I think hostas grow fine under mine. I find shade bulbs do well because they don't need alot of sun and appreciate the "drier" soil. :)

I have 2 beds under old, established maples. They do suck all the moisture out of the soil, plus, since my beds are lasagna method created, they've put out a gudzillion tiny maple roots into the good, rich soil of the beds.

My beds are 3 years old now, and when I dig into them? It's like cutting through a sponge or matted hair. It's all maple roots.

I am growing Heuchera, Hellebore, Tiarella, Hollyhock, clematis, a TON of hosta, and some Astible under them, but I am rethinking the beds. We're remodeling/rebuilding and are going to patio the front of the house area. I'm going to incorporate raised beds that have bottoms on them, so the maples can't get their roots in. They go 20' away and are rooting up my other beds, too. Maples are demanding and soil-hogs.

C.

I have a really challenging area under a mature red maple, a raised stone-edge bed-I have Alleghany spurge, hellebores, last summer, I planted tourenia, this spring, violas, should probably put in more tourenia now-it is a mass of maple roots, very dry-its in my front yard & our yard is covered in raised maple roots, we have to mow the grass very high, about 4", but I like the maple more than the grass...

Ummm.
You should mow your grass 4'' or higher.
It grows more slowly, is more lush, and when mowed, adds more something (I can't remember what) from the grass clippings composting in place.

So you're doing the right thing, courtesy of your maple roots! [LOL] Check the lawn care forum for actual, accurate details! :)

Christine

I've been lazy and simply planted in between the maple roots where I could. Some of the plants that have done well have been hosta, epimedium, hellebore, hardy begonia, lamium, hakone grass, the slightly thuggish creeping St John's Wort and the grossly thuggish euphorbia robbiae (still like it though).

Larry

I've counted the water hogs and was amazed that we have 9 in our small backyard. My dh is going to cut down at least 4. They are pretty but there's too many. My tiarellas looks stressed. I'm afraid they are going to go into my raised bed that are about 10' away. What is a good alternative tree that is more polite with their roots?
Tabby

Great thread. Thanks for the information. I recently moved into a house with a decent sized red maple in the front yard, and four other small maples. The large maple in the front will stay, but the fate of the other 4 is less certain. Oaks have a good reputation as far as roots go. I had good luck gardening under a tulip poplar, but they grow to be very large trees.

- Brent

Is everyone in the Midatlantic area enjoying the monsoon season? I FINALLY mowed my lawn yesterday (before it rained) & did some planting, weeding, & weedwhacking today.

To stay on topic, besides the large maple in the front yard, I have 4 in the back, & 3 pines, a beech, & a pin oak. I'm also surrounded on the north & west sides by large oaks & maples. I'm learning to love the shade, although I also fiercely defend & plant my 1 or 2 sunny spots. The large bed I planted in the spring under my neighbor's maple still look pretty good-hosta, epimedium, rohdea, pachysandra, hellebores, variegated elderberries-it's in deep shade. Almost nothing growing under the beech-some violets, a wan patch of creeping jenny, & on the edge, where it gets a little sun, a huge heuchera. My compost pile is thriving, with all the rain, & this fall, when the leaves drop, I'm definitely getting a chipper/shredder...