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Plants for a Woodland garden

For Rich Loam
  • trout lily (Erythronium americanum): 15 cm, nodding, bell-shaped yellow flowers in spring, mottled leaves
  • white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum): 30–45 cm, white bloom in spring, red berries in late summer
  • mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum): 30–45 cm, single white flower in late spring, creates dense colonies
  • foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia): 15–30 cm, spike of white flowers in spring, great groundcover
  • wild ginger (Asarum canadense): 15 cm, maroon flower in spring, heart-shaped leaves, great groundcover
  • bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis): 15–30 cm, small white flowers in early spring, saucer-like leaves
  • Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides): 30–75 cm, evergreen, leaf frond deeply cut
For Dry Shade (also grows in rich loam)
  • false Solomon’s seal (Smilacina racemosa): 30–90 cm, showy clusters of creamy-white flowers in late spring, red berries in late summer
  • sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba): 15 cm, pink, lavender, or white flowers in spring, prefers alkaline soil
  • Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense): 15 cm, small white flowers in late spring/early summer, red berries, prefers acidic soil
  • red baneberry (Actaea rubra): 30–60 cm, large clusters of white flowers in spring, red berries in late summer
  • barren strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides): 8–20 cm, yellow flowers in late spring/early summer, glossy leaves
  • bunchberry (Cornus canadensis): 8–18 cm, white blossom in early to mid-summer, whorled leaves, scarlet berries, prefers acidic soil
  • bottlebrush grass (Hystrix patula): 120–150 cm, gorgeous bristly seedheads in bottlebrush shape, spreads well
For Part Sun/Part Shade
  • hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus): 30–90 cm, pinkish-white flowers in early summer
  • common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana): 8–15 cm, white flowers in early summer, small tasty fruit
  • eastern columbine (Aquilegia canadensis): 20–70 cm, showy, scarlet nodding flowers in spring/early summer, attracts hummingbirds
  • heart-leaved aster (Aster cordifolius): 30–120 cm, dense clusters of whitish-blue flowers in late summer through fall, large leaves
  • sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis): 60–90 cm, glowing green fronds, scalloped edges, prefers moisture
  • New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis): 30–60 cm, rich green fronds, tapering tips
  • Canada wild rye (Elymus canadensis): 100-150 cm, graceful grass, dense seed plumes turn golden in mid- to late summer
Shrubs for Part Shade/Part Sun
  • alternate-leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia): 6 metres, large shrub/small tree, numerous white flower clusters in early summer, blue-black berries in mid-summer, horizontal, tiered branches
  • smooth serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis): 5–10 metres, hanging clusters of white flowers in late spring, reddish-purple berries in fall
  • elderberry (Sambucus canadensis): 3 metres, clusters of fragrant white flowers in summer, edible purple-black berries in late summer, prefers moist soil
  • red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera): 1–3 metres, creamy white flowers in early to mid-summer, blue berries in late summer, thicket-forming, red twigs, prefers moist soil
  • nannyberry (Viburnum lentago): 10 metres, fragrant white flowers in late spring, edible blue-black berries in late summer
For photos of these and other plants, refer to these websites:

Ontario Wildflowers

North American Native Plant Society

- Compiled by Lorraine Johnson

 

June 2003 coverRepurposed from the four-part series, The Natural Garden by Lorraine Johnson in the June 2003 issue of Cottage Life magazine

Copyright © 2003, 2008 by Cottage Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph, or artwork, for other than personal use, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden.