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purplemage

Doozey of a dilemma

purplemage
15 years ago

I have an area in my back yard that has several special requirements and I hope someone might have some shrub ideas for me on this...I will also need ground prep and maintainence ideas too.

The area is the corner of my backyard, sided by two 6'ft privacy stockade fences...next to a huge, black walnut, presumably over numerous other large tress root systems, such as a maple, chestnut and another that I have not identified.

The area seems to be moist and is deeply shaded. The only sun it gets is in the winter around noon and then regular reflected light.

What can I put there? Here's what I hope for:

-3 season interest

-greater than 3' tall

-3' wide or wider

-shade tolerant

-black walnut tolerant

-rapid/moderate growth

-hardy in Z5

-full looking

-prunable to approximately 5'

Here are some of my considerations:

Pieris (doesn't seem to be black walnut tolerant)

Kerria (not quite as full as I would like)

Viburnum (can't find a variety locally that is BW tolerant)

Cinnamon Fern (can't find locally, not quite tall enough)

Are their other fern varieties that would be giant and BW tolerant?

Help is appreicated!

Comments (4)

  • balsam_girl
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have ferns growing in my woods near a wetland that get very tall, about 4 feet high. They are big. Unfortunately I don't know what kind they are only that they grow wild here in Wisconsin. Whether or not they'd be black walnut resistant, I can't say...

  • duluthinbloomz4
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Found this by simply Googling Juglone Resistant Plants...

    Plants Observed Growing Under or Near Black Walnut*

    Japanese Maples, Acer palmatum and its cultivars
    Southern Catalpa, Catalpa bignonioides
    Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis
    Canadian Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis
    Vines and Shrubs
    Clematis 'Red Cardinal'
    February Daphne, Daphne mezereum
    Euonymus species
    Weeping Forsythia, Forsythia suspensa
    Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus
    Tartarian Honeysuckle, Lonicera tatarica, and most other Lonicera species
    Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia
    ** Pinxterbloom, Rhododendron periclymenoides
    **'Gibraltar' and 'Balzac', Rhododendron Exbury hybrids
    Multiflora Rose, Rosa multiflora
    Black Raspberry, Rubus occidentalis
    Arborvitaes, Thuja species
    ** Koreanspice Viburnum, Viburnum carlesii, and most other Viburnum species

    Pot-marigold, Calendula officinalis 'Nonstop'
    Begonia, fibrous cultivars
    Morning Glory, Ipomoea 'Heavenly Blue'
    Pansy Viola
    Zinnia species
    Vegetables
    Squashes, Melons, Beans, Carrots, Corn
    Fruit Trees
    Peach, Nectarine, Cherry, Plum
    Prunus species Pear-Pyrus species
    Herbaceous Perennials
    Bugleweed, Ajuga reptans
    Hollyhock, Alcea rosea
    American Wood Anemone, Anemone quinquefolia
    Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum
    European Wild Ginger, Asarum europaeum
    Astilbe species
    Bellflower, Campanula latifolia
    **Chrysanthemum species (some)
    Glory-of-the-Snow, Chionodoxa luciliae
    Spring Beauty, Claytonia virginica
    Crocus species
    Dutchman's Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria
    Leopard's-Bane, Doronicum species
    Crested Wood Fern, Dryopteris cristata
    Spanish Bluebell, Endymion hispanicus
    Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis
    Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis
    Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum
    Herb Robert, Geranium robertianum
    Cranesbill, Geranium sanguineum
    Grasses (most) Gramineae family
    Jerusalem Artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus
    Common Daylily, Hemerocallis 'Pluie de Feu'
    Coral Bells, Heuchera x brizoides
    Orange Hawkweed, Hieracium aurantiacum
    Plantain-lily, Hosta fortunei 'Glauca'
    Hosta lancifolia
    Hosta marginata
    Hosta undulata 'Variegata'
    Common Hyacinth, Hyacinthus Orientalis 'City of Haarlem'
    Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum virginianum
    Siberian Iris, Iris sibirica
    Balm, Monarda didyma
    Wild Bergamot, M. fistulosa
    Grape Hyacinth, Muscari botryoides
    Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata 'Yellow Cheerfulness,' 'Geranium,' 'Tete a Tete,' 'Sundial,' and 'February Gold'
    Sundrops, Oenothera fruticosa
    Senstitive Fern, Onoclea sensibilis
    Cinnamon Fern, Osmunda cinnamomea
    Peony, **Paeonia species (some)
    Summer Phlox, Phlox paniculata
    Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum
    Jacob's-Ladder, Polemonium reptans
    Great Solomon's-Seal, Polygonatum commutatum
    Polyanthus Primrose, Primula x polyantha
    Lungwort, Pulmonaria species
    Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis
    Siberian Squill, Scilla sibirica
    Goldmoss Stonecrop, Sedum acre
    Showy Sedum, Sedum spectabile
    Lamb's-Ear, Stachys byzantina
    Spiderwort, Tradescantia virginiana
    Nodding Trillium, Trillium cernuum
    White Wake-Robin, Trillium grandiflorum
    Tulipa Darwin 'White Valcano' and 'Cum Laude,' Parrot 'Blue Parrot,' Greigii 'Toronto'
    Big Merrybells, Uvularia grandiflora
    Canada Violet, Viola canadensis
    Horned Violet, Viola cornuta
    Woolly Blue Violet, Viola sororia
    *These are based upon observations and not from clinical tests.
    **Cultivars of some species may do poorly.

    Ostrich ferns aren't bothered by black walnuts either. Once established, the ostrich ferns can grow quite large. Mine have adapted to full sun and are huge - almost prehistoric looking.

  • steve_nj
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I find Choisya ternata, Clerodendron bungei, Eleagnus pungens, Pollia japonica, Heptacodium miconioides, and Magnolia grandiflora do well under/near a black walnut.

  • artdeco
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your backyard sounds very similar to mine.
    I've got Viburnum Trilobum & Arrowood growing well, but in that level of shade they aren't blooming so no berries.
    Spicebush/Lindera is doing wonderful - yellow fall color, yellow flowers very early spring, & red berries in winter. Grows fast to 6' tall in moist areas so a mail order plant is an option if you can't find locally.
    Carolina Allspice is also growing great. Unusual brown flowers that smell nice. 4'h x 4'w
    Itea is doing good in shade - the fall color is better w/ more sun, but it's got a nice arching shape, flowers & holds onto it's leaves most of the winter. But they leaf out very late in the spring so I prefer to have another plant behind it. 3'h x 4'w
    I moved a variagated Dogwood out of full sun into this shady area temporarily, but it's growing like crazy so I'm going to leave it.
    I just bought a small Canadian Hemlock which I'm sure will do good here.
    In a slightly bright spot I planted Arborvitae Brabant (reportedly more shade tolerant) for privacy, but they lost alot of density quickly, so I bought more, moved then closer & replanted in a zig-zag.
    Bladdernut was doing good (6'h x 4'w) until the dogs urinated it to death.
    Pumilla Dogwood is in a wet spot & looking very healthy. It doesn't bloom in the shade, but the leaves are thick & green, w/ red at the edges. I like it alot.
    I tried Pieris - it died quickly.
    Kerria is very thin, but good up against a fence.
    Viburnum Sargentii looks awful - not sure if it's a shade or walnut issue.

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