Native Perennials: Shade Tolerant

Brewer’s Mitrewort (Mitella breweri) Low growing mat-forming groundcover with sweet flowers in spring. Shade. https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/mitella-breweri

Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. palmatus) Deer resistant. Deep shade or full sun as long as there is sufficient moisture. The flat-topped white to pink flowers are quite attractive to people and beneficials insects and pollinators. https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/petasites-frigidus

Dagger-Leaf Rush (Juncus ensifolius) Grows in large upright clumps.  Full sun to partial shade, moist to wet soil (do not plant in standing water). https://www.wnps.org/native-plant-directory/400:juncus-ensifolius

Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant). 8-30 inches tall. Smaller and more compact than a sword fern, great for smaller spaces.  http://nativeplantspnw.com/deer-fern-blechnum-spicant/

False lily of the valley (Maianthemum dilatatum) (aka snakeberry, two-leaved Solomon's seal) – Fabulous low growing groundcover for shady areas.  https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/maianthemum-dilatatum

Foamflower, aka Three-Leaved Foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata) https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/tiarella-trifoliata Blooms all summer.

Fringe Cup (Tellima grandiflora) Full to part shade, evergreen in mild winters, interesting small flowers on 1-2 ft stalks. Forms lovely clumps of green foliage.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tellima

Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) Beautiful in spring, and in summer tall, feathery plumes composed of tiny, creamy-white flowers rise above the foliage. Flowers are very attractive to insects. https://realgardensgrownatives.com/?p=2100

Great False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) 2-3 ft tall , with starry flowers followed by berries. The arching leaves look good all summer. Likes moist woods, streambanks, and open rocky hillsides. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maianthemum_racemosum

Inside-out flower (Vancouveria hexandra). 6-16 inches tall.  Beautiful delicate foliage, unusual flowers beloved of bumblebees. Shade and drought tolerant. Can spread to form a groundcover. http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Vancouveria%20hexandra

Lady Fern  (Athyrium filix-femina) Especially beautiful in spring, because all its leaves are new every year. Shade and moisture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athyrium_filix-femina

Littleleaf Miner’s Lettuce (Montia parviflora) Edible. Grows in West Side forest, in wet mosses along streams, in wet rocks from beach to alpine areas, sometimes in large patches.  White or Pink flowers.    https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/montia-parvifolia

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum aleuticum) Considered by many the most beautiful fern. Shade and moist soil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiantum_aleuticum
A similar fern is Adiantum pedatum. But that one is native to the Eastern US.

Miner’s Lettuce , Elegant Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) The more beautiful of the miner’s lettuce we can grow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claytonia_perfoliata

Native Mint (Mentha arvensis). One of the few native mints. Likes sun to part shade and moist soil. Has red stems when grown in more sun. This is our beautifully fragrant native wild mint, a plant that naturally occurs in ever-damp soils, such as mountain streambanks, poorly drained meadows, and even around coastal wetlands.

This mint spreads by underground rhizomes, but not aggressively like its exotic relatives, never becoming a weedy menace. The long-lasting nectar-rich flowers, make it a great little bee plant, and the strong/sweet smell of the foliage make it a neat addition to herb gardens.  https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/mentha-arvensis

Pacific Oak Fern (Gymnocarpium disjunctum) shady, moist woods, streambanks and wet cliffs. Stays small. http://nativeplantspnw.com/pacific-oak-fern-gymnocarpium-disjunctum/

Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa) (Pain relief medicinal) Wonderful groundcover for shady areas. Can bloom all summer if kept moist. Or will die back and return in the spring if dry. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicentra_formosa

Piggy-back Plant (Tolmiea menziesii). Can be grown as a house plant. https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Tolmiea%20menziesii

Pink Fawn Lily (Erythronium revolutum) https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Erythronium%20revolutum

Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana) 2 to 6 inches tall. Dry or moist part or full shade. Both white and pink-flowered varieties. Grows surprisingly well under evergreen trees, especially cedar trees. Lovely solid groundcover for shade. Edible leaves and flowers – great for salads. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis_oregana

Scouler's Corydalis (Corydalis scouleri) Foliage like our native bleeding heart, but taller, the light pink flowers are more like long skinny snapdragons with long spurs pointing upward held on a flower spike. Part shade. https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/corydalis-scouleri

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris).  If you love bumblebees, you’ll love self-heal.  Sun or part shade, a groundcover you can walk on, wet or dry soil. https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/prunella-vulgaris  https://sparrowhawknativeplants.com/products/common-self-heal

Silverweed (Potentilla anserina is correct Latin name.) Groundcover that likes moist areas and sun. The roots were used as food by nearly all of the coastal Native American tribes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_pacifica

Small-Flowered Alumroot (Heuchera micrantha) This ornamental perennial is perfect for the shade garden. It has leaves that persist all year. When blooming, the tiny white flowers form a mist of flowers that brighten any woodland garden. https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/heuchera-micrantha

Smith’s Fairy Bells (Prosartes smithii, aka Disporum smithii) Late in summer large conspicuous bright orange-red berries dangle from the tips. 1 ft tall, part shade, drought tolerant once established. https://www.greatplantpicks.org/plantlists/view/538

Spreading Wood Fern (Dryopteris expansa). To 3 ft. Grows in moist forests, streambanks, easy to grow.  https://nativeplantspnw.com/spreading-wood-fern-dryopteris-expansa/

Starflower  (Lysimachia latifolia , formerly Trientalis borealis) Delicate forest perennial 4 to 6 inches tall. Flowers  April to July. Both the leaves and the flowers are star-shaped, which adds to its charm.  Drought tolerant once established. Partial shade.

https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Lysimachia%20latifolia

Star-flowered Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum stellatum) Mostly sunny to full shade. 8-24 inches tall. https://www.wnps.org/native-plant-directory/162:maianthemum-stellatum

Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) 2 ft to 5ft tall. Classic Pacific Northwest fern. Moist sun to dry shade. Holds slopes. Evergreen. What’s not to like? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystichum_munitum

Trillium albidum ssp. Parviflorum. Synonyms: Trillium chloropetalum, Trillium parviflorum, Small-flowered Trillium. Rare. Part to full shade. Spring ephemeral (comes up early, dies down by mid summer)  https://garden.org/plants/view/206497/Smallflower-Wakerobin-Trillium-albidum-subsp-parviflorum/

Vanilla Leaf (Achlys triphylla) Around 8 inches tall, its dried leaves smell like vanilla. Vanilla Leaf prefers shaded, moist sites with high soil organic matter. Once established it is considered drought tolerant. Can form dense ground cover in a shady garden. https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Achlys%20triphylla

Viola adunca - Early Blue Violet. Pale to deep violet flowers with a white patch, purple veins at the base of lower 3 petals. Sun to shade. Fragrant. Edible. Great for pollinators. Moist to dry soil. https://sparrowhawknativeplants.com/products/early-blue-violet

Viola palustris – Marsh or Blue Runner Violet. Forms runners to next plants. Flowers lilac to white. Likes cold damp areas in understory. https://woodbrooknativeplantnursery.com/plant/viola-palustris/

Western Columbine (Aquilegia Formosa) Stunning red and yellow flowers, favored of hummingbirds. It grows in sun to shade, rocky to woodland, moist to dry.

https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Aquilegia%20formosa

Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum) Height: Around 12 inches. Sun: shade to partly shaded. Moisture: moist woodland gardens, or even just moist (but well drained) areas on the north or east side of houses. Soil:  rich in organic matter and slightly acidic (pH 5.0 to 6.5). Often dies down in mid summer, unless it is given extra water. https://realgardensgrownatives.com/?p=2735

Wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) This evergreen native groundcover (around 4-6 inches tall) with lovely heart-shaped leaves loves shade, and spreads via rhizomes to make a solid carpet of loveliness.  https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/asarum-caudatum

Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca ).   Grows in partly shaded woods. Edible berries. 2-4 inches tall. Drought tolerant once established. https://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/fragaria-vesca

Yellow Glacier Lily (Erythronium grandiflorum) Incredibly beautiful, early spring bloomer, then it dies down until next year. Deer might eat the flowers. Part or full sun. https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Erythronium%20grandiflorum

Yellow Stream Violet (Viola glabella) Early spring bloomer, bright yellow flowers. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and can grow in part shade. Dies down in summer, and returns the following spring.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_glabella