Turk's Cap would bloom there. I can't get my hydrangeas to bloom in my shady yard.

Pam

Eastern exposure so I'm assuming morning sun. That sure isn't a lot. I love the turk's cap idea. I'd also throw in some columbines and katies ruellia as well. If it's moist ferns would look good too. I am also a huge fan of beuty berry's gorgeous autumn vivid purples. PJ

I tried beauty berries there a couple of years ago and they died. It was spring and it stayed to wet there but only wet in the spring. I would like something that got big, bushy and at least 3 or 4 feet tall to cover about 20 feet. As you all know it is expensive to buy enough for that size area.

I am afraid that ferns would die once it got dry. Further down I have two butterfly vines and passion vines and they seem to be happy there in the same amount to less sun but they get up higher and probably get a little more sun.

Wow,what a tricky area!!! Southern wood ferns go dormant when it's dry but that is tricky to do in a flowerbed without gaps. Wax Myrtle and yaupon hollies are drought/drown tolerant
Yaupon is a versatile plant that tolerates drought and poor drainage
Plant wax myrtle in sun, shade or part shade. It does not mind poor drainage.
Wax myrtles tolerate shade and drought but not as well as yaupons. PJ

Button bush can take poor drainage and smells great.Also, Texas Star Hibiscus can take dry/drought get at least 4 feet tall and 4ft wide and are REALLY EASY to propagate! PJ

The Texas Star Hibiscus, does it get full?

My Star Hibiscus gets pretty full but I can still see through it if that makes any sense. PJ

I have one endless summer hydrangea but it isn't very happy. It gets a little morning sun but I have slightly alkaline well water for irrigation. I have returned 2 other ones to Loew's & Home Depot that died completely.
I just picked up a roughleaf dogwood from a local nursery in Weatherford. It is an understory shrub that does well in shade. It also produces white flowers & berries that birds like...that's why I bought it.
I also have a lot of shade in my yard & have turk's cap(2-3 ft tall), gulf stream nandinas(3-4 ft tall) that are in all shade as well as tall pink ruella(mexican petunia...it doesn't become a monster in the shade). I also have blue/black salvia that has done better in the shade than it has where I have it planted in the sun. It has taken over one of my shade beds & stands about 4 ft tall. It gets a little morning sun & that is it. It is like the turk'cap & dies back to the root in the winter here. It is in a bed that I have purple wintercreeper as ground cover & has mixed with it. The hummers love it!!! It is one of their favorite nectar plants in my yard.
The other thing I have that is both big & wide, is oakleaf hydrangea. It is 4-5ft tall & is about that wide now. It is in complete shade & I love the beautiful white flowers. Just be careful not to prune it except right after it blooms, or you won't get any blooms the following season. I haven't had very many blooms because I forgot & cut it back after the leaves dropped off last winter. This year, I haven't cut it at all to see if it will bloom better next year.
That has been my experience here in North Texas. Good luck!

I forgot one other thing I have in the shade that is about 3 ft tall & I have it as a backdrop for a statue...cast iron plant. I brought a bunch from my dad's yard when we moved here so it didn't cost anything. I have seen it at the local nurseries & it usually costs about $8/gallon. It is evergreen & seems to do well whether I over or under water it.

I am so over hydrangeas. They hate my alkaline clay soil, even when it is heavily amended. It's hard to water them enough to keep them happy. They like shade, but not too much shade. And even in a choice spot, they have whined and brownspotted and bloomed hardly at all. So I'm replacing them with something rambunctious---maybe loropetalum, which has nice colors and wants to take over the earth.

I have tried all kinds of hydrangeas. Guess I wasted my money as I could not make them happy. The only one still alive after 2 years is an endless summer. It bloomed a little in the spring and then nothing. It seems that nothing I could do made a difference.

I second the turks cap. So much fun to watch the hummers enjoying them. Have them in both sun and shade. They like both. I have the red, pink and white. The only one that has not done well is the white. It was new for me in the spring and was quite small. It has not grown much but did bloom. I had a giant pink that did not come back a couple of springs ago but the smaller pink did fine.
Patsy

Hydrangeas are shade-loving plants and will wither up if they get too much sun. We've got an Endless Summer on the east side of our house and it seems to like it there. They need a little sun but too much is not good for them.