You have a silver maple. What do you plant under it?
March 13, 2013 12:26 PM Subscribe
I have a large silver maple in my front yard, and I'm having trouble finding plants to grow under it. (I've been told it's because of the tree's shallow root system, but I'm no tree expert.) I live in central Illinois, and periwinkle grows in the shade all over the place here, but I haven't had any luck with it. Suggestions for a nice groundcover that would work well in this situation? Plants that are fast growing / invasive are totally okay.
If silver maple is anything like sugar maple (which abound here in and near Ottawa), they drip a sap that will kill pretty much anything that grows under it. I'm actually amazed that Vinca (periwinkle) won't grow under it. What works here are hosta, lily of the valley, trillium and other forest wildflowers, and ferns.
Would you consider any of those?
posted by LN at 12:37 PM on March 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Would you consider any of those?
posted by LN at 12:37 PM on March 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm in an entirely different zone and know nothing about gardening, but why let that stop me? My neighbors have a huge maple in their yard, next to our fence. The previous owners of my house did no gardening at all and not much grew under that maple -- except for low Oregon grape, which is doing well despite being totally neglected.
When I went to a nursery near me they recommended ferns and the ones I've planted are doing well, but that probably wouldn't work for you.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:37 PM on March 13, 2013
When I went to a nursery near me they recommended ferns and the ones I've planted are doing well, but that probably wouldn't work for you.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:37 PM on March 13, 2013
Chamomile will grow under a silver maple. And it smells nice when you walk on it.
posted by bricoleur at 1:22 PM on March 13, 2013
posted by bricoleur at 1:22 PM on March 13, 2013
Have you considered using containers for plants under the tree?
posted by amtho at 1:23 PM on March 13, 2013
posted by amtho at 1:23 PM on March 13, 2013
Aesthetically I like Pachysandra the best. You just have to wait a while for it to fill in nicely.
English Ivy (Hedera helix) might be an option. It's also an evergreen so the area will stay covered, if perhaps a bit yellowed, during the fall/winter.
If you want to go super-invasive, try Goutweed (Aegopodiu podagraria). It will happily try to conquer your lawn too, so you have to keep on top of it. Hard to eradicate if you decide to get rid of it later.
Mulch is your friend.
posted by Kabanos at 1:31 PM on March 13, 2013
English Ivy (Hedera helix) might be an option. It's also an evergreen so the area will stay covered, if perhaps a bit yellowed, during the fall/winter.
If you want to go super-invasive, try Goutweed (Aegopodiu podagraria). It will happily try to conquer your lawn too, so you have to keep on top of it. Hard to eradicate if you decide to get rid of it later.
Mulch is your friend.
posted by Kabanos at 1:31 PM on March 13, 2013
Chamomile! I feel like goldenrod and aster are bad for sugar maples (or the other way around?) so avoid those.
I checked in my copy of Carrots Love Tomatoes, which is normally pretty good about companion gardening, and it says maples are not really companionable plants because of their root structures and some of the negative alleopathic chemicals they give off.
posted by spunweb at 1:55 PM on March 13, 2013
I checked in my copy of Carrots Love Tomatoes, which is normally pretty good about companion gardening, and it says maples are not really companionable plants because of their root structures and some of the negative alleopathic chemicals they give off.
posted by spunweb at 1:55 PM on March 13, 2013
We had no luck with Pachysandra under our silver maple, but some short variety of phlox did really well.
posted by advicepig at 1:56 PM on March 13, 2013
posted by advicepig at 1:56 PM on March 13, 2013
We've got English ivy right around the base of ours and then golden creeping Jenny going like gangbusters about 4' from the base.
posted by drlith at 2:00 PM on March 13, 2013
posted by drlith at 2:00 PM on March 13, 2013
I have a silver maple in northern Indiana. It's medium in size so there's still ok sun under it. I grow mostly plants that do well in dry conditions, like agastache, tansy and yucca. Also: sedges (some need more wet, don't use those), northern sea oats, japanese forest grass and even iris and a very tough rose (the kind with only 5 petals). I do not water that flower bed and the plants do well. You will need to supplement water at least for the first few months, though, while the plants establish their roots.
With more shade you could grow epimedium and lungwort (pulmonaria), both strange-sounding plants that are very tough and pretty. I had those under that maple previously (a tree was removed and there's more sun now)
posted by Anwan at 2:34 PM on March 13, 2013
With more shade you could grow epimedium and lungwort (pulmonaria), both strange-sounding plants that are very tough and pretty. I had those under that maple previously (a tree was removed and there's more sun now)
posted by Anwan at 2:34 PM on March 13, 2013
I used to wonder what it was about hostas that seemed to get elderly gardiners so excited. This past couple of summers I discovered why: certain varieties grow extremely well in shade, they look great all summer and are somewhat drought tolerant. Keep dividing them and they make great ground cover.
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:31 PM on March 13, 2013
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:31 PM on March 13, 2013
I'd also try hosta. I think the bigger problem you'll have is trouble digging to plant something w/o damaging the shallow tree roots. I'd suggest buying small plants and wait for them to grow big than getting mature plants to start.
posted by evening at 4:50 AM on March 15, 2013
posted by evening at 4:50 AM on March 15, 2013
notes from the golf course:
Sweet Woodruff. Hosta. Dead Nettle. Hakone Grass. Lily-of-the-Valley. Ribbon Grass (Phalaris).
I've also had luck with several bugleweed (ajuga) cultivars.
Remember that Maples are notoriously shallow rooted water hogs, Silvers especially. Provide enough (water diligently) water to your chosen groundcover for it's first season and you'll be in great shape. Good luck!
ajuga
sweet woodruff
dead nettle
posted by greenskpr at 2:11 AM on March 18, 2013
Sweet Woodruff. Hosta. Dead Nettle. Hakone Grass. Lily-of-the-Valley. Ribbon Grass (Phalaris).
I've also had luck with several bugleweed (ajuga) cultivars.
Remember that Maples are notoriously shallow rooted water hogs, Silvers especially. Provide enough (water diligently) water to your chosen groundcover for it's first season and you'll be in great shape. Good luck!
ajuga
sweet woodruff
dead nettle
posted by greenskpr at 2:11 AM on March 18, 2013
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posted by lstanley at 12:35 PM on March 13, 2013