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  • From: list@ginda.us
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Shade plants
  • Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 22:31:52 -0500


On Dec 14, 2006, at 9:52 AM, Jim Fruth wrote:

Ginda,
I grow Evergreen Huckleberry here in zone 3 Minnesota. You may not know
that what is called Huckleberry in the East is Gaylussia baccata and
Huckleberry in the West is Vaccinum ovatum. I sincerely wish we could
outlaw common names so everybody knows what each other are talking about.

It was a west-coast huckleberry I tried to grow, helpfully provided by a west-coast NEFEXer. I also bought some from Forest Farm. Vaccinium Ovatum sounds right. Maybe the hardiness varies by where the parent stock comes from? Maybe my shade is too dry? How wet is your land? I've thought about trying east coast huckleberry, which I know is hardy a couple climate zones north of me, but it doesn't fruit much in the shade, and is hard to find and to transplant. Maybe I should try Vaccinium Ovatum again. What was your source?

As for a continued list of shade plants, you may wish to check out
ground covers. Several shade lovers are Winter hardy; one that I know of is
'Snow on the Mountain."
I can grow lots of ground covers. Personally, I keep looking for fruits and flowers to grow in the shade. So far my best luck has been with currants and edible dogwoods. I have some wildflowers that seem happy, too.

Ginda






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