It managed to survive only because it spread out in sheer desperation. It gradually crawled out into the lawn well beyond the tree-shadow, and died out around the tree.

We moved them out of the lawn and into a shaded bed nearby, and they are fine. Tried to move a few back into the area of the tree, and that was a bad idea.....

guess I'll be looking for another spot.
thanks for your help

I have grown sedum and violets around the trunk of my sugar maple. The lambs' ears may survive on the sunny (south) side, but probably not near the tree trunk, in the deep shade.

Ditto, mine need part sun to thrive. You might ry some coral bells or wood violets under the maple tree and put hte lambs ear more toward the outside so it gets a bit of sun. Periwinkle (vinca) is another good choice for under the tree, and of course, pachysandra.

We have a huge apple tree that gives similar deep shade and in addition to hostas, I have Solomon's Seal, Jacob's ladder, and dicentras along with coral bells, Japanese painted ferns, both wood and Labrador violets, ajuga, and hellebores. I have plenty of color and lots of interesting foliage. I also put some impatiens in during the spring and they also add pops of color until frost.

Cathy (MA)

Violets grow under my maple tree, which has huge surface roots impossible to mow over, if grass would grow there, which it won't anyway. Also sedums and ajuga do fine there. When it gets hot and dry, the violets go dormant, and self-seeded perennial rudbeckia Goldsturm, which have made themselves at home under there, come along and bloom beautifully in the shade of the maple. Blackberry lilies (belamcanda) have settled in near the trunk and do well there also.