re: plants for dry shade

"Dry shade" is a relative term, with the many climates on the US west
coast alone.  But since I'm forced to garden on heavy clay under a silver
maple, my experience may generalize a bit.

Mainstays in the Willamette Valley are hellebores: mostly orientalis
hybrids and the stemmed group, especially the handsome H. x sternii.

Several rhizomatous geraniums [eg, macrocarpum] and Euphorbias [eg,
robbii] that are thugs in good soil, with irrigation, are stayput and
attractive in competition with tree roots.

One of the best ground-covers I've found is a west coast native, Phacelia
bolanderi, which stays low and blooms [though not overpoweringly] all
through the season.  It just made it through 10-degree [F] conditions this
winter.

Algerian iris [I.unguicularis] has been attractive as well. It needs
summer sun, but does well in partial shade and dry soil in the summer.

loren russell, corvallis oregon
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