I Need Some Z6 shade loving ideas..

[planter]

I need some ideas for the places I have that lean heavily toward shade with only filtered dapple sun. A very nice little woodland I would like to keep woods while still using.

I'm tired of rhodies and Kalmia flowers but not well and the blossom count could be better. There is enough light for the sassafras to thrive so that should give you guys some baseline. Trying Paw Paw X5 in one area as I understand they can take it but am just plain running out of ideas.

My goal is the odd but all shade loving favorites are respectfully requested..

[applestar]

What's the moisture level? Do you water this area? Is it a LARGE area?

[planter]

I was lacking a lot of info that mighted help in answering my original post.

It's about an acre woodland that slopes so goes from dry to moist pretty quickly. Lots of Black Oak, White Oak, American Hickory, Shagbark Hickory, Black Birch White Birch, Elderberry which doesn't fruit much. Red Maple, Swamp maple, Choke Cherry, Sassafras, Summersweet, and a bunch more.
The ground cover is mostly Jewell Weed and a few kinds of ferns. Lot's of Trillium in the damper spots and Trailing Arbutus. (Our State Flower)

Lots of good bird habitat which I don't want to compromise to much. I am gonna try and post a couple of pics and hopefully someone can come up with a few ideas.. I like the stuff no on else has when I can get it!!

[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050898.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050897.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050896.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050904.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050916.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050922.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050918.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050882.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050846.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/seals.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/backyarddeer.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp102/planter_01/P1050259.jpg[/img]

I guess I got off track..

[applestar]

I'm just going to think out loud, so there may not be rhyme or reason -- and not just trees/shrubs either:
Tossing in the rest of the likely/possilble plant associations for what you've already listed: Amelanchier (Serviceberry/Shadbush), Halesia, Persimmon, Chinquapin... Corylus (American Hazel)... You said ferns -- definitely Ostrich fern for the edible spring shoots, native bleeding heart, woods poppy, virginia bluebells, American strawberry bush, Allspice, Inkberry, False Solomon's Seal, Viburnum dentatum (Arrow Wood), Cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood), Redbud/Cersis, Huckleberries, Chestnut Oak... Buttonbush in the really wet areas. Possibly Kentucky Coffee Tree....

Would have to review shade tolerance of these....

What about mushrooms? Shady and moist sounds perfect. You could inoculate oak logs with shiitake plug spawn or other mushrooms. I like [url=https://www.fieldforest.net]Field and Forest[/url].

[MaineDesigner]

Nice site. I'm going to focus on the moist woods environment here.
Trees: Amelanchier sp. Up here in Maine these tend to be beset by disfiguring but not serious leaf diseases that usually cause partial defoliation by the mid to late summer. A bird favorite.
Carpinus caroliniana A personal favorite but not an easier mover. I recommend planting as early in the spring as possible and not in sizes over 2" caliper.

Shrubs: Lindera benzoin, Itea virginia, Clethra alnifolia, Styrax americanus, Leucothoe sp. and perhaps some Ilex and Cornus species

Herbaceous plants: Ferns Athyrium felix-femina, Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda claytoniana, and Osmunda claytoniana Ostrich Fern and Sensitive Fern would both go but they are a bit thuggish for my taste
Flowering plants: Rogersia sp., Aruncus sp., Primula sp., maybe Symplocarpus sp. - the Skunk Cabbages both native and Asian are kind of cool plants, Claytonia virginica, and Actea sp.

Stray thoughts: Hamamelis sp. and Aronia sp. (suckering!) might also be worth considering. If you want really unusual ideas try Dan Hinkley's books but good luck trying to find some of those plants in the trade especially now that the real Heronswood is gone.

[planter]

Thanks for some great ideas...The Ironwood/Carpinus is out there already as well as the shadbush. The funny thin is that the fisherman around here monitor the Shadbush in the spring. The old saying being when the shadbush is blooming the shad are back in the river.
The Summersweet/Clethra is ALL over the damp spots as is the skunk cabbage which I love. They say it produces a type of antifreeze that allows them to flower very early.
I may see if I can locate a Carolina Silverbells/Halsia. Had a beauty at the old homestead cut it down by the new owner along with a Meader Persimmon.
If I can find a source for the America Persimmon I'm gonna try it and I was hoping I could put in a clump of PawPaw/Asimia Triloba sp.
I am gonna focus on trees and small/medium shrubs for now. It's tough digging out there and I don't want to alter things too much.
You folks have listed some other things I will have to at least look into. Right now the Styrac Americana sounds cool. I sure do like the japonica both white and the Pink Chimes. I have Goats beard so I may put in a few babies which is happily serves up.

PS.. I'm gonna attach one pic which I think is Ironwood/Carpinus. Yea or nea???? [/img]

[JZydowicz]

If utility is your aim, you might want to consider planting raspberries. They will produce tons of berries even in full shade. We're growing some in the dense full shade beneath a Norway maple and a spruce and they're giving us berries daily.

For a small tree, I love Korean maples. They're less commonly planted than Japanese maples and usually hardier too.