Shade Perennials - Pennystone

A listing of common shade perennials for slightly acidic sites, native to Pennsylvania

Common Pennsylvania shade perennials (6-7 pH)

Note: we have included soil pH ranges with this set because many species are at one margin or the other. The last column, Cty, refers to whether the plant is native to Monroe County, Pennsylvania. All plants listed are native to Pennsylvania.

Latin	Common	Indic	Notes	Cty
Actaea racemosa	Black cohosh	NI	Moist rich humus soil open shade, common. 5-6 pH	yes
Adiantum pedatum	Maidenhair fern	FAC-	Rich, moist woods, esp northern exposure, throughout; 6-7 pH	yes
Agastache scrophulariifolia	Purple Giant Hyssop	NI	Shade tolerant; this is more of a sun to part sun plant. Scattered, 5-8 pH	yes
Allium canadense	Canada garlic	FACU	Glades, bluffs, open woods, prairies, disturbed sites; common. 6.5-7.0 pH	yes
Allium tricoccum	Wild leek	FACU+	Rich open woods, common, 6-7 pH	no
Aquilegia canadensis	American columbine	FAC	Dry, rocky open woods and sun, rich or poor soil, throughout; 6-7 pH best	yes
Anemone canadensis	Canada anemone	FACW	Open woods, thickets, roadsides in many kinds of soil, aggressive spreader	no
Anemone virginiana	Thimbleweed	FACU	Dry open woods and slopes, poor acid to neutral soils. pH 5.5-7.0	yes
Arisaema dracontium	Giant Jacks	FACW	Shade, moist rich soil, common, 6-7 pH	no
Aristolochia macrophylla	Dutchman's pipe	NI	Vine; moist well drained soil, shade to part shade; scattered, 6-7 pH	no
Aruncus dioicus	Goat's-beard	FACU	Bluffs, wooded slopes, rocky and moist woodlands, ravines, western counties, 5-6 pH	no
Asarum canadense	Wild ginger	FACU	Rich, moist woods, most counties; 4.5-6 pH	yes
Asplenium platyneuron	Ebony spleenwort	FACU	Gravelly and stony soils, light shade, throughout, 5-7.5 pH	yes
Asplenium rhizophyllum	Walking fern	NI	Shaded limestone, moss-covered outcrops, throughout except NW, 6.5-7.5 pH	yes
Asplenium trichmanes	Maidenhair spleenwort	NI	Moist, shady, ledges, south and east counties, 4.5-7.5 pH	yes
Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum	Lady fern	FAC	Humus rich soil, sun to shade, throughout, 4.5 - 6.5 pH	yes
Athyrium filix-femina var. asplenioides	Southern lady fern	FAC	Humus rich soil, sun to shade, mostly S and E, 4.5-6.5 pH	yes
Caltha palustris var palustris (also var flabellifolia, more rare)	Marsh marigold	OBL	Soaking wet woods, streambanks, meadows with muddy humus rich soil, throughout, 5-7 pH	yes
Camassia scilloides	Atlantic camas	FAC	Full sun to full shade, rich moist soil, far western counties, 6-7 pH	no
Campanula rotundifolia	Harebell	FACU	Dry rocky woods, mostly eastern counties, 6-7 pH	yes
Cardamine concatenata	Cutleaf toothwort	FACU	Dappled sunlight before the trees leaf out; it prefers moist to mesic conditions and a rich loamy soil with decaying leaves, common; 5-7.5 pH	no
Cardamine diphylla	Two Leave toothwort	FACU	Mostly north and west counties, moist woods, 6.5 to 7.5 pH	no
Cardamine douglassii	Douglass bittercress	FACW+	Low or swampy woodlands, mostly western counties, 6.5 - 7.5 pH	no
Caulophyllum thalictroides	Blue cohosh	NI	Shade, humus rich soil, common, 4.5-7 pH	yes
Chamaelirium luteum	Fairywand, devils bit	FAC	Wet open woods, humus rich soil, common, 5-6 pH	yes
Chrysopsis mariana	Maryland Golden Aster	UPL	Dry sandy woods, mostly SE, 5-7 pH	no
Claytonia virginica	Spring Beauty	FAC	Moist open woods, throughout, 5-6 pH	yes
Clematis occidentalis (verticillaris)	Rock clematis	NI	Climbing vine, cool, humus-rich soil, mostly SE, 6-7 pH	yes
Clintonia umbellulata	Speckled beadlily	NI	Moist rich humus soil, western counties, 5-6 pH	no
Collinsia verna	Blue eyed mary	FAC-	Dappled sunlight to light shade, moist to mesic conditions, and a rich loamy soil, SW counties, 6-7 pH	no
Collinsonia canadensis	Citronella horsebalm	FAC+	Rich woodlands, ravines and wooded slopes, often in limestone soils, throughout, 6-7 pH	yes
Corallorhiza maculata	spotted coral root	FACU	moist woods, throughout, 6-6.5 pH	yes
Corallorhiza striata	hooded coralroot	UPL	cool woods and around swamp margins, western US, 6-7 pH	no
Corydalis aurea	Golden corydalis	NI	Sandy loam to clay, central counties, 6-7 pH	no
Cymophyllus fraseri	Fraser's sedge	NI	Light shade, moist rich soil, found only Somerset County	no
Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens	Large yellow ladyslipper	FAC+	Common in moist, rich deciduous woods, bogs, swamps, 6.5-7 pH	yes
Cypripedium candidum	Small white ladyslipper	OBL	Humus-rich to mucky soils, extirpated; Lancaster Cty, 6.5-7 pH	no
Cypripedium reginae	Showy ladyslipper	FACW	Moist, humus-rich soil open shade; threatened; scattered, 5-7 pH	no
Cystopteris bulbifera	Berry bladderfern	FAC	Shaded limestone-rich cliffs and outcrops, common, 6.5-7.5 pH	yes
Cystopteris fragilis	Brittle bladderfern	FACU	Humus rich moist soil, tending to higher pH; common, 6.5 to 7.5 pH	no
Delphinium tricorne	Dwarf larkspur	NI	Open shade to shade moist; SW counties, 5-7 pH	no
Deparia acrostichoides	Silvery glade fern	FAC	Rich, moist woods, throughout, 5.5-7 pH	yes
Dicentra canadensis	Squirrel corn	NI	Sandy loam, moderate moisture, common, 6-7 pH	yes
Dicentra cucullaria	Dutchman's breeches	NI	Sandy loam, moderate moisture, common, 6-7 pH	no
Dicentra eximia	Fringed bleedingheart	NI	Rich, damp woods, mulch oak; very scattered, endangered, 4.5 to 5.5 pH	yes
Disporum lanuginosum	Hairy fairybells, Yellow mandarin	NI	Moist humus-rich soil, mostly western counties, 5-6 pH	no
Dodecatheon meadia	Shooting star	FACU	Open woods moderately rich soil, south central counties, 4.5-6 pH	no
Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata	Flat-top aster	FACW	Moist open woods, thickets and fields, throughout, 5-6 pH	yes
Dryopteris goldiana	Goldie's woodfern	FAC+	Deep, moist, humus rich woods, common; 6.5 -7 pH	yes
Dryopteris intermedia	Common woodfern	FACU	Moist shady rocky woods, humus rich, throughout; 4.5-7.5 pH	yes
Elephantopus carolinianus	Elephants foot	FAC	Sun to part shade, moist, SE counties, endangered; 5-7 pH	no
Epilobium angustifolium	FIreweed	FAC	Sun (quickly invades burned out forests); 6-7 pH	yes
Erigenia bulbosa	Harbinger of spring	NI	Rich shaded woods, at or near the base of slopes, alluvial soils along streams and in valleys, alluvial thickets, at the base of rocky bluffs, scattered in western counties; 6.5-7 pH	no
Erythronium albidum	White fawnlily	FACU	Low woods, wooded slopes, ravines, mostly S and W, pH 5-6	no
Erythronium americanum	Trout lily	NI	Shade to part shade moist, throughout, pH 5-6	yes
Eupatorium rugosum	White snakeroot	NI	Rich, rocky woods, base of wooded bluffs, rock outcrops, thickets (poisonous, contains barium sulfate), throughout; 6-7 pH	yes
Euphorbia corollata	Wild spurge	NI	All but northern counties in Prairies, pastures, open woods, glades, roadsides, railroads, 6-7.7 pH	no
Eurybia divaricata	White wood aster	NI	Moist open woods, throughout, 5-7 pH	yes
Eurybia divaricata	White wood aster	NI	Shade to part shade dry-moist, throughout, 5-7 pH	yes
Eurybia macrophylla	Aster, Big leaved	NI	Shade to part shade moist, throughout, 6-7 pH	yes
Eurybia spectabilis	Showy aster	NI	Dry sandy woods and clearings, SE counties, 6-7 pH	no
Galearis spectabilis	Showy orchid	NI	Rich moist woods in leafmold, common; 5.6 -6.5 pH	yes
Galium boreale	northern bedstraw	FACU	Streambanks, open woods, rocky, moist rich soil, common, 6-7.5 pH	no
Galium odoratum	Sweet woodruff	NI	Average, medium wet to wet, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade; four southern counties; 5-6 pH	no
Geranium maculatum	Wild geranium	FACU	Rich open woods, damp shaded roadsides, throughout; 4-5 pH	yes
Geranium robertianum	Herbrobert geranium	NI	Rich open woods, semishaded hillsides, mostly NE, 6-7 pH	yes
Helianthus divaricatus	Woodland Sunflower	NI	Dry woods and thickets, throughout; 5-7 pH	yes
Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa	Roundlobe hepatica	NI	Dry rocky slopes, humus rich acid soil, throughout; 4.5 to 6 pH	yes
Heuchera americana	American alumroot	NI	Well-drained humus rich soil in dry rocky woods and banks, southern, western, eastern counties, 5-6 pH	yes
Hydrastis canadensis	Goldenseal	NI	Moist humus rich north slope soil, mostly southern and western counties; 6-7 pH	no
Hydrophyllum appendiculatum	Waterleaf	NI	Moist rich woods, slopes, base of bluffs, thickets, wooded valleys; SW counties, 7 pH preferred	no
Hydrophyllum virginianum	Virginia waterleaf	FAC	Moist rich woods, throughout, 6-7 pH	yes
Jeffersonia diphylla	Twinleaf	NI	Rich damp open woods, SW, SE counties, 4.5-7 pH	no
Linum virginianum	Woodland flax	FACU	Cool, shaded spots in open woods and clearings; common; 6-7 pH	yes
Luzula bulbosa	Woodrush	FACU	Dry upland forests, mesic upland forests in ravines, upland prairies, NW, SE; 4.5-6.5 pH	no
Luzula echinata	Common woodrush	FACU	Dry, open to semi-open situations, often in sandy, acid soil: open oak woods, clearings, and fields, throughout; 4.5-6.5 pH	yes
Matteuccia struthiopteris	Ostrich fern, see Pteretis nodulosa, Matteuccia pensylvanica;	FACW	Light shade to sun, rich humus on rocky stream banks, forming extensive colonies. 5.0 to 7.5 pH	yes
Meehania cordata	Meehan Mint	NI	Moist open woods, SW counties, 6-7 pH	no
Mertensia virginica	Virginia Bluebells	FACW	Moist rich woods, bottoms, low slopes, somewhat common; 6-7 pH	no
Mitella diphylla	Bishops cap, Mitrewort	FACU	Cool shaded wet spot with rich soil in open woods and stream banks, throughout; 5-7 pH but prefers 6 pH	yes
Monarda didyma	Beebalm	FAC+	Rich moist soils, full sun to light shade, all but central counties; 5.5-6.5 pH	yes
Onoclea sensibilis	Sensitive fern	FACW	Muddy soil in wet meadows, thickets, woods, streambanks, swamps and bogs, 4.5 to 7.5 pH	yes
Oxalis violacea	Woodsorrel	NI	open woods, stream banks, S and E; 6 - 6.5 pH	yes
Pachysandra procumbens	Allegheny Spurge	B	Well drained humus in sun to (preferably) light shade, SE counties, 5-6.5 pH	no
Panax quinquefolius	American ginseng	NI	Humus-rich soil, preferably oak leafmold, wooded slopes, moist ground, scattered; 4.5 to 6 pH	yes
Panax trifolius	Dwarf ginseng	NI	Moist woods and thickets, throughout, 5.6 to 7.5 pH	yes
Pedicularis canadensis	Forest lousewort; Wood bettany	FACU	Open dry woods and grasslands, throughout, 5.5 to 7 pH, attracts rabbits	yes
Pellaea atropurpurea	Purple cliffbrake	NI	Partial shade to full sun. Crevices of limestone and dolomite outcrops, bluffs, boulders, and sinkholes. Sometimes in dry soils adjacent to dolomite glades, mostly toward SE; 6.5 to 7.5 pH	yes
Phlox divaricata ssp. divaricata	Woodland phlox	FACU	Lighltly shaded, humus rich soil in open woods in all but NE counties, 6-7 pH	no
Phlox divaricata ssp. laphamii	Woodland phlox	FACU	Lighltly shaded, humus rich soil in open woods in NE counties, 6-7 pH	yes
Phlox stolonifera	Creeping Phlox	NI	Partial shade and moist soil that is rich in organic matter, mostly western counties, 5-6 pH	no
Podophyllum peltatum	Mayapple	NI	Damp open maple woods and clearings, throughout, 4-7 pH but prefers slightly acidic	yes
Polemonium reptans	Jacobs ladder	FACU	Rich low woods, thickets at the base of bluffs, moist ground near streams, common, 6-7 pH	no
Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum	great solomons seal	FACU	moist shady woodlands and thickets, stream banks, bottomlands, 4.0 to 7.5 pH, but does best in 5.0 to 6.5 pH	yes
Polygonatum pubescens	solomons seal	NI	prefers a fertile humus rich moisture-retentive well-drained soil in cool shade or semi-shade, throughout; 4.0 to 7.5 pH, but does best in 5.0 to 6.5 pH	yes
Polystichum acrostichoides	Christmas fern	NI	organically rich, dry to medium wet, well-drained soils, throughout, 4.5 to 7 pH	yes
Polystichum braunii	Braun hollyfern	NI	Cool, moist, shaded places in boreal forests and northern deciduous woods; also rocky slopes and moist cliffs; endangered, 4 NE counties; 6 -7.5 pH	no
Rudbeckia laciniata	Cutleaf coneflower	FACW	Moist woods and thickets, throughout; 5-7 pH	yes
Ruellia strepens	Limestone hardy petunia	FAC	Partial to full shade moist; threatened; southern counties, 5.6 to 8.5 pH	no
Sanguinaria canadensis	Bloodroot	UPL:	Open woods, rich moist soil , throughout, 6-7 pH	yes
Sedum ternatum	Stonecrop	NI	central and southern counties, 5-6 pH	yes
Silene stellata	Starry campion	NI	rich soil, open woods, all but northernmost counties, 5-6 pH	yes
Silene virginica	Firepink	NI	rich soil, open woods, western counties, 5-7 pH	no
Silphium trifoliatum var. trifoliatum	Whorled rosinweed	NI	S and W Counties, moist woods, 6-7 pH	no
Smilacina racemosa	Solomons plume, false solomons seal	NI	rich moist deep humus soil, throughout, 5-6 pH	yes
Solidago caesia	wreath goldenrod	FACU	dry woods, thickets, clearings, 5-6 pH	yes
Solidago odora	fragrant goldenrod	NI	dry soil light shade, mostly eastern counties, 5-6 pH	yes
Solidago speciosa	noble goldenrod	NI	average, dry to medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates poor, dry soils, scattered, 5-6 pH	yes
Stylophorum diphyllum	celandine poppy	NI	rich moist, partial to full shade, esp streambanks and ravines, Butler and Chester counties, 6-7 pH	no
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum	Calico aster	FACW-	Open woods and thickets no special care, 4-6 pH	yes
Symplocarpus foetidus	skunk cabbage	OBL	mucky soils, bogs, wet banks, wet woods, swamps, throughout, 5-7 pH	yes
Thalictrum dioicum	Early meadow rue	FAC	throughout in rich, dry woodlands, esp. north-facing slopes, 5-6 pH	yes
Thalictrum thalictroides	rue anemone	FACU-	rich moist humus soil, throughout except for most northern counties, 4-6 pH	yes
Thelypteris palustris	Marshfern	FACW+	Soft, rich, muddy soil, full sun okay, throughout; 4.5 - 6.5 pH	yes
Tiarella cordifolia	foamflower	FAC-	rich moist woods (wet=fatal, should not dry out), throughout; 5-7 pH	yes
Tradescantia virginiana	spiderlily	FACU	Humus-rich soil in shaded spots, sesic to dry upland forests, shaded ledges of bluffs, open rocky woods, glade edges, railroads; scattered, mostly S, 6-7 pH	no
Trautvetteria caroliniensis	Tassel rue	FACW-	SW counties, moist soils, rare, North-facing limestone bluffs, 5.5-6.5 pH	no
Tricyrtis hirta	Toad lily	NI	Average, medium wet to wet, well-drained soil in part to full shade. Prefers moist, humusy, slightly acidic soils in part shade. Soil must not be allowed to dry out. - Montomery Cty, 5.5-6.5 pH. Native of Japan?	no
Trillium erectum	Red Trillium, Wake Robin (Maroon)	FACU-	Part shade moist, throughout; see also var Album; 4.5 to 6 pH with optimum of 5.0 pH	yes
Trillium grandiflorum	White or snow trillium	NI	Moist humus rich soil in open woods and thickets, mostly western counties, 6 to 7 pH with an optimum of 6 pH	no
Trillium nivale	Dwarf trillium	NI	Mesic upland forests on steep, open, north-facing slopes above streams and rivers - on limestone and chert substrates, SW counties; 7 pH	no
Triphora trianthophora	Drooping pogonia	UPL	Humus rich loam, deciduous woods, SE counties; optimum 6-7 pH	no
Uvularia grandiflora	Big merrybells	NI	Rich woods in limestone soil, northern and western counties, 6-7 pH	no
Uvularia perfoliata	Bellwort	FACU	Throughout in moist woods, 5-6 pH	yes
Uvularia sessilifolia	little merrybells	FACU-	Moist sandy to clay loam, throughout, 5-6 pH	yes
Viola canadensis	Canada violet	NI	Moist humus, shade to light shade, all but SE counties, 5 to 6.5 pH	yes
Viola labradorica	American Dog Violet	FACW	Shade to light shade, moist soils, throughout 5-6.5 pH	yes
viola rostrata	Long spur violet		Shade to part shade moist soil, 7-8 pH
Viola sororia freckles	Freckled Violet		Part shade to part sun, moist, 7-8 pH	no
Waldsteinia fragarioides	Barren strawberry	NI	Cool, humus-rich rocky woods and slopes, common, 5-6 pH	yes
Woodsia obtusa	common woodsia	NI	Well drained humus on shaded cliffs and rocky slopes, especially in limy or neutral soil; all but NW counties, 6-7.5 pH	yes