Always check the scientific name of a plant. A plant may have more than one common name or the same common name may refer to more than one plant.
Scientific name |
Common name (flower color) |
Recommended Space Between Plants |
Understory Trees |
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Carpinus caroliniana |
Blue Beech or Musclewood |
15 feet |
Ostrya virginiana |
Ironwood |
15 feet |
Shrubs |
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Tall (average mature height over 15 feet) |
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Amelanchier laevis |
Allegheny Clump Serviceberry or Juneberry |
10-15 feet |
Cornus alternifolia |
Pagoda Dogwood |
15 feet |
Medium (average mature height: 6-15 feet) |
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Amelanchier alnifolia |
Regent Serviceberry |
5 feet |
Cornus racemosa |
Gray Dogwood |
5 feet |
Low (average mature height: 5 feet and under) |
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Aronia melanocarpa |
Black Chokeberry |
3-5 feet |
Symphoricarpos albus |
White Snowberry |
3 feet |
Perennial Flowers (Full Shade) |
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Medium (most plants are 1-3 feet) |
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Aquilegia canadensis |
Columbine (red-orange) |
12 inches |
Arisaema triphyllum |
Jack-in-the-Pulpit |
12 inches |
Aster macrophyllus |
Large-leaved Aster (white) |
24 inches |
Athyrium angustum |
Lady Fern |
24 inches |
Geranium maculatum |
Wild Geranium (pink) |
12 inches |
Podophyllum peltatum |
Mayapple |
18 inches |
Smilacina racemosa |
False Solomon Seal (white) |
12 inches |
Thalictrum dioicum |
Early Meadowrue (green) |
12 inches |
Uvularia grandiflora |
Bellwort or Merrybells (yellow) |
18 inches |
Low (plants are under 6 inches) |
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Asarum canadense |
Wild Ginger (red) |
18-24 inches |
Hepatica americana |
Hepatica (purple ? spring emphemeral) |
6 inches |
Sanguinaria canadensis |
Bloodroot (white ? spring emphemeral, foliage disappears by mid-June) |
6 inches |
Perennial Flowers (Partial Shade) |
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Tall (most plants are 3-5 feet) |
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Veronicastrum virginicum |
Culver's Root (white) |
12 inches |
Medium (most plants are 2-4 feet) |
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Aquilegia canadensis |
Columbine (red-orange) |
12 inches |
Aster laevis |
Smooth Aster (lavender) |
18 inches |
Aster macrophyllus |
Big-leaved Aster (white) |
24 inches |
Geranium maculatum |
Wild Geranium (pink) |
12 inches |
Smilacina racemosa |
False Solomon's Seal (white) |
12 inches |
Low (plants are under 6 inches) |
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Campanula rotundifolia |
Harebells (purple) |
6-12 inches |
Fragaria virginiana |
Wild Strawberry (white |
12-18 inches |
Gentiana andrewsii |
Bottle Gentian (blue) |
12 inches |
Gentiana alba |
Cream Gentian (cream) |
12 inches |
Grass-like Plants |
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Short |
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Carex pennsylvanica |
Pennsylvania Sedge |
12 inches |
Juncus tenuis |
Path Rush |
6-12 inches |
Vines (not shown on plan; could be grown along a fence or trellis) |
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Clematis virginiana |
Virgin's Bower (white) |
5-10 feet |
Vitis riparia |
Wild Grape |
5-10 feet |