Groundcovers for Dry Shade

Plant Name	Height (inches)	Ground Cover Description
Aegopodium podagraria variegatum Bishop's weed	10-12	Variegated, green and white foliage. Very invasive. Contain between cemented areas and deadhead flowers before they go to seed.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Kinnikinnick	4-6	Evergreen. Red, edible berries. Use beneath established evergreens or broadleaf evergreens in acid soils.
Bergenia 'Silberlicht' Elephant's ears	8-12	Evergreen. Large, rounded, leathery leaves form dense clumps. From late winter, pink to white flowers emerge on compacted spikes that gradually lengthen to about 1ft.
Campanula carpatica Carpathian harebell	6-14	Can be invasive, but tends to spread slowly. Blue or white flowers.
Convallaria majalis Lily-of-the-valley	6-10	Fragrant, white flowers in May-June. Inedible, red berries. Can be invasive.
Epimedium x versicolor Barrenwort		Superb dry shade epimedium. Pink and yellow flowers on short stems in early spring. Young leaves are marbled bronze and coppery red - turning green in summer, but colors up again in autumn.
Galium odorata Sweet woodruff	6-8	Very invasive. One of the best covers under shrubs. White, fragrant flowers in May-June.
Geranium macrorrhizum Hardy geranium	12-18	Semi-evergreen. Aromatic rounded leaves. Pink flowers in spring. Red foliage in fall.
Lamium maculatum Beaconsilver Spotted dead nettle	6-10	Heart shaped leaves-silver mottling, white, pink or purple flowers - long bloomer. For poorish soils and partial shade. Can be invasive - shallow rooted plants are easy to move.
Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' Hall's Japanese honeysuckle	6-12	Will also grow in full sun, but forms denser mats in shade. This favorite vine is also great as a groundcover. Fragrant white flowers turn buttery yellow as they age. Semi-evergreen.
Mahonia repens Creeping Oregon grape	6-12	Evergreen. Yellow flowers in spring. Holly-like foliage. Inedible purplish berries. Spreads by underground stems.
Penstemon caespitosus Creeping or mat penstemon	12-24	Very prostrate mat of tiny narrow leaves. Purplish flowers in May-June.
Penstemon strictus Rocky Mountain penstemon	24	Blue flowers in June-July. Good cut flower too. Can be used for erosion control.
Pulmonaria "Lewis Palmer" Lungwort	12-16	Light-spotted dark green leaves attractive all season. White, pink or blue flowers in spring-some open pink and turn blue.
Polygonatum multiflorum Solomon's seal	30	Stems emerge above a dense root system, reaching 1.5ft before bending to form loose arches. Waxy white, green-tipped flowers.
Tiarella cordifolia Foam flower	12-24	Woodland flower. Toothy crinkly leaves form dense mats. Foamy white flowers in spring. Stick to this unimproved version of tiarella. The others won't work in shade.
Vinca minor Periwinkle	4-6	Semi-evergreen. White or purple flowers in spring.