Plant for shady corner under tree

[Lavender14]

So I have a section of a flower bed that nothing much seems to grow in. It's a space about 2-3 foot long and is just beside a large tree in our garden. It's right along our patio so it's a very visible dead spot by where we sit on good days. I know there's quite a few roots etc that run through the bed from both the tree on one side and some large shrubs on the other side. The spot is always shaded. Any idea what might successfully grow in there? Previous owner grew long grass in there but it spreads through the garden (5 years later I'm still trying to get rid of it in every bed) so something different to that would be great! Soil is quite clayish. Any suggestions? I'd love a bit of colour ideally!

Astilbes would be what I’d try there

Shade loving plants like:
Ferns
Brunnera
Pulmonaria
Hydrangeas
Hosta
Spring bulbs

I have a border just like this in my garden. Deep, dry shade for most of the year, clay soil, huge roots running through it.

After much trial and error the plants that have been successful are:

Epimediums
Ferns
Alchemilla mollis
Brunnera
Geranium Rozanne

I also tried anemone Honorine Jobert, hostas, heucheras and astilbe but none of them made it.

I mulch the border regularly to add in moisture as the wall and tree make it so dry, and try not to get too attached to anything I plant there.

Since it will be dry soil (and Astilbe, Hydrangea like it moist), I’d go for the traditional suggestion of Cyclamen - C hederifolium for autumn flowers and C coum for winter and spring, and silver splashed leaves for much of the summer.

I don't know about the clay aspect, but our hellebores are doing well in a similar patch.

Might add some cyclamen from the above suggestion and see what happens!

I have ferns for shaded area

There is a low growing mahonia.
we had a mahonia grow in a Leylandii hedge, nothing else grew there. I wouldn’t say it flourished but it did survive for years.

Thanks for so many suggestions! Lots of great ideas in there to try!

Under my silver birches I have planted snowdrops and some purple violets. The snowdrops are only short lived, but the violets are spreading and last a very long time. I tried to think of what would grow there naturally and went from there.