Wood poppy and hardy cyclamen. And the local deer don't seem to like these plants, which is a necessity in my yard.

Bleeding hearts do well in shade as do ferns, trillium and lungwort

Hi Clarejoe,

This site has lots of ideas for shade.

-StLGirl

Here is a link that might be useful: Shade Plant List

Not sure how much shade you're talking about, but I have good luck with these in dappled shade:

Heuchera
Hosta
Ferns
Monkshood
Helleborus
Bleeding Heart
Trillium
Tricyrtis
Pulmonaria
Brunnera

Prof

Any sun at all? It's amazing how that can make a big difference to the possibilities. Maybe you could describe the area, ie. - Sun until 10 am, then shade until 2 and dappled shade the rest of the day.

OK I am posting a picture of the area that I prepared around a weeping dogwood tree. Behind the tree doesn't get any sun at all and on each side of the tree it may get some some maybe 2-3 hours? Check out the picture. I wish I knew how to post the picture in my message. Could someone tell me how?? Thanks

Here is a link that might be useful:

clare, use the HTML CODE from photobucket. Just click on that area, it will copy it to your clipboard and say "copied". Past that right into your message.

{{gwi:366321}}

If dogwoods are shallow rooted (I don't know if they are or not), whatever you plant there will need to like dry shade, not moist, because there will be root competition for moisture and nutrients.

Deanna

Clarejoe- go to my tradelist- all seeds/plants of have/want list will tolerate/ like shade.
Yours look like nice space with plenty of light for majority of plants to do well.
I would go for something short in the spring and tall in the fall. Check out hakonechloa grass it has same cascading pattern as your tree.