Shady locations present a certain challenge when it comes to making them blooming. It is usually green plants that thrive in such places. But not the hydrangea bush, which also decorates shady areas with its flowers. However, if it grows higher, the area around it appears quite bare. But you can change that too by planting the shrub under it. We list the best ground cover plants that can thrive wonderfully under hydrangeas.
Under what conditions do the plant partners have to grow?
Conditions are somewhat harsher under the hydrangea bushes. On the one hand, there is the shade, which can be quite dense depending on the location and orientation as well as other tall plants in the area (most hydrangea specieslike partial shade, but also tolerate shady places). In addition, the flowering shrub does not tolerate lime very well and prefers slightly acidic soil.
Which plants go well with hydrangeas?
- Plants that tolerate shade and partial shade.
- Those that tolerate slightly acidic soils.
- Varieties that prefer soils with less lime.
Which ground cover to plant under hydrangeas?
So let's now come to suitable ground-cover plants that are suitable for planting under the shrub. Plant the following ground covers under hydrangeas to enhance your garden with beautiful foliage colors and flowers.
Ground cover with yellow flowers
Let's start with a few bright yellow accents amid dark leafy green. Plant these yellow ground covers under hydrangeas:
Golderdbeere (Waldsteinia geoides)
The golden strawberry proves to be very robust and undemanding with its subtle yellow flowers, which delight the eye like small accents in the lush foliage. The 15 to 30 cm tall plant prefers partial shade, so it is an advantage if some sunlight gets under the hydrangeas for the ground cover. She also likes the acidic soil. Flowering occurs in April or May and attracts insects. So they are particularly bee-friendly plants.
sock flower (Epimedium)
The sock flower, also known as the elf flower, also likes the same location. It grows as tall as the golden strawberry mentioned above and, in addition to flower colors such as yellow, white, orange, red, pink and violet, it also impresses with its changing leaf colors. The perfect oneGround cover for shadeand partial shade!
Other yellow-flowering varieties:
- Carpet St. John's Wort (Hypericum)
- First (Primula)
- pigeon nettle (Lamium)
- Red dwarf barberry (also in orange and red)
- Lerchensport (Corydalis)
Ground cover flowering in purple, pink and violet
Purple and pink transform the area below the hydrangea bushes into romantic spots. For example, plant these ground cover plants under hydrangeas:
Bergen (Bergen)
Bergenia doesn't just score points with theirspink flowers(also in purple or white), but also with the foliage that changes color in autumn. The plant is bee-friendly and can easily be propagated by division to soon cover larger areas. It grows 25 to 40 cm high.
Plant the blue cushion (Aubrieta).
The name is a bit misleading because...blue bloomsThe ground cover actually doesn't, but rather in a strong purple, but also in red, pink or white. The undemanding plant feels at home in both sandy and heavy, loamy soil and only grows to a height of 8 to 15 cm. You can expect the flowers, which are also very tasty for bees, in April or May. If the fast-growing ground cover is planted under hydrangeas, it will soon cover the area like a carpet and create a wonderful contrast with its dense blooms.
Other varieties in these colors:
- Elfenblume (Epimedium)
- Large evergreen (Vinca major)
- Small periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Functions (Hosta)
- carpet knotweed (Akin to bistorta)
- Kriechender Günsel (Ajuga Reptans)
- soapwort (Saponaria)
- Storchschnabel (Geranium)
- pigeon nettle (Lamium)
Ground cover under hydrangeas - Bring the popular and rare blue into the garden
Blue flowers are a rarity and are therefore very valued. How lucky that there are actually species you can plant under hydrangeas.
Memorial (Omphalodes verna)
Sky blue flowers (or white ones) will dress up the hydrangea bush like a carpet when you plant the memorial plant underneath. The ground cover plant is hardy even without protection, but the above-ground parts die off in autumn. The flowering phase is in spring.
Lerchensporn (Corydalis)
If you like this flower, you can plant it not only as a ground cover under hydrangeas, but also in the form of vines or perennials up to one meter high. The only disadvantage of the low varieties is that the above-ground parts of the plant die after flowering in May or June and the area you planted becomes bare again until the next season. It is therefore better to plant them together with other ground cover plants. Otherwise, the foliage is very nice to look at and the flowers also smell pleasant.
Or how about:
- Lungwort (Pulmonary)
- First (Primula)
- Storchschnabel (Geranium)
White flowering varieties for shade and partial shade
If you prefer white varieties, it is best to choose from the following specimens:
- Memorial (Omphalodes verna)
- lily of the valley (Convallaria Majalis)
- carpet knotweed (Akin to bistorta)
- Large evergreen (Vinca major)
- Small periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- soapwort (Saponaria)
- Storchschnabel (Geranium)
- Kriechender Günsel (Ajuga Reptans)
- Lungwort (Pulmonary)
- First (Primula)
- pigeon nettle (Lamium)
