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Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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Posted by
sjudith z5 Auora ONT (
My Page) on
Sun, May 20, 07 at 13:26
| I'm trying to find something to plant in the back corner of my small yard. On the other side of my fence is a 100 year old beautiful (but messy) maple tree.
The corner currently has a small Japanese painted fern which is growing slowing but seems to be quite happy and lamium which I want to take out since it looks terrible against the fern. I noticed today that my neighbour's tiger lilies have escaped and growing in the corner too.
My garden is entirely cool colours - pinks, purples, whites so I don't really want to include yellow, oranges or reds.
The other issue is because of the roots to the tree I can barely get into the ground - if I can get down 2" I'm lucky.
What can I plant that would grow well in that corner? It is definitely dry shade but also well protected. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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| It sounds like it might be a sliver maple? |
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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| I believe it is a silver maple too. Any thoughts what I can grow under it? |
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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| Just noticed this post - better late than never! I'm in Stouffville and have a large silver maple too. Under it I have a slightly raised bed that contains hostas, epimedium, lady's mantle, Hakonechloa macra `Aureola`, creeping jenny, trilliums and lots of other stuff. If you don't want to build a raised bed and you want to just plant in what you have now, I'd vote for epimediums and a ground cover like golden creeping jenny or periwinkle. Good luck.. |
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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Vinca minor is about as indestructable a ground cover as I've found for difficult shady areas.
Michele_1 |
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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| I have a large bed of hostas, ferns, and lady's mantle growing under a huge maple. I have the same problem with the roots and dryness. I also have some pink Dicentra formosa (Bleeding Heart "Luxuriant"), which goes nicely with my Japanese painted ferns. One shade plant that you should stay away from - in case you haven't already tried it - is astilbe. I tried several varieties with no luck. I finally read somewhere that they don't like maple trees. I transplanted what was left of them to another shade garden (under an apple tree), and they're doing fantastic, so it really is true that they don't like maple trees. |
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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- Posted by zuni 5a (My Page) on
Wed, Jun 27, 07 at 19:30
| I have a 100 year old silver maple too. I grow periwinkle on one side of the trunk, and gout weed on the other. They look good in the deep shade, and neither has been invasive, so I think the maple keeps them in check. I also have Solomon's Seal and some big leaf brugeras which look nice with the periwinkle. Astilbes won't do well because the maples quickly drink up ALL the water. |
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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| pachysandra has been the only specimen to do well under our silver maple. it was estimated that our tree is about 150 years old. we have 3 on our property. i have tried different ferns, hosta and astilbe. it seems as though the ground just "sucked" them up! i am glad to learn about the astible and maple incompatabilities! |
RE: Plants for under 100 year old maple tree
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This is a pic of my bed under two old maples (last June). I have helebores, virginia bluebells, foxglove and trillium blooming in the early spring, followed by lots of columbine. Last year I added caladium and begonias for summer color.
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