Dry, shady plant suggestions

Hey everyone. I'm new to the forum and to landscaping. I live in zone 10 south Florida. I have a side/corner of the house that is shaded by two large trees. Only when the sun rises does this part of the yard get some light. One side is bordered by a 7' tall ficus hedge that runs along the side of the house. Adjacent to that is the front gate to my backyard. What I want to do is create a walkway to the gate, but need some ideas on plants bordering the walkway. On one side of the walkway will be a 3' or so strip along that ficus hedge that I wish to plant along. On the other side is an oblong-shaped area directly under a tree around which I wish to plant. I also wish to select plants that are drought tolerant, as my sprinklers don't do the best job in this area and we go through heavy dry spells (as well as wet ones) here in south Florida. I like showy, colorful foliage and/or flowers. Also, I don't want anything that grows too tall for this spot (unless it's a centerpiece plant for the center of the oblong-area). Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, and sorry for being so drawn-out about it!

Have you thought about hostas. Find a hosta catalog and choose some of the more colorful types. This year i'm experimenting with a sun lover(marigolds) in a shady spot. So far so good but not sure if they'll keep blooming.

I keep seeing that plant cited in many places on this site. I'll probably look into them at my local HD. Has anyone had experience putting something like a century plant (agave americanus...sp?) in the shade? I know these are full sun plants but they're dry-tolerant and would make a magnificent centerpiece to my job. Thanks for the reply.

Coral Bells, Allumroot is drought tolorant, and does well in the shade.

Those coral bells/alumroot are very attractive. Those would go nicely. Here's a list I made from a little research and from responses. All of the following should be okay for my zone 10 climate and are all full/partial shade plants, some of which are dry tolerant. Those not dry tolerant would go along the edge of the bed where the sprinklers actually make it. Since many hostas enjoy a morning sun and afternoon shade, the spot in question is perfect, since its exposure is eastern, and the rest is shaded.

Ajuga "Burgandy Glow"
Hosta - "Touch of Class" & "Fireworks"
Begonias - rhizomatous
Lenten Rose (helleborus orientalis)
Bicolor/Miniature Lupine
Lupinus Perennis
Coral Bells, Alumroot

What do you think?

I think you will not have great luck with hostas in your zone. They need a cooler winter when they go dormant to do well. Won't hurt to try a couple though just to see.

Doug

Thanks for your response. That sucks about the hostas - I really like those. Any suggestions on alternate plants to fill my space?

Sedums are drought tolerant. There are many different kinds. I have Autumn Joy and Baby Tears. I have both growing in the shade but they will also grow in full sun.

Visit your local nurseries and see what kind of shade plants they have for sale or recommend for your area. That would always be my first suggestion.

Doug