10 New England Native Shady Plants With Spring Blooms
In the wild, New England native plants thrive in areas of low light and offer a splash of color in the springtime. If you want to add some vibrancy to your garden after a long winter, look no further than this fantastic selection of spring-blooming plants!
Jack-in-the-pulpit gets its name for the rounded spadix in the midst of its large “pulpit” of a spathe. It thrives in moist floodplains or within deciduous forests. All parts of the plant are extremely toxic. Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers are pollinated by gnats; they visit male flowers, where they pick up pollen, but are unable to escape female flowers, so the pollen can get drawn from their dead bodies.
The Interrupted fern is native to parts of Asia and North America. It gets its name from a gap that’s left when the fern’s fertile portions wither and fall off. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant for native, traditional and wildlife gardens. It has also been used for erosion control.
Bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis) is a herbaceous, flowering perennial plant that grows along the ground and spreads by underground rhizomes. Bunchberry dogwood flowers bloom in the spring, followed by clusters of red berries that ripen in summer. This plant attracts birds, deer and other wildlife. It is commonly planted in gardens.
Dutchman’s breeches gets its name from the shape of its flower petals. The petals form an upside-down “V” which resembles a pair of pants, or “britches.” Dutchman’s breeches is found in the woods and blooms in early spring, making it some of the first food for bees and pollinators. It goes dormant towards the end of summer.
Yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is a spring-flowering plant found in woodland areas throughout North America. The common name Yellow trout lily was given to this plant because its leaves coloration resembles a species of trout.
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) is native to eastern North America. However, it’s being increasingly threatened in its original environment by both destruction of habitat and the obstruction of natural river flooding. It has nearly hollow stems, so they’re fragile and break easily. Flowers start off pink, and then gradually turn light blue.
Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) also goes by the names of woodland phlox or Louisiana phlox, and it’s indigenous to eastern North America. The flowers sit atop hairy, sticky stems. In the wild, it loves to grow along stream banks. ‘Phlox’ is Greek for ‘flame’ because some flowers of this species have intensely vibrant colors.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a plant species native to eastern North America. In the wild its early spring blooms can be seen spreading across the forest floor or along riverbanks. Its common name comes from its reddish orange-sap, which can be made into a dye. Bloodroot seeds are often spread by ants who take them back to their nests.
Thalictrum aquilegiifolium is a species of flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family known by the common names Siberian columbine meadow-rue, columbine meadow-rue, French meadow-rue, and greater meadow-rue. Its native range extends through Europe and temperate Asia, with a naturalized distribution in North America limited to New York and Ontario. Growing to 100 cm tall by 45 cm wide, it is an herbaceous perennial, with leaves composed of frilled leaflets resembling those of aquilegia. In early summer it bears clusters of fluffy pink flowers in flat-topped panicles. The plant contains an alkaloid ‘Thalidisine’, which is also present in other Thalictrum species. The cultivar ‘Thundercloud’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is a perennial plant that will grow to 14 inches tall. It has lobed, heart-shaped leaves at the base and tall hairy stalks ascending from the base. From May to July, white flowers bloom profusely along the stalks. It produces seeds from June to August. It prefers moist soil with partial shade such as in woodland and forest areas.