Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — for loam ground and it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
New York · Zones 3–7
Native Plants for Shade in New York
Woodland wildflowers, ferns, and groundcovers that thrive in the dappled and full shade under trees and on the north side of the house. New York sits in a landscape of Adirondacks, Finger Lakes & Hudson Valley, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid continental character. The list below — led by Oakleaf Hydrangea and Virginia Bluebells — is filtered to species genuinely native to New York and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–7. Shade is an opportunity, not a problem — the eastern woodland flora is one of the richest in the world. Most shade natives evolved under a deciduous canopy, so they do their growing in cool, moist spring soil and want a yearly mulch of fallen leaves rather than bare, raked dirt. Match the depth of shade to the plant, and a bare patch under a maple becomes the loveliest part of the garden.
The plants
16 native species for New York
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–7 · see this collection in other states.
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — spreading 12–18 in and it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
A woodland native that handles part to full shade, 1–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, lavender-blue flowers — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; cold-hardy to zone 3 and it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A woodland native that handles part to full shade, hardy in zones 5–9 and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, for loam ground — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Thrives in cool shade under a canopy, where it handles part to full shade; spreading 6–10 ft and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, 6–12 in tall, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Made for shade — it handles part to full shade, white domes flowers and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
A woodland native that handles part to full shade, hardy in zones 4–9 and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Carpets the dappled ground beneath trees, for clay, rocky, and loam ground — it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, spreading 12–18 in — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
For the dappled north side and under trees, it handles part to full shade — 2–4 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Foliage
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
A spreading carpet for the shaded woodland floor, good through zone 9.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Evergreen
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
A shade groundcover for the woodland floor, spreading 1–2 ft.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Sourcing
Where to find these in New York
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.