Suggestions for low growing plants for a shady spot

wilde62

I’m looking for some suggestions for what to put in a in a large planter made of sleepers in a mostly shaded spot please. Ideally I’d like something evergreen and trailing so that it spills over the edge of the planter (to hide the fact that it’s a bit wonky) and that doesn’t get too tall. Something that flowers isn’t a necessity but wouldn’t be unwelcome, it has to be evergreen though.

KeenOnGreen

Pachysandra terminalis, Vinca.

Fire

 Adiantum venustum might /will stay green if the winter is mild.

Kili

Dryopteris Erythrosoa 'Prolifica'
Dryopteris Filix-mas
Asplenium Scolopendrium

Hostafan1

HOSTAS , Even though they're not evergreen

wilde62

Thanks! The Pachysandra terminalis is a good suggestion as I have some  other Japanese-type planting around the planter (some bamboo in pots, an Acer, a smallish Fatsia and some Japanese Forest Grass)- would it start to grow and spill over the edge of the planter?

I stupidly got rid of some Vinca a year or two back, should have kept them!

The Adiantum Venustum is a good suggestion too, I’d not seen that one before, maybe combining it with the Pachysandra terminalis could work? I’d love a bit of variety in there, as opposed to just one type of plant as it’s a long space (approx 3.5 metres) so I’d like to mix it up a bit.

Kili, I like all of your suggestions but I think they’re maybe too tall for the spot in question.

Hostafan1, I will probably stick some mouse ear hostas in there too, as I really like the shape of the leaves but I’d need loads to fill it and I’m probably not patient enough.

Would love to hear some more suggestions if anyone else has any?

Hostafan1

wilde62 said:

Hostafan1, I will probably stick some mouse ear hostas in there too, as I really like the shape of the leaves but I’d need loads to fill it and I’m probably not patient enough.

All the "mouse" hostas are V small and pretty slow , but there are plenty which hill happily get to 30cm diameter.

Wibble

Epimedium - mine has remained evergreen (was listed as semi-evergreen) and is thriving in almost complete darkness. Would do a good job of softening an edge.

wilde62

Wibble said:

Epimedium - mine has remained evergreen (was listed as semi-evergreen) and is thriving in almost complete darkness. Would do a good job of softening an edge.

Nice- I like the leaf shape on them, and the variety with the red leaf edge will pick up the colours from the acer nearby and some Nandina Domestica which aren’t planted too far away either. Adding Epimedium to the list!

wilde62

Hostafan1 said:

wilde62 said:

Hostafan1, I will probably stick some mouse ear hostas in there too, as I really like the shape of the leaves but I’d need loads to fill it and I’m probably not patient enough.

All the "mouse" hostas are V small and pretty slow , but there are plenty which hill happily get to 30cm diameter.

I think I’ll use some as gap fillers and then when everything else has filled out a bit, I can move them elsewhere as I have a few shady spots that will eventually need more plants.

Cambridgerose12

One quite good trailing plant is smaller forms of ivy, Hedera helix, which can actually be combined with other, flowering things if you wanted. There's also Euonymus fortunei.

I have seen Bacopa 'Snowflake', which is not supposed to be either shade- or frost-tolerant, working really well in a semi-shaded container and surviving overwinter. I haven't tried it myself.