Plants that grow well in the shade tend to flower in the spring or the fall. When planting a shade garden you need to be aware of this and plan for it. In nature you find grasses and ferns in shady areas. Grasses provide cover for insects and small animals.  Northern Sea Oats is a great plant to use in the shade. This unusual  grass is a larval host for Pepper and salt skipper butterfly, Bells road side skipper butterfly, and the Bronzed roadside skipper butterfly. The seeds are eaten by birds. This grass provides lost of interesting foliage, seed heads and color. Adding grasses to your native garden makes them look natural.


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I spend a lot of time pulling Vinca minor aka myrtle, periwinkle. People commonly use it in their gardens. It is an evergreen ground cover with pretty blue flowers. The problem is it easily escapes into the wild by growing out of bounds. I've seen woodlands that have huge patches of it. Vinca is difficult to remove. Please, if you must use it, make sure it stays in the bed it was planted in. If you cut it back or pull some out do not discard it into a wooded area. Make sure the cuttings or plants are dead before discarding.