- aggressive - I want it to spread quickly without much coddling
- low-maintenance - must do well in dry shade
- cheap or already abundant - there's a big area to cover and I don't want to invest a lot
- deer-resistant - this may be too much to ask
Nothing ideal so far; candidates include:
- Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) - I should have enough to start transplanting this spring, though not a lot
- American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) - not a popular plant, but it meets the criteria
- Violets (whatever Viola species is in the lawn) - I believe these need some sun, but I'll try it
- Virginia creeper - need to keep this out of the trees
- Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) - planted this in 2013, but it hasn't spread enough yet to take any away
- Eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) - needs wet soil; also apparently hard to transplant
- Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) - too slow, especially at $5+ a pot?
Other possibilities:
- Ferns?
- Brambles - blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) or raspberry (Rubus idaeus)?
- Sedges?
- Mints?
