Dry Shade protected zone 3 plant ideas????

Hi! I am in need of advice. My grandmother lives in the NE corner of Montana. I am going to visit her a couple days from now and wanted to bring her a few plants for some problem areas. Because her area is so rural, she lacks access to nurseries for the most part. The problem area is a small corner of a border containing a spirea and some currants. It is completely protected from winds as it is protected by the shrubs and a massive pine tree nearby. This pine tree has gotten so big that it also obscures the sun from this corner most of the day. It does receive morning sun, but from about noon on it is shaded. It also is just on the edge of where her underground sprinklers will reach and receives little water. She WILL forget to water it regularly (she is rather old) so I guess what I need is a zone 3 dry shade perennial. I'd prefer some sort of pretty flower- not just a foliage plant. It is the only corner on that side of the house that is clearly visible to her and it would be nice to dress it up a little. Any suggestions would be so appreciated! My other issue will of course be locating these plants before I leave! Can anyone recommend some zone 3 or 4 dry shade perennials- she also has a dry shade border on the other end of the house that I'd love to fill with something fast growing. Soil is loam- maybe a little on the sandy side. I assume it is slightly acidic as the moist shaded areas have moss. Thanks!

Epimediums might work but might be pushing the cold limitations by a zone. Once established, they can handle dry shade. Flowers in the spring and then the leaves have some nice markings along the edges. Not a fast-growing plant though but tough. Also might be hard to find in local nurseries.

Hmm. That plant may indeed work, but I definitely haven't seen it in local nurseries. Actually, our nurseries are pretty picked over at this point. I decided I could try to divide some of my own perennials and see if any of them worked- I was thinking maybe coral bells and ajuga. Any advice for/against them?

Some of the coral bells (Heuchera) are being grown in zone 3. Hostas are another possibility - some have beautiful flowers. Ajuga is a toughie but for me, it always moves itself to where I don't want it. This time of year is lean pickings at the nurseries unless you're looking for some really good sales. You can check DG plant files to check on the hardiness of the plants you have to see if they'll take the colder zone.

Hostas will work in dry shade? I guess I always thought they needed consistent moisture. I'll have to keep my eyes out for some. The area is very protected and is on the fringe of the 3-4 zone so with winter protection I think I should be able to stretch it a bit. I'm going to try the coral bells & ajuga- there aren't many other choices. I'm not afraid of the ajuga up there- it does grow fast, but that is what we are looking for anyway and the frigid winters do hold back most plants that tend to be invasive in other areas. In addition to that, my grandmother is certain to neglect them so something that will grow even without water would be nice.

Hostas are cold-hardy. Not sure how much rainfall there is in NE Montana but I think the Hostas would need some watering to get them established. I have some growing in less than ideal conditions (hard clay, shade, some root competition) with no supplemental watering. I would experiment with a couple of the older Hosta varieties before committing any of the newer pricey ones to that space. Maybe colorful 'Frances Williams' if you're looking for something on the large side with colorful foliage. With my clay-based soil, I need to loosen up the soil (gardening fork my favorite thing) to make sure the rain penetrates the soil and doesn't run off.

Thanks, I'll have to look into that- I will probably have to wait until spring to find anything decent in this area. I got here last night and planted the coral bells and a few little ajuga plants near them so the corner will fill up in no time. There is still one border that will need something, so I'll have to see if I can find any shade plants in this town. At least that area receives supplemental watering whereas the corner does not (except for rainfall and my occasional visits). We will see I guess!

You got some great recommendations. :) I'd add variegated Solomon's Seal to the list of plants that thrive in dry shade. I love mine. And the bonus is that the foliage looks pretty all season.

And I have to heartily second epimediums. I planted mine and pretty much forgot about them. They need no special attention and dry shade doesn't seem to bother them a bit.

You'll probably have a tough time finding Solomon's seal this time of year, unfortunately. My local nursery had a few epimediums left, though. Maybe you'll get lucky!

I second the variegated Solomon's seal. Would help lighten up a dark corner.

I bought my variegated SS in the spring from Brent and Becky's bulbs--if you can't find it locally! kim

I just noticed that Bluestone's fall catalog offers variegated Solomon's seal. I don't think I've seen it in their catalog before. Here's a link:

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/POVAP.html

I thought the rhizomes were easy to plant too.