLE (Lamium) Shade/part shade ground cover. Neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Once established it can tolerate drier soils. Many cultivars with different colors. Deer resistant. (Zones 3-8)

DWARF CRESTED IRIS- Shade/part shade. Rich humic soil. Drought tolerant once established. Blue or white flowers in early Spring. Great ground cover & will spread nicely. Attracts hummingbirds & bees. (Zone 3-9)

FERNS Shade/part shade. Many varieties, some are more drought tolerant (Lady Fern, Male Fern, Sword Fern & Chain Fern are a few). Christmas, Autumn, Hart’s tongue, & Tassel Ferns are evergreen. Different zones, water requirements & spreading habits. Deer resistant.

FOAM FLOWER (Tiarella) Shade/part shade. Moist organic rich soil, light pink/white flowers various bloom times. Bee friendly, attracts butterflies & deer resistant. (Zones 3-8)

FOAMY BELLS (Heucherella tiarelloides) Part shade/full shade. Slower growing; prefers fertile organic, rich but neutral soil with excellent drainage. Blooms late spring. Colors, sizes and zones vary with cultivars. Attracts bees and hummingbirds, deer, and rabbit resistant. (Zones 4-9)

FOXGLOVE (Digitalis) Part shade. Moist well-drained acidic soil. Zones, colors, sizes, and bloom times vary by cultivar. Sow the seeds after they dry. Attract bees & butterflies. Deer & rabbit resistant.

GINGER (Asarum) Shade/part shade. Moist humus rich soil. Very hardy. Anise scented leaves & blooms early summer. Great ground cover and will spread. Bee & Butterfly friendly & deer resistant. A few cultivars with various zones

GOAT’S BEARD (Aruncus) Shade/part shade. Moist well drained soil. (More drought tolerant than Astilbe), White Flowers early summer. Bee friendly & deer resistant. (Zone 2-9)

GOLDEN RAY (Ligularia) Shade/part shade. Moist well drained soil (do not let dry out). Various leaf colors & flower shapes & heights. Yellow flowers mid to late summer. Attracts butterflies, bee friendly & deer resistant. (Zones 4-9)

GREEN & GOLD (Chrysogonum) Shade/part shade. Moist soil (do not let dry out). Gold blooms late spring. Nice low growing ground cover. Deer resistant. (Zones 4-9)
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HARDY BEGONIA (Begonia grandis) Shade/dappled shade. Rich, moist, well-drained soil. Pink blooms in late summer. These self-seed! (Zones 6-9)

HARDY GERANIUM (Cranesbill spp.) Part shade. Groundcover/edging. Fragrant foliage. Blooms in June. Colors and sizes vary by zone. Needs rich, well-draining soil. Attracts bees and butterflies. Red / orange fall color on some. Deer & rabbit resistant

HOSTAS Shade/part shade. Extremely easy to grow. Very adaptable to soil conditions. Many varieties & leaf shapes. Hummingbirds love them just as much as deer do! (Zones 3-9)

JACOB’S LADDER (Polonium) Shade/part shade. Moist well drained humus rich soil. Blue flowers in late spring to early summer. Variegated/solid green foliage on different varieties. Bee friendly & deer resistant. (Zones 4-9)

JAPANESE FOREST GRASS (Hakonechola) Shade/part shade. Moist well-draining soil. Cascading waterfall type leaves. Slow to mature. Deer resistant. H 12-18” (Zones 4-9)

LADY’S MANTLE (Alchemilla) Shade/part shade. Moist soil (do not let dry out) Chartreuse green flowers in early summer. Raindrops bead up on foliage. Great edging plant & will seed slightly. Attracts bees & butterflies. Deer resistant. H 18” (Zones 4-7)

LENTEN ROSE (Helleborus) Shade/part shade. Mildly drought tolerant when established. Various colors & growth habits. Evergreen foliage bloom times vary to late Winter early spring. Prefers organic, rich, slightly alkaline to neutral soil. Early pollinator & deer resistant (Zones 4-9)

LILY OF THE VALLEY (Convallaria) Shade. Moist soil. Will spread. Fragrant white bell-shaped flowers early spring. Deer resistant. (Zones 2-7)

LUNGWORT (Pulmonaria) Shade/part shade. Moist rich organic soil. Pink/blue flowers in mid spring. Many cultivars with various leaf patterns. Attracts hummingbirds, bee friendly. Deer resistant. (Zones 3-9)

MEADOW SWEET (Filipendula) Part shade. Moist, neutral-alkaline soil. Pink flowers in June / July. Grows 3-6 feet depending on the cultivar. Friendly to native bees. H 14-16” (Zones 3-7b)

MONKSHOOD (Aconitum) Part shade. Rich well drained moist soil. Different heights with dark blue hooded flowers in midsummer. Deer resistant. (Zones 3-7)

OAKLEAF PRIMROSE (Primula vulgaris) Shade/part shade .Fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Blooms early spring through June. H 12-16” x W 14” (Zones 4-9)

ORCHID (Bletilla) Part shade. Moist organic rich soil. Blooms white/purple late spring early summer. H 8-12” (Zones 5-9)

SEDGE (Carex) Shade/part shade. Various cultivars with different needs. Evergreen. Deer resistant.

SNAKEROOT (Cimicifuga) Shade/part shade. Rich moist soil, white blooms late summer. Some cultivars have dark foliage & pink fragrant blooms. Attracts butterflies and is bee friendly. Deer resistant. H 4-5’ (Zones 4-8)

SOLOMON’S SEAL (Polygonatum) Shade/part shade. Dry to moderately moist rich soil. Blooms in May; white, slightly fragrant flowers, will spread. Attracts pollinators. Rabbit & deer resistant. H 1-2’ (Zones 5-9)

SPIDERWORT (Tradescantia) Part shade. Tolerant of soil condition once established. Purple/white flowers on green/chartreuse green foliage. Attracts butterflies. Deer resistant once established. (Zones 4-9)

SPIKENARD (Aralia) Part shade. Moist well drained soil. ‘Sun King’ has brilliant gold foliage with tiny white flowers that bloom in mid-late summer followed by purple/black berries. H 3’ (Zones 3-9)

SPURGE (Euphorbia spp.) Full sun. Prefers dry to medium, well-drained soil. Long-lasting, bottle brush-like flowers in the late summer. Evergreen to semi-evergreen; bees & butterflies like this one! Deer & rabbit resistant. (Zones 6-9)

STRAWBERRY BEGONIA (Saxifraga) Shade/part shade. Moist rich slightly alkaline soil, white flowers in late spring to early summer. Great evergreen ground cover. Spreads slowly. (Zone 6-9)

SWEET FLAG GRASS (Acorus) Shade/part shade/full sun. Needs moisture. Evergreen. Tolerates wet soil. Deer resistant. (Zones 5-9)

SWEET WOODRUFF (Gallium) Part shade. Prefers consistent moisture. Lightly fragrant white blooms in late spring early summer. Spreading semi evergreen ground cover. Deer resistant H 8” (Zones 4-8)

TOAD LILY (Tricyrtis) Shade/part shade. Rich evenly moist soil. Various height, bloom color & foliage depending on cultivar. Late to pop up in the spring. (Zones 4-9)

TURTLEHEAD (Chelone) Part shade. Moist soil. Pink or white flowers with a turtle shape in late summer. Attracts butterflies. Deer resistant. Will spread nicely. H 2-4’ (Zones 4-8)

WOODLAND PHLOX (Phlox divaricata) Shade/part shade. Rich, moist, well-drained soil. Blooms pink, white, blue, some fragrant mid to late spring. It’s a nice woodland groundcover, loved by pollinators. (Zones 4-8)

WOODLAND POPPY (Stylophorum) Shade/part shade. Rich moist well drained soil. Interesting foliage pattern with yellow blooms late spring early summer. Bee friendly and attracts butterflies. Deer resistant.
Will seed/spread. H 14-18” (Zones 4-9)

VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS (Mertensia virginica) Shade/part shade. Prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil. Water regularly in dry conditions. Pink buds open to blue, bell-shaped flowers in April to early May. They will
self-seed and colonize. Plants go dormant in the summer. They attract all pollinators. (Zone 3-9)

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

AZALEA (Deciduous) Part shade. Prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil. Various colors, sizes, bloom times and zones.

CAROLINA ALLSPICE (Calycanthus) Shade/Part shade. Tolerant of any well-drained soil. It has showy, burgundy, fragrant flowers May - June. Deer resistant. Will spread by runners. H 6-8’ Zones 4-9)

ENKIANTHUS campanulatus Part shade. Prefers acidic, moist, rich, well-drained soil. It does well in clay soil, but not in dry conditions. Blooms white or red bell-shaped flowers bloom in late spring. It has yellow, red, and orange fall foliage. Great for bees. Deer resistant. H 6-8’ (Zones 4-7b)

FALSE SPIRAEA (Sorbaria) Shade/part Shade. Medium moisture. White flowers in summer. Butterflies & other pollinators. Tolerant of alkaline & clay soils. H 2-3’ x W 3-4’ (Zones 2-7)

FOTHERGILLA (Fothergilla major) Part shade. Moist well drained soil. White fragrant flowers in spring before foliage. Red/orange fall foliage. Deer resistant. (Zones 5-8)

HEART’S A BUSTIN, STRAWBERRY BUSH (Euonymus) Shade/part shade. Tolerates dry and wet soil. Birds & deer love it! Green branches in the Winter.

SUMMERSWEET (Clethra) Part shade. Tolerates wet soil. Fragrant white/pink flowers in July. Hummingbirds, bees & butterflies love it! Deer resistant. (Zones 4-9)

VIRGINIA SWEETSPIRE (Itea) Shade/sun. Well drained moist soil but tolerant of drier soils once established. White flowers in late spring, burgundy fall foliage. Deer resistant. (Zones 5-9)

EVERGREENS
ANISE (Illicium) Various Cultivars. Shade/part shade. Well drained moist soil. Great foundation plant needs protection from winter winds. Fragrant flowers and foliage. Deer resistant. (Zones 7-10)

DOG HOBBLE (Leucothoe) Shade/part shade. Average water, moderately drained. Deer resistant. (Zones 5-8)

JAPANESE PLUM YEW (Cephalotaxus) Shade/part shade. Many cultivars are deer resistant. (Zones 6-9)

MOUNTAIN ANDROMEDA (Pieris japonica) Shade/part shade. Many cultivars to choose from. Lily of the valley bell shaped flowers early spring. Colorful new growth. Bee friendly. Deer resistant. (Zones 4-8)

P.J.M. RHODODENDRON – Part shade with protection from strong winds. Prefers moist, depending on the cultivar acidic well-drained rich soil. Blooms pink, lavender or purple in the early spring. Attract bees. H 3-6’ (Zones 4-8)

SPOTTED LAUREL (Aucuba) Full shade/part shade. Good on foundations, needs winter protection. Medium water until established. Needs well drained soil. (Zone 7-9)

SWEETBOX (Sarcoccoca) Shade/part shade. Tiny fragrant white flowers early spring. Spreads by runners. Deer resistant. (Zones 5-8)

TREES
STEWARTIA pseudocamellia Part Shade. Evenly moist, organically rich, moderately acidic, well-drained soil & intolerant of drought. Blooms white camellia type flowers in Mid-June, beautiful bark & fall foliage.
H20-40’ x W20-30’ Great street/patio tree.( Zone 5a-8b)