Speckled aspidistra does poorly in my area.

We can grow hellebore like crazy...
Also try epimediums, and spiderworts. Talinum patens.
Did someone mention ebony spleenwort?

How dry is it in Kingwood? and how shady are you talking about?
Ok... checked your averages, looks similar to my area... you should be able to grow anything I can...

stone said:Speckled aspidistra does poorly in my area.

We can grow hellebore like crazy...
Also try epimediums, and spiderworts. Talinum patens.
Did someone mention ebony spleenwort?

How dry is it in Kingwood? and how shady are you talking about?
Ok... checked your averages, looks similar to my area... you should be able to grow anything I can...

We are a northern suburb of Houston, with long hot and tropical summers and generally short, mild winters with a freeze here and there. I will check into your plants mentioned. The area I need help with is surrounded by mature trees. No matter how much water it gets in that area, the trees take it up, ALL of it. Any plants suffer, except for the Cast Iron Plant/aspidistra. P;us because of the trees very little light makes it into the area. Where are you located? I am Zone 9a. ETA: We have Spiderwort that volunteered on the side yard where it grows in full sun.

ShadyGreenThumb said:

We are a northern suburb of Houston, with long hot and tropical summers and generally short, mild winters with a freeze here and there. I will check into your plants mentioned. The area I need help with is surrounded by mature trees. No matter how much water it gets in that area, the trees take it up, ALL of it. Any plants suffer, except for the Cast Iron Plant/aspidistra. P;us because of the trees very little light makes it into the area. Where are you located? I am Zone 9a.

You're in Huston? You have my sympathies...
I can't remember what the soil is like there... seems like I remember it being sandy... which can be tough...

I'm in the sand hills near Macon GA
Zone 8a...

Maybe you'd care to visit my garden?
Here's a christmas post from 2011

My shade plants are featured in the winter months...

Fair warning, the hellebore leaves will be laying flat on the ground in the hot dry summer months... and recover when the rains come...
My garden plants have permission to die... I'm not watering nething except food, and often, not even that.
We had drought when yall were under that heat dome... misery loves company, right?

Stone, Love your helleboras are lovely! Unfortunately they require too much soil moisture for the problem I am having. The others on your list, I did look up. They are either for sun or not for my dry area. Thanks, though I love living here, btw.

Stone, looked at your link and noticed the cat. Love the name Homminy. Is that the same cat
in your Avatar? What on earth has it got in it's mouth? Or do I not want to know.

I see you are a new member, here but obviously an old hand at gardening. I have dry arid clay soil and snow in winter.
Intense heat in summer and a drought going on. And I have heavy shade with some dappled areas but little/no sun.

Shade like Sun comes in many varieties, but we can all learn from one another.

Stone

Thanks for the 'damdina.' Have three along the inside back fence that have been dug out three times and are bigger than ever.

ShadyGreenThumb said:Stone, Love your helleboras are lovely! Unfortunately they require too much soil moisture for the problem I am having. The others on your list, I did look up. They are either for sun or not for my dry area. Thanks, though I love living here, btw.

If you have clay, you should actually have good luck with these plants... You get as much rain as we do.

Just add lots of soil amendments.

I have a garden where I had to use a soil detector to plant...

Hellebore and most other shade plants like a lot of mulch.
Do you have a source of free woodchips?
http://www.stonethegardener.co...

CDsSister said:
Stone, looked at your link and noticed the cat. Love the name Homminy. Is that the same cat
in your Avatar? What on earth has it got in it's mouth?

Homminey was a siamese cat. She wanted to teach the world to sing...
with a New England accent.

My avatar cat is a "high tortie". She's carrying a grasshopper.

Thnx 4asking...

Bless her little bug eating heart. She is precious.

too! Cute little "weed hopper"

How about Tri-color pelargonium. Its foilage has nice shape and color, though will bloom nicely and foliage will get more colorful in sun. But it will still thrive in shade.

I got excited because the foliage is so pretty and bright! And then I found out it blooms! Alas, this quote from Dave's Garden says it is not at all drought tolerant:
"Other details:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings"

So far it is drought and heat tolerant in my area and our temps soar to 100F+ at times. Of course, if I know ahead of time it will go up that much, I give it a little more watering, but otherwise, it can be drought tolerant. And I think the shade that it gets helps it endure our temps.

Thanks, Tarev! I will give it a try. I love that the leaves look like a geranium. And they come in red, too? We do have success when we adjust to our heat using our shade.

How about a variegated Schefflera, this one thrives well in shade or in sun and is also drought tolerant.



Or even the other schefflera that is all green, it will also work. But I like the variegated one, has more color.

Seeing your shady area, makes me want to plant orchids mounted on the tree trunks..or even hoyas.

Orchids on trees would keep the focus upward and then no one will see that I have nothing planted there! Tarev, you're a genius! It is time to trim back my schleffera. I might see if they root down there. The trees are pretty tall, it would be nice to have some green at eye level again.

Hey if it works awesome!