Re: Ground cover for Dry Shade (open shade)

 I do not know how much shade you have-but if its open shade another group of 
plants I like is the Antennaria's: since I am working on the description  for 
them right now-I will post what I have: hopeful not to many people will mind.
 I really enjoy them planted in an open woodland setting. 


Antennaria carpatica - This is a none spreading species with soft-white 
almost yellow flowers on 3-4 inch stems. 

Antennaria dioica - "Pussy Toes" or "Cats foot" or "Mountain Everlasting" 
(an-TEN-an-ree: dee-O-eeka) The genus name 
is a reference to the male flowers which have hairs that look like moth 
antennae.  This plant is an open grass land plant that 
grows close to the ground with leaves no higher than 1 inch, but in mid to 
late spring 2 to 6 inch tall stems rise from the center 
of the foliage bearing white to light pink flowers clustered together in the 
shape of a cats paw. Use in full sun or light shade. I 
like them mixed in with other spring bloomers like Violas and Shooting Stars. 
 The foliage is evergreen; persisting threw the 
winter as a carpet of softly hairy, green leaves with woolly white 
undersides.  Spreading stems creep upon the ground, rooting 
here and there, thus forming thick clusters of plants.  A good plant for the 
rock garden or front of the boarder. Likes well 
drained soil and is drought tolerant.  Zones 4-7. This species is native from 
the arctic regions and alpine regions of the Northern 
Hemisphere. Almost all the species in Antennaria are dioecious- which means 
that there are male and female plants. The term 
for plants that have both male and female flowers is Monoecious (Many trees 
including birch) , and for plants that have flowers 
that have both male and female parts they are called perfect (Daylily).  More 
Pictures/information: one, two, three, four, five, six, 
seven
There are a number of cultivated forms including:
var. minima - This type forms very tight clumps of small leaves and very 
short flowering stems, reaching a height of only one 
inch.
'Nyewoods' - Low growing, compact plants with deep pink flowers.
'Rosea' - With rose-pink flowers.
'Rotes Wunder' - A bright rose colored selection.
'Rubra' - A bright rose-red colored selection.
var. tomentosa - Has off white flower heads over whoolly white leaves, three 
inches tall.

Antennaria howellii - This species has very hairy-wooly gray foliage and 
white flowers on 15-20 inch tall stems.

Antennaria magellanica - White to pink flowers over woolly foliage on 4 inch 
tall stems.

Antennaria neglecta - Diffrent shades of pink flowers with a few white plants 
too - Flowers reach 3 inches in height. This 
species native from Much of the northern part of north America. There are a 
number of diffrent spp. The one I like is Var. 
gaspensis: With small coarse flowers gray-white flowers with cinnamon colored 
styles over very small plants.  Interesting in a 
rock garden as a novelty, blooming in mid summer.

Antennaria x hybrids - There are number of diffrent hybrids raised from seeds 
available. They come in diffrent shades of red, 
pint white. they have attractive silver to white woolly foliage and flower 
from 2-7 inches tall.  All are choice rock garden plants, 
growing best in well drained lose soils in full sun to light shade. 

Antennaria plantaginifolia - This native Eastern North American wild flower 
from open dry woods and meadows has 
silver-green hairy stems. They are Stoloniferous with long stolons that form 
lose open colonies. Of the 25 to 50 or so species in 
Antennaria this is one of the larger species with large basel leaves.  In mid 
spring tall 7 to 17 inch tall stems with large white 
flowers dangle down. The flowers truly look like a cats foot and are softly 
woolly like a cats foot too.

Antennaria rosea - "Everlasting" or "Pussy-Toes" or "Ladies Tobacco" Mat 
forming plants with stoloniferous (spreading 
stems like strawberries) stems forming small to large clumps.  Leaves and 
stems gray-tomentose (hairy) Flowers are from deep 
pink to bright white of dull white. This species is variable in flower height 
from 3 to 16 inches tall.  blooms from May into 
August.  Native from dry open places in meadows and open woodlands on dry 
soils in Ontario to Michigan and Minnesota.

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