Half Shade Perennials

Clematis x 'Stand By Me' - BUSH CLEMATIS 'STAND BY ME' (non-climbing)

Non-climbing clematis, that still needs upright support to lean against. Hybrid of North American and European species of non-climbing clematis. Nodding bell-shaped, widely open blue flowers in late spring/early summer, followed by cream thread-like...

Tanacetum coccineum 'Robinson Pink' (Chrysanthemum) - PAINTED DAISY 'ROBINSON PINK'

Old-fashioned cut flower, shorter-lived perennial for drained soils.  Finely divided aromatic basal leaves repel insects (and deer). Wiry stems with bigger daisy flowers (soft pink with large yellow center). Non-aggressive plant, well behaved plant...

Aster novae-angliae 'Vibrant Dome' (SYMPHYOTRICHUM) - NEW ENGLAND ASTER 'VIBRANT DOME DOME'

Sport of 'Purple Dome' = short, compact and dense aster with vibrant hot pink flowers from summer to mid fall. Vigorous cultivar, forms wider clumps, dark green leaves. Pollinator and bird friendly.   Size : 18-20" tall x 24-30" wide clumps...

Athyrium hybrid 'Ghost' - FERN 'GHOST'

Hybrid of native Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina) and Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum'). It inherited the upright habit and better drought tolerance from the native fern and silvery leaves with maroon midribs from the Asian parent...

Polygonatum 'Ruby Slippers' - SOLOMON'S SEAL 'RUBY SLIPPERS'

Solomon's Seal with red stems from the base to the tips and white drooping flowers. Slow to grow, but long-lived perennial. Good plant for the sun/shade transition part of your garden. Tolerates drier shade. Good companion to Hosta. Poisonous if ingested...

Campanula punctata 'Cherry Bells' - SPOTTED BELLFLOWER 'CHERRY BELLS'

Vigorous, fast growing and spreading wide. Large 2" tubular flowers. Doesn't perform well in hotter climates, where temperatures don't drop under 70 degrees of Fahrenheit. It's recommended to cut it back after the flowering is finished, because the plant...

Carex muskingumensis 'Little Midge' - PALM SEDGE 'LITTLE MIDGE' (dwarf & unique)

Miniature version of native Palm Sedge that organizes it's leaves in unusual geometric pattern (visible from the above, reminding of green honeycombs). Very adaptable to soil and light conditions. Top performer in Mt. Cuba Carex trials, where it gained...

Viola striata - STRIPED CREAM VIOLET

Ground-covering native Viola for naturalization in partial shade or shade. Beautiful small plant, not fussy about soils, tolerant to drier shade. Can become aggressive seeder or spreader, so the best use is in more natural areas. Great wildlife support...

Salvia nemorosa 'Perfect Profusion' - PERENNIAL SALVIA 'PERFECT PROFUSION'

Perfect round shape, sheer density of smaller icy blue flowers. Consistent rebloomer, if cut back! Nearly neutral color goes well with any other color. Vigorous, fast growing and long-lived perennial. Blooming time : blooms in late spring/early summer...

Heuchera 'Midnight Rose' - CORAL BELLS 'MIDNIGHT ROSE'

Coral bell with unique shiny dark purple to almost black leaves and pink speckles that enlarge a bit with season and gain some pink-cream hue. Vigorous and healthy variety. It's recommended to divide every 3-4 years to encourage strong growth. Blooming...

Sedum telephium 'Back in Black' (Hylotelephium) - TALL STONECROP 'BACK IN BLACK'

'Back in Black' is robust sedum with nearly black leaves and creamy pink-red flowers. Flowering time: late summer to early fall - August/September Size: 20-24" tall x 26-30" wide clumps USDA zones: 3 to 9 Culture: full sun, half sun, half shade. ...

Erigeron pulchellus 'Lynnhaven Carpet' - ROBIN'S PLANTAIN 'LYNNHAVEN CARPET'

Underused smaller native groundcover. Selection with bigger and slightly more fuzzy leaves (4") and good adaptability to different site conditions. Blooming time:  flowers in May to June, each flower is about 1" in diameter. Flowering stems die...