I have a lot of dry woods -- it tends to be sparse in the understory but the Tipularia does very well, especially where there are decomposing branches and logs. Iris cristata grows on a dry slope where a little sun filters through, as do native carexes. And there's a very tough lowbush blueberry that takes on great fall foliage color, although it rarely sets any fruit. I'm not sure of the species, but it looks like pictures I've seen of V. pallidum.

I don't know what kind of topography you're dealing with, but I've also been able to establish trout lilies (Erythromium americanum), Dentaria (toothwort), Luzula, and a few Hepatica on a sloped area at the bottom of the hill, and there are Anemonella thalictroides growing wild in that area as well. The trout lilies are supposed to like moist woods, but mine came from friend who has a large colony on a steep slope high above the Flat River. It looked like an area that would be dry in the summer and fall so I thought they might transplant OK, and they've bloomed for me every year since.

Whoo..karen w, where you been hiding?? Hope you come back more often with your great advice.

Trout lilies are a great suggestion. They tend to bloom better in lean than rich situations.

If it was me, I'd do whatever possible to help the running pine to flourish. I love that stuff and it is next to impossible to transplant.

This year I have had success with the woody/bushy subshrub Coralberry - Simphoricarpos or something similar. I dug mine up in Oklahoma. It was discussed last year here on GW and many commented that it was a native to the western part of this state. Since that time I have seen it planted in many local 'native'areas of botanic gardens so maybe it does range this far east. It doesn't grow as lush in the deep shade but it survives and spreads.

You know you've got a problem area when the poison ivy won't even grow in it!!!!

I was able to get some Coralberry from a rescue, and they survived wonderfully with no extra water last season. I have had good luck with Bloodroot, Toothworts, Hepaticas, Rue Anemones, Bellworts, and also from rescues, Pink Lady Slippers,which are now into their eighth year. I love Pipsissewa, but that is so slow! I have it naturally in an area where there is also running cedar. As TJohn says, that is so lovely;it can go wherever it wants! I have even noticed it coming out into some sun in the last few years! Oh, and many of the native carexes are great in dry even tho' in nature they are usually in moist situations. Searsucker sedge is my favorite.

It's true about Lady's Slippers, if you want to shell out big bucks and if it lives, does very well in dry shade. My parents live on top of a hill in the woods and pink Lady's Slipper grew wild there.

I keep trying to transplant running pine/cedar. No success so far, but it grows down the power cut from me, even into the sunniest dry areas. I thought of a few more tough characters that grow in my dry woods: Aster divericatus and Antennaria. Again, I'm not sure what the Antennaria species is, but it has fairly broad leaves and makes a great low silvery groundcover. I haven't yet ID'd my native carexes either, but there are at least two narrow leaved species that seem to prefer the dry shady areas. When we had the power company trench a new line up the hill, the carexes and Iris cristata were the two things I dug up and set aside to replant after they were done. I'm also blessed with plenty of pipsissewa and the occasional Lilium michauxii.

Dottie, hiding? I wish. If I were hiding it would be here ... from the rest of the world.

It can be tough to transplant running cedar (even more so than running pine) because it is hard to tell where it is really rooted versus just running. When I rescue it on plant rescues, I look for stand along patches (small ones) and dig those. Using this approach, I have about 5 areas of successful transplants and they are starting to run now. Once I rescued a Christmas fern that was surrounded by the running cedar. The fern survived and so did a patch of the cedar that came with it.

Christmas fern is the best plant for dry shade that I've found. Ebony spleenwort is good too. Of course in this drought, a lot of things got tested for dryness! I had several patches of Northern Maidenhair fern that never missed a beat ... I was surprised.

My ebony spleenwort doesn't look great, but at least it survived. Thelypteris kunthii made it through the summer better, though I wouldn't have predicted it would be so drought tolerant.

I wish we would get enough rain that I could plant more drought tolerant natives -- they all still need a little help on the front end and I just can't collect enough water from the front end of my showers to sustain them all the first year.

Which brings up the topic of which is which fern? I have a hard time figuring them out. Would you have pictures to post?

And, I only know running cedar, never heard of running pine. Are they different?

Nancy the nancedar

Christmas Fern is fairly big compared to Ebony spleenwort. Here is an article on it with a picture.

Ebony Spleenwort can be quite petite, fairly erect, the center "stem" is black. I used to think it was a baby Christmas fern, but now I know better. Here is a link with a good picture.

Ground pine is also a Lycopodium like ground cedar. This link has a picture that looks a lot like mine. Much more upright than ground cedar and the foliage looks more like a pine than a cedar.

Hope that helps.

Thanks esh_ga for enlightening me. I get so frustrated when I don't know the proper names of plants.

I don't think I have running pine, but fortunately I have several heavy stands of running cedar.

Nancy the nancedar

What about Cyclamen?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cyclamen

Another fern (not native) that did well with the drought this year was the Japanese Beech fern. About the same height as Christmas fern, not evergreen but it runs and creates a nice patch/colony.

Have you checked Niches website? They have a pretty good search feature.

If we're going non-native now, I've got to put in a plug for tough-as-nails Rhodea and for Beschorneria in light shade.

If you're going to mention the Japanese Beech fern then I must comment how much I like the native one: Broad Beech fern (Thelypteris hexagonoptera or Phegopteris hexagonoptera). Also not evergreen but does run and create a nice group.

I have a little group of cyclamen that someone gave me. Such a darling plant and the flowers are welcome sight in the fall.

I'm going to put in another plug for Iris cristata to second Karen's. It actually loves the zone of death under pine trees, and also did well in my parents' yard, so it should like your yard too.

and i've seen i. cristata growing in areas in digs that nothing else would. it's a tough little booger. cyclamens do like the dry shade, but set the snooze for 10 years if you want to see much spread- :). they are slooooow. i'm just now getting some babies 10+ years after i planted my first ones. you know, most folks consider violets weeds, but they can deal with dry shade well. as can epimediums. and i really hesitate to mention that periwinkle does just fine with dry shade once established (and i have lots if you want some- lol). did anyone mention hellebores? they don't seem to suffer when it gets really dry. up at camp in PA, bracken fern spreads really well in the dry shade. not sure where to tell you to get it here, but...

If anybody wants violets, they're free for the digging in my back yard. They spread like magic and aren't bothered by moles, voles or digging dogs. :o>

Not native, but Cyclamen hederifoliam is naturalizing in my semi-shady, dry, sandy, back yard pine woods. Wonderful!
Pam

I put some bishops weed in the 'zone of death' (I love that term!) under the pines, as well as some acanthus. Both have done well. Ditto for violets and of all things, hardy tapioca.

Sally