Few denizens of the shade garden can match Japanese jack-in-the-pulpit for sheer elegance. The graceful chocolate-purple color of the spathe encloses a cupped interior and spadix of purest white, while overhead curves a flashy striped hood. A distant relative of our native Jack-in-the-pulpit, this species reaches about 12” with two large leaves of three lobes each. It grows from a tuber, flowering in spring and not disappearing until late summer. Two or more are needed for pollination, which results in a summer spike of brilliant orange berries. Place plants in part to full shade and soil with moisture but no sitting water. It can tolerate dry periods when established and deer don’t touch it.

Potentilla, Bush Cinquefoil
Potentilla fruticosa ‘Abbotswood’

At 3 feet high and wide, this deciduous shrub with fine blue-green leaves is a size much sought after by gardeners. It is also known as cinquefoil because each leaf usually has five leaflets. Potentilla’s best feature is its flower display which appears in late spring and continues sporadically through the growing season. Flowers are borne atop the tips of new growth, in white to yellow, pink, orange or red, and are a good source of nectar for butterflies and other pollinators. Peeling woody stems are a rich brown and provide winter interest in the garden. This small, almost zero maintenance shrub comes in many varieties and makes a lovely addition to butterfly and rock gardens. It is not bothered by deer. Best growth is made in full sun, and it tolerates poor, dry soils. Each year before growth begins, prune one third of the oldest stems to the ground to prevent legginess.

Fringed Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia ‘Luxuriant’

An all-summer bloomer is about as good as it gets. Fringed bleeding heart—a native no less--blooms its heart out for months, beginning in April, with little to no demands on you. The 15-18” ferny foliage in a blue green tone makes a nice cool accent to the summer garden. While the pink flowers are interesting and charming, they’re no great shakes individually. Together, though, their cheery color and persistence endears them to the hearts of gardeners. The cultivar ‘Luxuriant’, probably a hybrid, is excellent. Be careful to plant it in moist well-drained soil that is rich in nutrients and organics. Fringed bleeding heart needs shade but will tolerate some direct sun. Don’t plant the crown any deeper than it is in the pot.

Crested Iris
Iris cristata

Crested Iris
Iris cristata [check variety]
It’s hard to believe this ground cover is a Maryland native, what with its large flowers dominating the naturally dwarf foliage. The blue-purple and yellow flowers can be as large as half the size of the plant. A furry crest runs down each fall (the three lower petals). Its typical sword-like iris foliage reaches about 6” when the plant is in bloom and then continues to grow a bit taller. These beauties do well in almost full sun to partial shade in a woodsy spot where they aren’t overpowered by larger plants. A pathside is ideal. The leaves rise from finger-size rhizomes that clamber over the soil at a steady pace creating a thick deer-proof mat. The rhizomes are easy to transplant and propagate. A problem free plant, you can lightly fertilize crested iris in spring when growth commences, though compost would probably be best.