I've discovered a very good groundcover for shade, even dry shade. It's a miniature comfrey. It grows only about 6-10 inches tall and has delicate cream-white flowers in spring. The leaves are coarse, dark green, and hairy, very much like standard comfrey only much smaller. It spreads quickly and fills in an area thickly; it looks like it could be invasive but on the other hand, it roots by runners along the top of the ground so I've found it very easy to control. Just grab a handful and rip it out. I would not recommend it for growing in/around delicate perennials, but it is working pretty well around some established hostas. It's a little to "thick" to be comfortably walked on I think, but it is tough enough to hold up to some foot traffic. I'd recommend it under trees where not much else will grow. I'm hoping to establish a big patch of it under some mature silver maples; the ground immediately under them is so dry only lemon balm and a few weeds will grow there.
BTW: THANK YOU! I'm always looking for groundcovers. This thread has some great info!
