What plants work in shade of big trees?

I thought elephant ears were for sun but I will give them a try, thanks.

It is a 12 feet by 12 feet area. Has trees on 3 sides and the house. I had Asian lilies and coneflower but they aren't doing well. Was looking for a bedding plant that would spead. I have a border of creeping phox.

Dry soil, something that has to be considered in shady areas often created by surrounding trees.Many shade plants like lots of moisture, so they’re competing with the tree roots for water. Just make sure your shade plants have a solid root system and they’ll be fine.If they are weak from the start because they don’t have a good root system, it will be an ongoing challenge.That means closely watching the soil moisture in the first few months of growth.Do not water plants/leaves from/on top; water low onto soil & early in day to keep any fungal growth from starting since it is in shade.Here are Shade plants/Perennials that will grow in your area( by your name it says Nebraska-I'm guessing area is on/at this property since you never said)Goatsbeard or Aruncus: Slow to establish and grow to its 3- to 4-feet height. Worth the wait for a perennial with stature in the garden. Very drought-tolerant once established. Big plumes of bloom (resembles astilbe that struggles in dry shade) early in the season.-- Toad lilies: Bloom with orchid-like flowers that do best in light shade in humus-rich soil that retains moisture. Some are self-seeding but not aggressively. They are perennials and grow up to 3 feet tall.-- Solomon’s seal: Gently arching stems and dangling bell-shaped flowers in white or pink. It’s an easy plant to grow, and will slowly colonize — even in tough areas where shallow tree roots rob moisture and nutrients. The foliage turns golden in fall.-- Ligularia: Golden flower spikes or flattened heads of yellow daisy-like flowers. The leaves are kidney-shaped or jagged along the edges. Grows to about 3 feet tall. Deer resistant.--Brunnera: Heart-shaped, dark-green foliage with small, forget-me-not-like flowers in light blue. The flowers bloom on slender stems to 18 inches.--Astrantia or masterwort: About 2 feet tall and has a long bloom season with pink to red blooms that stand delicately above the plant.--Pulmonaria or lungwort: Varieties can have green, spotted or silvery gray leaves. Blooms vary from blue, pink to rosy purple in the spring. My favorite variety is Majeste because its silver foliage is shown off in the shade garden.--Columbine: Not particular about soil or location. Native to drier areas, so makes a wonderful choice for rock, alpine or woodland gardens. The blooms are very interesting and come in an amazing array of colors.-- Dicentra or bleeding heart: Hardy and performs well every year. Blooms are delicate dangling hearts of pink or white. The variety Gold Heart will add bright gold foliage to the garden. Most of the time, bleeding heart will die back early and leave an empty spot that can be filled by later-arriving perennials.--Lamium: A great shady groundcover that will supply profuse blooms of white, pink or lavender. Some of the top varieties are Orchid Frost, Beacon Silver and White Nancy. Also performs well in containers with annuals.--Bevan’s geranium: Great groundcover perennial geranium that tolerates dry conditions and maintains foliage well into the winter. Fragrant foliage and a dark pink bloom early in the summer. Also grows in quite a bit of sun but will need more water.-- Comfrey: 12-inch shade perennial that persists in dry settings once established. Late spring blue flower spreads politely. No-worry plant for competitive environments.