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Gardening in Shade

Woodland poppy

Janine Starykowicz

19 years ago

I've got an area on the west side of my house, shaded to the south by a porch, now shaded on the west by an alleged dwarf apple tree. It does get some sun, but mostly in the spring. Four o'clocks will bloom but they are spindly with few flowers. We're moving the burning bush that almost never burns and the clematis that only gets a few flowers. Irises seem happy so those will stay.

Park Seeds has woodland poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum, 3 bareroots for $6.95. Says it blooms spring to midsummer, and sometimes to fall, reseeds readily.

Is this a good deal, or can I find seeds cheaper? Does it really continue blooming in the summer?

Any other suggestions for summer bloomers? The irises are purple shades, I also have a serotina florida honeysuckle (red and yellow) on the fence that does get more morning sun, this will be the third year for it. I'm going to add violets, but those are just spring bloomers.

This area is in back of a patio with 2ft wall, so anything scented is also a plus. The honeysuckle should be scented, but haven't noticed much. There is an ancient lilac along the fence (west of this area) that adds to the shade but has wonderful blooms. I've had impatiens under it and added more tulips for this year.

For summer I want mostly yellows, maybe reds and whites, will probably add variegated hosta when we thin out other areas too (blooms lavender, but I can keep them mostly away from the honeysuckle).

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Comments (9)

kwoods
19 years ago
"Is this a good deal, or can I find seeds cheaper?"

Here on LI you can find these guys and gather the seed pods in mid summer. That price is fine for bareroot and in fact I think I may have bought mine from Parks several years back. You may be able to find them on the native plant exchange as well.

"Does it really continue blooming in the summer? "

Yes if you keep it wet, if it dries out it goes dormant. They like humusy moist soil and if they get it they reward you by seeding around and naturalizing.

I love mine and look forward to seeing how many new seedlings I get each year.
Cady
19 years ago
They grow wild here, too. My garden is full of them, and I never planted a single one. They seed freely. If you don't mind waiting until June or so, and sending a self-addressed stamped envelope, I'll be happy to send you seeds for free.
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springcherry
19 years ago
I could also send you seeds for a SASE later in the year. They are a great easy plant for shade. They bloom most heavily in spring but, with water, keep going sporadically till August.

Springcherry
tillable2000
19 years ago
If you want pale yellow flowers you might also want to check out Corydalis lutea,,,it definately blooms all summer, has really pretty delicate folige and reseeds about my garden.
waplummer
19 years ago
Coydalis ochreleuca also blooms all summer and Welsh poppy, Mecinopsis cabrica has a long blooming period.
stonejm
18 years ago
I myself don't believe it, but I have woodland poppies (celandine poppy) growing right at the base of a huge Norway maple in my small shaded yard-which is surrounded by an extensive canopy of Norway maples in the neighbors' yards. I have learned the hard way how DRY this garden is as a result of these water and nutrient-sucking trees (but they do provide lovely cooling shade in the heat of summer--my love/hate relationship with them leans toward the latter, especially when I'm able to pull out only a fraction of the billions of weedseeds they dump every year, and when I think of the many beautiful plants that have perished because of them (including, but not limited to: corydalis, primula vialii, virginia bluebells, polemonium, pulmonaria, even lamium, though lamiastrum is thriving). But the woodland poppy comes back year after year tucked right between their elephantine roots. So I celebrate these cheerful, persistent plants! (BTW, the following have also survived: epimediums, a variety of hostas and ferns, sanguinaria, dicentras, astilbes, alchemilla mollis, ligularia, carex, and more I can't think of right now; among the shrubs that have worked: rhododendron, mountain laurel, enkianthus, clethra, pieris andromeda, blue hollies (less success with ilex glabra due to harsh winters and probably not enough protection from me). Good luck!
alanchicago
18 years ago
I have it in my shade garden; it's already done blooming. Be aware that it is a vigorous grower, and three plants wil take up a good bit of space in a few years. If you're on the N side of Chicago you could have some seeds from mine.
Janine Starykowicz
Original Author
18 years ago
Done blooming? Mine haven't started. Of the three plants, one never took, one put up some leaves and then disappeared, and the third has a little clump of leaves now.

Is there still a chance for blooms this year?

It's been a strange spring this year, seems like everything was either early or late blooming. I still have muscari blooming in places.
bluepoppy
18 years ago
I would love to see photos of these poppies.

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