Native Shade Perennial Plant List

Native plants occur naturally and adapt over millennia to live successfully in a particular areas’ soil and climatic conditions. Once established, they can be better equipped than non-natives to handle stressful environmental conditions such as drought, floods and temperature extremes. They also support our region’s pollinators, birds and wildlife. Choosing plants that prefer growing conditions (habitats) that most closely match your own will help to ensure their success. We carry both local and Midwest region native species as well as cultivars of native species (nativars). Listed here are species native to Illinois and the Midwest. Please consult with a salesperson if you have specific native plant needs.

NATIVE SHADE PERENNIALS

Botanic and Common Name	HxW	Light	Description	Habitat
Actaea rubra Red Baneberry	36”x24”	Part Sun, Shade	Rose-scented white flowers in rounded clusters in late spring morph into shiny, bright red berries that last through summer. All plant parts are poisonous to people. Deer resistant.	WL
Anemone canadensis Meadow Anemone	12”x30”	Full Sun, Part Sun	Woodland groundcover. Attractive, deeply lobed foliage. Single white flowers in mid spring to early summer.	S,WL
Aquilegia canadensis Columbine	18”x12”	Part Sun, Shade	Red and yellow spurred flowers in early spring provide food for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Best in loose, well-drained soil.	S, WL
Aralia racemosa American Spikenard	60”x48”	Full Sun, Part Sun	Close relative of Wild Sarsaparilla. Big and shrubby-looking with green flower spikes in July and August followed by reddish purple berries (not edible).	WL, WW
Asarum canadense Canadian Ginger	8”x12”	Part Sun, Shade	Groundcover with 4” rounded leaves. The flowers are hidden under the foliage. Spreads by rhizomes which smell and taste like ginger. Deer resistant.	WL
Caulophyllum thalictroides Blue Cohosh	36”x24”	Shade	Interesting, grayish green leaves are divided into leaflets. Greenish yellow flowers in late spring are followed by clusters of globular bright blue berry-like seeds. Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant.	WL, WW
Chelone glabra White Turtlehead	24”x24”	Part Sun, Shade	White flowers tinged pink in late summer resemble a turtle’s head. Tolerates periods of standing water. Attracts bumblebees and is the larval host plant for the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly.	WP, WW
Eurybia macrophylla Big-leaved Aster	24”x36”	Part Sun, Shade	Large, heart-shaped leaves are conspicuous in spring then die back in summer. Pale lavender to white flowers late summer lasting 4-6 weeks. Attracts many insects. Loamy, well-drained soil.	S, WL
Fern, Christmas Polystichum acrostichoides	18”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Evergreen fern with dark green leathery fronds and silver-gray fiddleheads in spring. Prefers loose, loamy, or even rocky, slightly dry soil. Slowly spreading.	WL
Fern, Cinnamon Osmunda cinnamomea	48”x36”	Part Sun, Shade	Erect, cinnamon-brown fertile fronds resembling cinnamon sticks appear in spring. Robust medium green fronds. Sun tolerant.	WP, WW
Fern, Lady Athyrium filix-femina	24”x24”	Part Sun, Shade	Spectacular burgundy-red stems contrast against bright green lacy textured foliage.	WL
Fern, Leatherleaf Wood Dryopteris marginalis	18”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Evergreen, deep to medium green leathery fronds. Hardy and adaptable. Protect from drying winds.	WL
Fern, Maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	18”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Finely textured light bluish-green foliage on thin black stems. Somewhat tolerant of very wet conditions. Spreading habit.	WL
Fern, Ostrich Matteuccia struthiopteris	60”x36”	Shade	Tall, tough and hardy fern with large fronds resembling giant lacy ostrich feathers. Adapts well to very wet conditions. Spreading habit.	WL, WW
Fern, Royal Osmunda regalis	48”x36”	Part Sun	Large graceful fern with locust-like leaves emerge deep red and later become bright green. Semi-spreader. Sun tolerant.	S, WP
Fern, Sensitive Onoclea sensibilis	24”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Interesting, deeply lobed, wide yellow-green foliage. Adaptable to swampy or very wet conditions. Spreading habit. Sun tolerant.	S, WL, WW
Galium boreale Northern Bedstraw	24”x18”	Part Sun	Tiny white flowers rise above whorled leaves. This somewhat aggressive plant spreads by rhizomes and by seed.	MP, S, WL, WP
Hydrophyllum virginianum Virginia Waterleaf	24”x36”	Part Sun, Shade	Attractive, deeply lobed leaves are spotted with sliver. Clusters of white or light lavender flowers in late spring lasting 3-4 weeks.	S,WL
Mertensia virginica Virginia Bluebells	24”x24”	Part Sun, Shade	Ephemeral (leaves die back in summer) with pastel pink buds opening to true blue bell-shaped flowers. Forms colonies and provides protective cover for wildlife in spring.	WL, WW
Pachysandra procumbens Allegheny Spurge	8”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Midwest native groundcover spreads slowly by rhizomes to form a dense carpet. Evergreen, scalloped leaves are slightly mottled. White bottle-brush flowers in spring. Deer and drought resistant.	S, WL
Phlox divaricata Woodland Phlox	12”x12”	Part Sun, Shade	Lovely wildflower of deciduous woods with pleasantly fragrant pale blue-violet flowers in loose clusters mid spring lasting about one month.	S, WL
Podophyllum peltatum Mayapple	18”x18”	Shade	Ephemeral. Beautiful, distinctive, umbrella-like leaves. Prefers organically rich soil and can colonize strongly in favorable locations. The berries are eaten by box turtles and some mammals.	WL
Polemonium reptans Jacob’s Ladder	12”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Attractive fine-textured leaves. Bell-shaped, pale blue flowers in late spring lasting 3 weeks. Adapts well to locations with organically rich soil under deciduous trees. Can be a little floppy.	S, WL
Polygonatum biflorum Solomon’s Seal	36”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	White, bell-shaped flowers in late spring hang in pairs under the foliage and are followed by globoid, green berries that eventually turn blue-violet. Leaves persist all summer. Can form colonies.	WL
Sanguinaria canadensis Bloodroot	12”x18”	Shade	Ephemeral. Short-lived, fragrant white flowers with yellow centers emerge in early spring on stalks that arise from within the cushion of interesting, deeply lobed foliage.	WL, WW
Sedum ternatum Wild Stonecrop	6”x8”	Part Sun, Shade	Fleshy, succulent light green leaves. Starry white flowers in late spring to mid summer. Prefers part shade to shade, well-drained soil and protection from hot summer sun. Great on shady slopes.	WL
Smilacina racemosa False Solomon’s Seal	36”x36”	Part Sun, Shade	White flower panicles at the tips of the stems (instead of under leaves as with true Solomon’s Seal) in late spring lasting 3 weeks are followed by bright red berry clusters. Prefers loamy, fertile soil.	WL
Stylophlorum diphyllum Celadine Poppy	12”x18”	Part Sun	Interesting lobed foliage and bright yellow poppy-like flowers in mid spring for 3 weeks. Adapts readily to moist gardens in dappled sun. Reseeds freely.	WL
Tiarella cordifolia Foamflower	12”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Clump-former with attractive burgundy-veined leaves that resemble coral bell’s. Brushy white flowers in late spring. Spreads nicely by runners.	S, WL, WW
Trillium grandiflorum Large-flowered Trillium	12”x18”	Shade	Charismatic woodland wildflower with showy, large, 3-petaled white flowers over glossy foliage in mid-spring lasting 3 weeks. Best in rich, loose, loamy soil with dappled sun in spring, shade in summer.	WL, WW
Uvularia grandiflora Giant Merrybells	24”x18”	Part Sun, Shade	Ephemeral. Dangling pendants of elongated, bell-shaped, pale yellow flowers (under the leaves) in mid spring. The foliage resembles Solomon Seal’s. Best in rich, loose, loamy soil with dappled sun.	WL

MP = Mesic Prairie Sun. Moist soil through growing season

WP = Wet Prairie Sun. Surface water in winter and spring

S = Savanna Sun to part sun. Dry to mesic, average soil

WL = Woodland Part sun to shade. Dry to wet, rich soil

WW = Wet Woodland Shade. Dry to wet, temporary flooding, can be dry in summer

Sun = 6 hours or more direct sun

Part Sun = 4 hours direct sun

Shade = Less than 3 hours direct sun