Shade Loving Plants for Kentucky

Bladdernut

• Kentucky is at the southern end of the range of the bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia), a small deciduous shrub that grows in full shade. Bladdernut, named for the shape of the papery seeds the showy, white flowers yield, grows to 15 feet. You can use bladdernut in sites exposed to the wind, alkaline soils and wet areas. The species is suitable for growing in native plant gardens, shade gardens and naturalized portions of your acreage, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Bladdernut in the wild will develop in woodlands and near streams, forming thickets by promoting new growth from its root system.

Fairy Wand

• Fairy wand (Chamaelirium luteum) has other names such as false unicorn root and devil's bit, but fairy wand describes the elongated stems and flowers of this Kentucky perennial herb. The plant grows in Kentucky and other eastern states, in acidic soil associated with woods and thickets. Thriving in the shade, female fairy wand plants grow to 4 feet, about 1 1/2 feet taller than the males. The spikes of male flowers are much longer though. Both male and female flowers are white. Fairy wand is appropriate for the shady sections of wildflower gardens.

American Hornbeam

• An understory tree that will grow in both sun and shade, the American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) does not grow very tall, with most mature specimens in the 35-foot range. American hornbeam is a Kentucky native plant that you can employ on the shady parts of your property as a lawn tree or specimen tree. The dark green foliage will give way to colors including orange and yellow in the chilly fall air. The gray bark is smooth and perhaps the tree's best feature, as the base of the trunk has a fluted appearance. The species gets its common name from the horn-like polish you can apply to the very tough, hard wood.

Black Cohosh

• Insects have little love for the odor given off by the black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), hence the plant's nickname of bugbane. Black cohosh, a herbaceous perennial, grows in much of the eastern Untied States, including the Bluegrass State. Black cohosh is a plant you can use by itself or in groups, placing it in the shade in cottage gardens or in places along property borders that receive little sun. Black cohosh will grow to 8 feet on occasion, making it necessary to stake the plant so that its erect flower stalks do not droop. Black cohosh blooms in June and July, churning out spires of small white flowers.