Disappointing that I cannot grow any of the carnivores in a shady bog, but I have found a new love. Aroids! Not all of them will grow in bogs, but the ones that do, include some of the alocasias and colocasias, which are what you would call "marginal" plants. Susan

Wellllll Let me tell ya all about the joys of the maypop (native passionflower of the south). Full sun, rambling vine, dies back to the ground over winter, beautiful flowers, and I use the pulp around the seeds to make a fruity tastin' drink that I like lots. One negative and thats that the vine shoots up in different locations as the roots spread under ground. That is one year here next year there. An orange butterfly (sorry forget name) uses the vine to lay eggs on (munch munch goes the vine ;o) I'll save ya some seed this summer just ask :o)Should do fine in z7 I'd guess. Mike

I have just this same situation in one part of my backyard. I received some wonderful suggestions from other GW folks to plant ferns and alocasias and colocasias. They have worked out well even with the rainy season we have experienced lately. I have alocasia Polly and Aurora as well as some hedychiums and costus gingers and several different varieties of ferns. They were just planted this spring and are all growing well but I am hoping for more filling in next year. Oh yeah, caladiums and coleus are also doing great in that environment. I even have standing water for several hours after some of these heavy downpours we've been having this month. I'm in the Tampa Bay area so Fay didn't really dump rain on me here until today :) Kay

We have a yard that has thick oak and maple trees that cover almost the entire yard to the east there are trees about the same size (50-75 ft.) so like you we have almost total shade we also have about 50% to 70% clay soil that is hard to grow much in. The types of plants that are the best for vertical appearance are some types of cattails or similar bog type plants here I've seen cattails grow natively in soil that is nearly entirely clay that is almost always a mud and sometimes boggy. I don't know if you had thought of trying to make a water garden here we have to dig at least 3' deep due to temps below 0 degrees F but we have floating water hyacinths on a pond during the summer and goldfish in the pond that were feeder fish that have become 6"-8" long from mosquito larvae and also provide the plants with excellent fertilizer. If you have stray cats they will get the slow fish and the others seem to survive the same applies to raccoons and oppossums. The water hyacinths can take over a pond but do very well in the shade. Elephant's Ears have to be dug up but seem to do well in our shade and climate too holly has also done very well as a perinial here. Otherwise between our temperature and soil you have tried everything we have best of luck to you.