Primula japonica in the Rock Garden at NYBG; photo by Ivo Vermeulen
Many plants can be grown in a range of sun or shade, and likewise many plants can handle a range from wet to dry. As a general rule of thumb, shade lovers that can be grown in full sun tend to need more moisture to thrive in the brighter light conditions.
Sunny and Dry
BOTANICAL NAME
COMMON NAME
Phormium
New Zealand flax
Sunny and Moist
BOTANICAL NAME
COMMON NAME
Platycodon
balloon flower
Primula japonica
candelabra primrose
ferns (royal, cinnamon, interrupted)
Iris ensata
Japanese iris
Alchemilla mollis
lady's mantle
Echinacea
purple coneflower
Iris siberica
Siberian iris
Shady and Dry
BOTANICAL NAME
COMMON NAME
Geranium macrorrhizum
big-root geranium
Gillenia trifolata
bowman's root
Tiarella cordifolia
foam flower
Digitalis purpurea
foxglove
Parathelypteris novaboracensis
New York fern
Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Robbiae'
Robb's wood spurge
Brunnera macrophylla
Siberian bugloss
Shady and Moist
BOTANICAL NAME
COMMON NAME
Asarum canadense
Canadian ginger
Primula japonica
candelabra primrose
Hakonchloa
Japanese hakone grass
Polygonatum
Solomon's seal
Euphorbia griffithii
spurge
Mertensia virginica
Virginia bluebell
Dicentra exima
wild bleeding heart
Kirengeshoma
yellow wax bells
Annuals and Biennials for a Mixed Border
BOTANICAL NAME
COMMON NAME
Centaurea cyanus
cornflower
Digitalis purpurea
foxglove
Tagetes tenuifolia
lemon/ tangerine gem marigold
Tithonia
Mexican sunflower
Angelonia
summer snapdragon
The Encyclopedia of Planting Combinations by 
The Winterthur Guide to Color in Your Garden by 
