This is a companion piece to our concurrent article about gardenias. Gardenias are a lovely garden plant and they do well in partial shade but they also need plenty of root space so they don’t do well under or near trees. That raised an obvious question: which landscape plants thrive under mature trees? Some of us are lucky to have yards or garden spaces that include fully grown trees and while those are wonderful features in and of themselves we may want to add some touches of our own. Fortunately there are some great options for landscaping plants that do well under or around trees, so let’s dig in!
What Should I Plant Under the Trees in my Garden?
This is far from a definitive list, but it’s a good starting point that offers a number of options for ornamental gardens and landscapes in a variety of climate zones. You can take this to your local nursery or landscape supplier, tell them what you’re interested in, and see what they suggest for your particular needs and conditions. There’s almost certainly something comparable that will work in your space!
· Hostas (Hosta spp) Sometimes know by their Japanese name gibōshi, hostas are common garden plants that appears around the world in part due to their shade tolerance. Their broad, blue-green leaves have a shiny, waxy texture and their flowers grow on upright stems that add some vertical interest. Most hosta varietals produce white blossoms, but other shades do exist so check with your local nursery!
· Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp) Lungwort is one of our favorite plants, and we’ve written about it in a previous blog. Pulmonaria officinalis is the most commonly grown varietal, and as an understory species it thrives under mature deciduous trees. This plant likes full to partial shade, making it a great choice for shade gardens or spaces under mature landscaping trees.
· Heuchera (Heuchara americana xx) Native to North America, Heuchera is the perfect groundcover plant for spaces with mature trees or other large landscaping. It thrives in shade, the foliage comes in a variety of shades depending on the cultivar in question, and the small white flowers grow on relatively tall inflorescences that really stand out during blooming season.
· Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens x Buxus microphylla) This is our most specific recommendation; a particular varietal for growing under mature trees. Boxwood is a popular garden shrub for good reason: its compact growth and size—3 to 4 feet/0.9 to 1.2 meters tall and also 3 to 4 feet/0.9 to 1.2 meters wide—make it an ideal shrub for landscaping under windows or along walkways. It also does well in partial to full sun, meaning that it can help define borders around mature trees in a landscaping space.
· Popcorn Viburnum (Viburnum plicantum) Fair warning: popcorn viburnum can grow up to 10 feet/3 meters tall, so some pruning may be in order to keep this plant at the desired size and shape. The reward is a plant with large eye-catching leaves and equally large clusters of white flowers that are show-stoppingly beautiful. Popcorn viburnum is a great substitute for gardenia in some temperate garden spaces or beneath and around mature trees.
· Azaleas (Rhododenron spp) A classic gardening shrub known for its beautiful flowers, azaleas thrive near or under mature trees. They do like some sun, so like viburnum they may be best planted at the edge fo a shaded zone. They make a great space-defining or border shrub as well, adding some color to a walkway or garden path.
How to Underplant Around Mature Trees
Planting shrubs or flowering plants beneath a mature tree isn’t always as simple as digging a hole and putting the desired plant in it. Underplanting as the process is formally known requires us to take the tree, the soil, and the plant to be installed into account.
We recommend leaving some space between the plant we’re planting and the tree itself in order to avoid accidental damage to the roots, bark, or truck. Trees look tough, and many of them are, but hacking away at the roots or leaving even small gouges in the trunk and bark can open the door to infection and further damage; it’s best to leave them be. Likewise it’s best to avoid piling up new soil or compost over the tree’s roots or around its trunk.
Gently dig a hole for your new plant, keeping the hole as small as possible and working gently around the tree roots in the soil to avoid damage. Install the new plant with the desired soil or compost around its root ball and water thoroughly—spaces under mature trees tend to have dry soil. Mulch around the base of the new plant, but avoid spreading mulch over the tree’s roots as much as possible. The knobby roots we see above ground are tough but covering them with mulch can lead to moisture damage. Newly planted flowering plants and shrubs will need regular watering when installed under a mature tree, so make sure you’re keeping the soil damp but not saturated for the first year or so unless that plant specifically needs different conditions.
We Can Garden in Mature Landscaping!
The moral of the story is this: no matter your garden space, you can make it your own. Mature trees aren’t an obstacle, just another garden condition we need to take into account and a chance to explore shade gardening and other ways of working with the natural world around us. We hope this blog gets you started working with and around your mature trees, and we’d love to see the results if you care to send us photos!
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