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...

Thanks for posting Violet. I bet Hamilton's would be a nice place to visit too.

It will be easier for me, and hopefully for you, to show some pictures of the area. I took out some plants between the salvia greggii and blue mist in the bottom middle of this photo: That photo was taken at 4pm and by 5pm the area in question was in total sun. Hot, afternoon sun. But from about 9am until 5pm, it's in shade. I got a break and took the next picture while the sun was behind a cloud. Same garden from the other direction: bostedo, good question. I'd like it to be about 3 to 3-1/2 feet tall, just enough to make it interesting, and contrasting foliage would be nice too. I don't want everything the same height or the same leaf type. I had a gaura lindheimeri there but I think it must have been too wet for it. I have some gaura, probably prairie bee blossom, but it grows in a very dry part of my yard so I don't know how it would do there either. I have to water the salvia greggii at least once a week to keep the leaves from folding. But you have given me a thought. I have some gulf muhly that I need to move. But I have it in full sun now. I don't know how it would like so much shade. I also have some twistleaf yucca, but again, I don't know how it will like that much shade and moisture. I was planning to put it out by the street. Perylene, I'm afraid turk's cap and beautyberry would get too tall in this location. I wish Hot lips salvia was native; I've always liked it. I have a salvia azurea a little further down from this spot. I just bought it this summer so it hasn't gotten big or weedy. yet. If I like it there, I'll let it spread. So far, it seems to like that area. p.s. I also thought of little bluestem, but I was afraid it might look too weedy and be too aggressive there. This post was edited by marti8a on Fri, Sep 5, 14 at 18:47

Iris, can you see these pictures? Panicum or Dichanthelium.a very large Liatris4 more amazing places close by to see. I came out here looking for sassafras seeds but there wasn't any seeds on any of them.I saw more viceroys and sulphurs out here. Looks just like round headed bush clover, Lespedeza capitata.Euphorbia corrolataBidens aristosa I think.obedient plant Vernonia A Liatris. Is it aspera?