Beginner Gardening: Planting under pine trees, 1 by andycdn

andycdn wrote:
I learned from what grows under pines in the wild at our family cottage. Several kinds of fern come to mind, notably the maidenhair (adiantum pedantum) and the Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides). Both are listed in PlantFiles. The more common bracken fern also thrives in our pine forest.

For ground cover, I have Creeping Jenny growing like mad in some spots. I rip most of it up every fall to keep it under control, and it grows back nicely each year. Wild aguilegia (columbine) do well, blooming orange and yellow each spring (see photo).

For shrubs, I have cedars and juniper growing beneath the pines, where there is enough light. Honeysuckle doesn't seem to mind the acidity, but I throw some dolomite lime around them every few years just to be on the safe side. I've also got a large planting of sorbaria which stays lush and green all summer. And several wild serviceberry bushes do well every year, and the birds love the fruit!

Good luck.