Shade Gardening: vigorous, low maintenance perennials that spread, 1 by KaylyRed

KaylyRed wrote:
I have toad lilies. It's their first year for me, but I purchased good-sized plants from a woman who sells her perennial divisions at the local farm market. They are blooming beautifully right now. Started opening about mid-September. Lots of buds and nice, exotic-looking flowers. Haven't had the bunnies or chipmunks go after them yet, but my greyhounds make for pretty good pest control. ;)

I also have to second ajuga. My previous garden had ajuga 'Black Scallop' and it grew and spread beautifully. It hasn't been what I would consider an aggressive spreader (although I hear reports to the contrary occasionally), but it seems to take poor soil, lack of moisture, heat, humidity...whatever nature dishes out. I didn't get many flowers this year, but the foliage is pretty on its own. I grew my ajuga beside some sweet woodruff, and it turned out to be an attractive combo. Sweet woodruff will also take dry shade and spread fairly well.