Native Plants for Mid-Atlantic Landscapes
SHADE to Part Shade - 
WET to Moist Soil
Scientific Name Common Name Height Light Moisture
Trees
| Asimina triloba | pawpaw | 15-30 Feet | Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Cornus alternifolia | pagoda dogwood | 15-25 Feet | Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Carpinus caroliniana | American hornbeam | 15-30 Feet | Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Magnolia virginiana | sweetbay magnolia | 12-30 Feet | Shade/Sun | Wet/Moist |
| Tsuga canadensis | eastern hemlock | 40-80 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
Shrubs
| Clethra alnifolia | summersweet | 4-10 Feet | Shade/Sun | Wet/Moist |
| Euonymus americanus | strawberry-bush | 6-12 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Ilex glabra | inkberry | 6-10 Feet | Shade/Sun | Wet/Moist |
| Lindera benzoin | spicebush | 6-12 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Rhododendron maximum | rosebay rhododendron | 5-20 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist/well drained |
Perennials and Ferns
| Actaea pachypoda | doll's eyes | 1-3 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Adiantum pedatum | maidenhair fern | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Arisaema triphyllum | Jack-in-the-pulpit | 1-3 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Aruncus dioicus | goat's-beard | 3-6 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Asarum canadense | wild ginger | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Athyrium filix-femina | lady fern | 1-3 Feet | Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Caltha palustris | marsh marigold | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Sun | Wet |
| Chelone glabra | white turtlehead | 2-3 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Chrysogonum virginianum | green-and-gold | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Dry/Moist |
| Claytonia virginica | spring beauty | 6-12 Inches | Shade | Moist |
| Cimicifuga racemosa | black cohosh | 2-8 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Dicentra eximia | bleeding heart | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Erythronium americanum | trout lily | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Eurybia macrophylla | big leaf aster | 1-3 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade Moist | |
| Hydrastis canadensis | goldenseal | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Iris cristata | dwarf crested iris | 4-8 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
Perennials and Ferns, Continued
| Jeffersonia diphylla | twinleaf | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Lobelia siphilitica | great blue lobelia | 1-4 Feet | Shade/Sun | Wet/Moist |
| Matteuccia struthiopteris | ostrich fern | 3-5 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Mertensia virginica | Virginia bluebells | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Mimulus ringens | Allegheny monkeyflower | 1-3 Feet | Part Shade | Wet |
| Onoclea sensibilis | sensitive fern | 1-3 Feet | Shade/Sun | Wet/Moist |
| Osmunda cinnamomea | cinnamon fern | 2-5 Feet | Shade/Sun | Wet/Moist |
| Osmunda regalis | royal fern | 2-4 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Pachysandra procumbens | Allegheny pachysandra | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Packera aurea | golden ragwort | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Phlox divaricata | wild blue phlox | 8-18 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Phlox stolonifera | creeping phlox | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Polemonium reptans | Jacob's ladder | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Polygonatum biflorum | Solomon's seal | 1-4 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Polystichum acrostichoides | Christmas fern | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Sanguinaria canadensis | bloodroot | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Smilacena racemosa | false solomon's seal | 1-3 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Solidago flexicaulis | zigzag goldenrod | 1-3 feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Spigelia marilandica | Indian pink | 1-2 Feet | Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Stylophorum diphyllum | celandine poppy | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Tiarella cordifolia | foam flower | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Sun | Moist |
| Tradescantia virginiana | spiderwort | 1-3 Feet | Pt. Shade/Sun | Moist |
| Trillium grandiflorum | showy trillium | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Uvullaria grandiflora | merrybells | 1-3 Feet | Shade | Moist |
| Viola sp. | violets | 0-1 Feet | Shade/Sun | Moist |
| Zizia aurea | golden Alexanders | 1-3 Feet | Pt. Shade/Sun | Moist |
Annuals and Biennials
| Impatiens capensis | jewelweed | 1-5 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Wet/Moist |
| Phacelia bipinnatifida | fernleaf phacelia | 1-2 Feet | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist |
Sedges
| Carex laxiculmus | creeping sedge | 1 Foot | Pt. Shade | Moist |
| Carex plantaginea | plantain leaf sedge | 6-12 Inches | Shade/Pt. Shade | Moist/Dry |
Compiled by JoAnn Babcock, York County Master Gardener, February 2005 Updated March 2023 by Connie Schmotzer
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