lamiamstrum. The species. I will say that it is considered invasive by some - I grow it ... however it will grow where nothing else will grow. Sometimes you just need the "black hole" plant.
Other non-invasive plants that can do are: cast iron plant (looks really nice massed in shade) & hellebores which spread. I have suggested doing entire shady lawns in hellebores and it looks fantastic when it's all done and planted. Expensive to begin but they will self propagate in a few years and fill in really nicely.

Lamiamstrum is the only thing I can think of that will do it quickly.

Thanks, I'll check them out.

There is a plant used as border between grass an shrubs that right now has blu bell like flower clusters. I don't know the name but I know that it does better in shade than sun and it can propagate by tiny bulbs. so if you plant some plugs eventually they can cover the open areas.There are several varieties of them I think. plant the short ones.Also, when you get big clumps, dig them up, divide an plant in the open areas. soon (maybe couple of years) you will have lush green cover almost year round; no weed can grow in them either.
I know pachysandras. They do great up north. But here in GA summers are too hot and winters not cold enough.

The vinca (with blue flowers, also called myrtle up north) Is also a good ground cover and not invasive like ivies or other stuff.

The plant that cyrus refers to is Liriope - monkey grass. There is a similar dwarf plant called mondo grass (but it is not the same as Liriope).

Vinca (with blue flowers) CAN be quite aggressive/invasive and I would not recommend it. Just ask someone who's trying to get rid of it.

This is an interesting conversation for me! We have a skinny, half-acre lot - the back third is wooded. It is at the lowest part of the lot, so you would think it would stay moist. It is wierd - the soil is super hard and dry. I am trying to gradually improve it back there, by swooshing all the autumn leaves down there. It is sort of mysterious to me how dry it is.
I have several magnolias and dogwood growing in the woods (volunteer), so that's nice, but I can't get anything to grow on the ground, like perennials.
The little woodland is also being plagued by some HORRIBLE vine. I am keeping it under control as much as I can, but if I let it go for a year or so, it would be back up into the trees 50 feet high. It starts out looking almost like a sweet autumn clematis - but gets very thick (like a fat pencil), has waxy leaves (round up runs right off) and horrible, horrible thorns. It is really awful! It grows from big tubers in the ground. Anyone know what it is?
Anyway, sorry to go off track -- but this info about the dry shade is really helpful to me --wanted to say keep going!

It is sort of mysterious to me how dry it is.

Do you by chance have any native red maples in the area? They just suck the moisture out of the area.

It grows from big tubers in the ground.

Sounds like smilax, especially with the thorns. Try dabbing some brush killer on the end of a freshly cut stump. Of course digging up the tuber would help, but that can be difficult.

I had a type of smilax vine that had shallow tubers. Ended up being THANKFULLY very easy to irradicate by digging.

Magnolias & Dogwoods (Cornus florida) also have shallow feeder roots and the areas under the canopy are usually lacking in sufficient moisture to permit growing many types of perennial plants. I have four Southern Magnolias (M. grandiflora) that are underplanted with several types of shrubs and perennials that must have additional irrigation, even with normal rainfall. The evergreen foliage acts as an "umbrella" and the plants underneath receive little moisture, even after a heavy rainfall event.
I use imbedded soaker hoses to provide supplemental moisture for the plants there.

Growing shade tolerant plants underneath Maples is not difficult, if a few conditions are observed.

Add 4-6" of compost, leafmould and pine bark fines to establish a shallow raised bed and to provide nutrients for the plants being installed. Leave at least a 6" air gap around the Maple's trunk.
Don't add any other amendments to the planting area. When encountering small tree roots, cut and remove them.
Above all, do not add fertilizer to the planting area. If you determine supplemental nutrients are necessary, they must be applied to the entire area, under and around the Maples, well beyond the drip line.
Same rule applies to irrigation. Don't water individual plants. Provide an equal amount of water to all of the area under and around the Maples.
Add an annual layer of compost to all of the area during late winter or early spring.

I have planted dozens of different shade tolerant perennials, shrubs & small trees under all of my Maples for more than 40 years and some of my greatest plant successes have occurred there.

One of the most challenging adventures was establishing Native Azaleas near the drip line of Flowering Dogwoods (C. florida). Water, water and more water was determined to be the solution! Even then, it required several years for the Azaleas to become well established and compete with the massive near-surface root system of the Dogwoods.
SATWT
Rb

I just googled smilax - yes, that is what the evil stuff is. Ugh.
My dry shade area is in a woods of poplar, beech, oak, magnolia and dogwood. Anyway -- sorry to distract from Planter-in-Tucker's original question.
But hey - sounds like the smilax vine would grow well! (wink wink!)
I am also working on covering a slope - I'm using ornamental raspberry for part of it. My light and soil conditions aren't like yours, but this plant seems pretty adaptable.