you should be able to grow about anything that will take the amount of sunlight there ...

IF YOU WATER YOUR PLANTS >>>>>

you are responsible for all water the year of planting.. and in drought the second year ...

you can NOT rely on mother nature ... perhaps after the third year... but not until then ....

ken

Too much trouble to drag the hose out? Install irrigation.

Maybe you can get some ideas from this greywater website, because sprinkler systems can be expensive.

http://www.greywaterguerrillas.com/rainwater_harvesting.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials

Oaks should be ideal for shade gardens--consider also Pulmonaria, Epimediums (many extremely drought tolerant), Lamiums, Lamiastrum 'Herman's Pride', Hellebores (also quite drought tolerant once established), and spring bulbs as well as the wild spring ephemerals--Erythroniums, Trilliums, Dodacatheons, etc.

I would not consider hostas and hydrangeas in an area where you don't want to have to water. laceyvail has good suggestions for alternatives.

Thanks Laceyvail...that is what I was hoping for, PLANT SUGGESTIONS. :-)

However, you have to be aware that the most important phrase in Laceyvail's posting is "drought tolerant once established"!!! You will HAVE to water for at least the first year, and probably for the second as well, maybe every day if it is hot and dry in the beginning. No plant can be taken out of a pot that is watered every day, or every few days, in the nursery, put into very dry ground, and be expected to do more than struggle if you are lucky, and die if you are not so lucky. Pick plants that can take dry shade, look after them for the first year or so, and the area under your tree should look good.

If you get a soaker hose or drip-emitter hose and snake it among your plantings, covering it - and the area under the tree - with 4" or less of mulch, then you only have to drag the hose out to the end of it, connect it and turn it on for an hour or so, depending ion the rate/pressure. You will still have to check to be sure all the root areas are getting wet, but you wouldn't have to do each one individually.

If it really is too much trouble to drag the hose out there, then no, there are very few - make that no - attractive or flowering plants that will just grow unless they have some help. Let me qualify that - most of the plants that will grow there with no help are undesirable weeds. You MIGHT be able to get some grass growing, but again, unless you just let what will grow grow, you will have to water.

Anything that naturally does well under trees could work. Another quality to look for is a degree of aggressiveness (within reason). I'm not sure of the hardiness of all of these, but have a look at mayapples, solomon seal, celandine poppies, tovara, lily of the valley, tiarella - the running kind, mertensia.

Ferns are another option.

Keep in mind, too, that things that are dormant in summer are less touchy about being watered all year round.

There are also groups of shade plants that really prefer dampish conditions - forget astilbe, aruncus, kirengeshoma and things like that. I'd put hydrangeas in this category, too. Pretty, but thirsty.

Finally, consider a shrub like eleutherococcus which comes in a nice variegated version and is said to do pretty well in dry shade. Even though I provide supplemental water, mine are definitely growing more slowly under the maples than they did in my former zone 5 garden where they had better access to water.

Also keep in mind that many oaks don't take kindly to having their roots disturbed. You might look into 'nurse log' planting, etc.