Whether you're an experienced gardener or just starting out, it's important to consider what you can grow in the shade of your trees. After all, you want your trees and plants to not only survive, but also thrive! It can be difficult to find plants that thrive in partial shade and won't starve your trees of nutrients. Here are some of our favorite plants that thrive in the shade of trees of all shapes and sizes - these perennials under trees will brighten up your garden!
Tips for successful planting under trees
There is a long checklist of things to think about before starting underplanting. If you follow these instructions you will have a beautiful garden in no time.
Cut the dead branches
Before you start planting under trees, you should take care of any care issues. While this may seem simple, it is often overlooked when jumping straight into a project. To provide sunlight to the perennials under the tree, you should remove any dead branches and prune the lower branches. Your plants, no matter how shade tolerant they are, still need some sunlight.
Be careful when digging holes
Due to the proximity of the planting site to the tree's roots, special care must be taken when digging the holes. Remember that you must allocate each plant its own space. You can fill the holes with decomposed organic material as you place each plant in its new home. If you come across a root while digging, you should fill the hole immediately. Depending on the severity, root damage can weaken or even kill your tree.
Perennials under trees – proper watering
In order for plants to thrive, they initially need a lot of water. Your newly planted perennials may have difficulty getting enough water because they don't yet have roots. If you want,that your plantsTo thrive, you should water them regularly (of course only when it is not raining heavily).
Garden design under trees – ideas and plant types
These shade plants grow under trees!
Perennials under trees – hostas (Hosta)
Hostas are common but never boring because, thanks to intensive breeding efforts, there is a wide range of sizes, colors and leaf shapes available for use in understory gardens. Hostas are slow-growing perennials that spread over time.
Although these plants can survive in dry conditions, you will find that providing plenty of water is just as important as thatSupply of fertilizer.
Flowering ground cover under trees – the foam flowers (Tiarella)
The foamflower is a hardy plant that blooms in spring and looks great in the shade of older trees. The rest of the time, your healthy plants are busy sending out runners to eventually form a clump of lobed leaves with red veins that is visually appealing but not invasive. If your tree canopy is dense enough to act as a screen, mist your plants with an inch of water once a week and your foam buds will thank you.
What grows under trees? Hazelroot (Asarum)
Depending on the species, hazelroot can reach a height of 15 to 25 cm and a width of up to 60 cm in your garden. The plant is evergreen and does not spread to new areas.
This perennial thrives in partial to full shade because it is so sensitive to direct sunlight. The perennial, herbaceous plant can burn ifdirect sunlightis suspended.
Flowering plants under oaks and maples - the Siberian squill (Scilla siberica)
The Siberian squill has beautiful, purple flowers and is suitable as a tree underplant, but only under deciduous trees such as oak and maple. It is a hardy plant that can also be grown in cooler climates. Although this perennial is very robust, its roots still need to be able to breathe to avoid root rot.
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) thrives in the shade
The lily of the valley is a hardy spring flower with a pleasant scent. Despite its small, bell-shaped flowers, the plant is a vigorous ground cover that quickly fills any empty space in the garden, even the thin, hard soil under old trees. Another variety, for example, has pink flowers for a change.
Perennials under trees – Bergenia (Bergenia)
Bergenia is a popular perennial that, along with tulips and daffodils, is one of the earliest perennials to bloom. The shiny leaves of the bergenias are a wonderful sight. It is a perennial that can endure a lot without becoming invasive.
Heart flowers (Dicentra)
Even when they don't bloom, bleeding heart, also known as heart flower, gives the garden an interesting structure. The hanging, pink, heart-shaped flowers that give this plant its name are beautifully highlighted by the finely divided foliage.
Planting under trees – jewelweeds (Impatiens)
One of the few annual perennials that can survive in shady areas is jewelweed. The plants can also be grown from seeds or cuttings. These flowers prefer shade and require frequent watering. They dry out and die if they don't get enough water. Jewelweed often comes in the following colors: white, red, pink, violet, coral, purple and yellow.
