On the north side of our house is my shady woodland garden (aka, walkway). You can see it's a tight space, but there are lots of plants thriving - and that wouldn't do well elsewhere at our house. Here you can see the walkway from front to back before the rhododendrons started to bloom. The red in the center is a laurel.
In the front of the bed you can see a couple types of hosta and some solomon's seal - all surrounded by a carpet of sweet woodruff.
Here are rhody's just coming into bloom - with some nice ferns in the front.
Under the rhododendrons you can find lily of the valley, woodruff, trillium, more ferns, and bloodroot. The bloodroot is one of the first things to flower in the spring garden (after the hellebore of course). It's a native species that I inherited with the garden.
If you're interested in native species, there's a tremendous grower in WV - Sunshine Farm & Gardens. They specialize in propagating hellebore but have a long list of native species for sale. I had the tremendous honor to have a tour from the owner a few years ago and will never forget it. The nursery is located up in the mountains of Greenbrier County and everything is grown in forested plots.
Here's a photo of the bloodroot in bloom from a few years ago. They are a charming arrival in the early spring.