Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Thursday - May 11, 2006

From: Milwaukee, WI
Region: Midwest
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Native flowers and ground cover for damp, shady area in Wisconsin
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I would like to plant some flowers and ground cover in the front of my yard near my home. This spot is usually damp and nearly always shaded. Any suggestions? Also I'm looking for blue flowering plants. Any suggestions? I currently reside in Wisconsin.

ANSWER:

Here are a few suggestions for plants for that will grow in moist soil and shade in your area and are commercially available:

Yellow marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris)
Closed bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii Griseb.)
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Jacob's ladder (Polemonium occidentale)

I am not sure whether you are looking for blue flowers for the wet shaded area, or whether your blue flowers are for a different area with sun and drier soil. The Jacob's ladder above has flowers that are blue, and the following list contains blue flowers that require sun. Some prefer dry soil and some prefer wet. You can check out the Growing Conditions for each plant from the menu at the top of each page.

Great blue flag (Iris virginica)
Narrow-leaf blue-eyed- grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)
Sky-blue american aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)
Blue larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum)

You can find more plants that fit your criteria by searching in the Native Plants Database. Choose Combination Search from the menu near the bottom of the page to select different criteria (e.g., Bloom Characteristics, Growing Conditions, etc.) for locating your plants. You can find sources for native plants in your area when you visit our National Suppliers Directory.
 

More Shade Tolerant Questions

Shade tolerant low shrub for Houston
September 28, 2013 - Please suggest a shade loving shrub that doesn't get more than 3' tall for a foundation planting along a front porch in Houston, TX. I prefer native, drought resistant if possible. No nursery person...
view the full question and answer

Native plants for area shaded by crabapple in Philadelphia
September 19, 2008 - Can you recommend native plants about 4' tall to plant under a crabapple in the corner of a yard in front of a fence? Thank you.
view the full question and answer

Plants to grow in shady sand in Florida
March 31, 2013 - We live in central Florida (directly between Orlando and Tampa). Our yard is mostly sand for soil and difficult parts in shade almost all day from large trees. What ground cover (grass) and hedges can...
view the full question and answer

Native shade plants around fountain in California
March 18, 2009 - Hi, we just put a fountain in our front yard. It is in a mostly shady area. I need to know what plants would go best around the fountain and survive in the shade.
view the full question and answer

Privacy screening from Phoenix AZ
April 14, 2013 - I live in the center of Phoenix, Az. On the eastern side of my house we have some 2 story condos next door. The width of the side yard is about 12'-15' and it gets lots of shade. I also have my powe...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.