Finding a good ground cover plant for very shady, damp areas can be difficult. The lack of sun and moist soils are challenging growing conditions for many plants. However, there are several plants that grow very well under these conditions including notable ground cover plants like Wild Ginger, Alpine Barrenwort and Creeping Jenny. Most shade-loving ground covers are actually woodland plants and prefer highly organic soils, so amending the soil with additional organic matter before planting will help ensure the performance of these plants.

Wild ginger, Asarum canadense, is a very low growing plant with fleshy, deciduous leaves. Wild ginger's common name comes from the gingery odor of the roots when bruised or cut, however, wild ginger is not edible; true cooking ginger comes from the plant Zingiber officinale. Wild ginger's leaves are heart-shaped, glossy, dark green and often mottled with silvery-white or yellow markings. The plants are adapted to woodland conditions including low light and moist, highly organic soils. The urn-shaped flowers are an unobtrusive, greenish-purple and often hidden under the plant's foliage. The plants spread by underground rhizomes and are usually 6-10" in height. The variegated, glossy green foliage can be very eye-catching is shady locations.

Alpine barrenwort, Epimedium alpinum, forms clumps of green foliage and produces columbine-like flowers. There are up to 20 small flowers, crimson with a red or yellow flush, produced in loose clusters in mid spring. An excellent ground cover that spreads slowly and will tolerate dry, shady conditions, although it does prefer evenly moist soil.

Don't be alarmed by the last plant's common name. Creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia, is not at all related to the common lawn weed that bears the same common name. The cultivar 'Aurea' is a wonderful plant for shady areas. Its lime green and yellow foliage and fragrant, yellow flowers brighten up dark corners of the garden. Plants are prostrate, growing only 4-8" tall with stems that spread along the top of the ground to form large patches.