One possibility that I found in Fine Gardening magazine is Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). Has anyone grown this - can you tell me your experience with it?

This is my third year with a Bottlebrush Buckeye and it's doing very well - almost. It at least survived last winter when many of my shrubs did not but it only put out one "brush" this year where last year it had 3.

The deer sampled it the first year, but have not touched it since.

It's planted under the shade of a grove of evergreens.

Fiveleaf aralia, Acanthopanax sieboldianus, grows well under very difficult situations (dry shade with lots of root competition). The variegated version is very attractive, but even the all green version is nice and is also more robust under such conditions. It has thorns, but an attractive arching form. I planted one near the base of a large maple with no extra water and it didn't do much the first year, but really took off after that. If you plant anything more demanding, the key is to provide plenty of water. You basically have to water the trees providing the root competition, as well as the plants you are trying to grow. I also grow the bottlebrush buckeye, a great plant, and it should do fine, although I don't find it as tough as the fiveleaf aralia.

Rue and wormwood are tough. If you have two hours of sun, buddleia will tough it out almost anywhere. Some heuchera are pretty tough too.

skimmia japonica, euoyymus fortunei, daphne philippi, if you water dry spot.... hydrangea macrophyll (5stars) or hydrangea serrata ...depending what zone chaenomeles, spicieosa jasminum humile,