The following items are growing on the north side of my house, some get an hour of am sun then bright indirect light. Others get dappled sun and are growing among maple trees: labrador violets, various ferns, celandine poppies, trillums, jack in the pulpits, green dragons, virginia blue bells, epimediums, toad lilies, huecheras and/or alumroot, goldenseal, blue cohosh, toothwart, tiarellas, goatsbeard, mayapples and twin leaf. I should note that the darkest spot, along my house, has good moisture retention. The other area, the bed by the trees, has spring ephemerals that get alot of sun before the trees leaf out.

What about moisture under the maples? Doesn't that dry it out? Which ferns will grow under maples?

Adam

The area in question by the maples floods in the spring or during heavy rains and tends to dry out in the summer. Consequently, I put things that like lots of moisture in spring and like it dryish later on. There are two big oaks and several smaller red maples that define the bed. I put down compost, a few plants and mulch about three years ago and in the past few years, I've added more of the same and the area can now hold quite a few different plants. Fern wise, I have believe I have christmas ferns, deer ferns and brilliant ferns growing there. On the periphery, where it gets less competition from tree roots, I have cinnamon ferns which are doing well. I should also say, the bed is on the acidic side at around a ph of 4.5 to 5.

Thanks.. :-)

I have different conditions than you do. ph of 6.4, only maples and silver maples at that, and no flooding at any time. Your garden sounds really nice.

Adam