We are currently planting a shade garden under a red maple tree. I have the following planted, Hostas: Krossa Regal, Halcyon, August Moon, Sum and Substance and Wide Brim; sweet woodruff, epimedium, corydalis lutea and foxglove. Does anyone have other ideas? Needless to say the area is dry due to maple tree roots. Thanks
Companions for hostas under maple tree?
Uh, Zinnia,...You're probably gonna want to throw something at me, but,....I don't think your Hostas are going to be too happy in dry shade.Are you sure you wouldn't rather put in some shallow rooted, dry condition, shade plants instead?Some ferns, (like X-mas fern),...would do well there,..Ground covers, like partrideberry, creeping cypress,.Native shallow rooted orchids, like Goodyeras.Would hate to see you loose those beautiful & pricey hostas!
I have had hostas in dry shade for several years now and they are doing fine. Mine are under big oak trees and competing with a very spreading Euonymous " Manhatten"
(which is now climbing the oak tree). Just throwing in my two cents. Lamium is another thought.
puttyrat
Sally I haven't heard of Euonymous manhattan but I have heard of Ligustrum manhattan. Sorry to go off thread here a bit folks but this is intriguing me. Mail me Sally OK!
Louisa, I also have 'manhattan' euonymous growing up a tall wooden privacy fence, it also rambles on the ground if given the space. I'm hesitant to plant it in my new shade bed because it is quite vigourous and thick, I don't think much else could compete.
Under one of my maple trees I have hostas, coral bells, sweet woodruff, lamium, silver mound, lobelia, day lilies, monks hood, monarda,autumn joy sedum, grape hyacinths, balloon flowers and probably others that I'm just not thinking of at the moment, lol. Once a year I dig up all the tree roots that have risen close to the surface as they do, all my plants grow beautifully, they get a little sun late in the afternoon when it starts to set and comes down low enough in the sky. I put this bed in about 4 years ago, and add to it every year, it is now expanded to come out away from the tree and I have added a row of ground cover sedums around the entire front curve.
Thanks zinnia - I will research it :-)
How about nicotinia behind the hostas? and of course you can always put impatiens in front of them for summer color. If it's not too shady, you can even use petunias. You are gonna have to mulch and water, but it will be worth it.
I've had hostas in my under-red-maple shade garden for two years now, and they are thriving--we don't water unless it's very, very dry, but we do mulch. We also have some turtlehead, Johnson's blue geraniums, sweet woodruff, bleeding hearts, fuschia, monk's hood, Christmas ferns, and english ivy. Everything's doing great, and we'll have to divide them all probably next year and relocate it to another shady place. Also, for spring color we've planted crocus, Grecian windflowers, and early tulips.
Jody, It bothers me that you may eventually kill your Maple tree by digging up it's roots, they come to the surface to get needed moisture. Under our Pine & oak trees where it is so shady that nothing else will grow we have just planted a large area of Liriope which is beutiful right now with the lavender flowers.
I have 2 large trees in backyard that former owners mulched with gravel (plain old driveway gravel). I am getting ready to dig out all the gravel, plant some Hostas to start with and use wood mulch. It will have to look nicer (even if the Hostas die) than that ugly gravel! They used that gravel everywhere! All around the house too! the guy didn't like to trim I guess). But I think it is ugly! I just keep throwing it all in the driveway & by the time I am finished I won't need to order new rock for the drive! Julie
barbiespoodle
Aug 21, 2001
Hi Zinnia,
A fellow hostaholic here, almost 250 different varieties, don't know how many actual plants, with plans to add many more. Gardening under maples is a challenge, and one that I have taken with great results. The red maples aren't as bad as the silver maples as far as roots go, but possible as I have found out.
As far as companions for your hostas, my all round favorite is the fern leaf bleeding hearts. Not only does the foliage contrast wonderfully with the hostas but it blooms all summer. Also consider the many different types of pulmonarias, beautiful leaf coloration and flowers in the spring, and the brunneras, variegated and solid green leaves with forget me not like flowers for at least 2 months for me.
BTW, make sure to give that Sum and Substance plenty of room, the world record for the largest hosta is held by the S&S at Wade and Gatton. Got to see this giant first hand, an impressive sight. It's become my personal goal to collect all the S&S sports, 5 to date. Glad I have plenty of room.
I have had hostas under oak trees for about 9 years now. They are doing great. I do water when it has not rained for more than about 3 weeks. I also have some white phlox, some sweet woodruff, some columbine, and a row of asiatic lilies. It needs some rework as the columbines are finally wearing out and some poison ivy is trying to claim a foot hold. If anyone would like some poison ivy I have lots! LOL
I tried lamium white nancy but the squirrels here are always digging it up for some reason. They don't bother it anywhere else! I also had an astilbe which did not like the dry conditions.
Jack
I've always heard not to plant hostas under maple trees so I'm surprised to see some of you have had good luck with this! I put some hostas in big plastic pots and planted the pots under the maples. You should dig up the pots every year to see that those surface maple roots aren't strangling the hostas.
Yes, I have Autumn Joy sedum in shade, sun - everywhere! - and it grows and blooms like crazy.
I have hostas under oak trees and they are sitting...not alive, not dead.
Hi Sis! I'd seen a couple of your posts--I'm close to KC.
Another thought, Zinnia -- I had to put a soaker hose on one side of my house this year cuz it was so dry here. I ran the hose close to each hosta, then covered it with mulch except for the connection end. About once a week I hooked a hose to this soaker and let it run for a couple hours. Kept everything nice and wet!
Good luck.
I am growing all my hostas under a silvermaple, not by choice, but because that is the only shady area I have. It is challenging, but workable. Usually I do enough trading that I am always digging something up to divide, so at that time I seperate out all those feeder roots, and replant the hosta after amending the soil. I believe oak trees have deeper roots, not all the surface feeders like maples do. My companions include Solomon's Seal, epimedium, tricyrtis, Japanese painted fern, maidenhair fern, caladiums (white and green) platycodon, cohosh, black mondo grass, selaginella, vinca 'Illumination', the list goes on... If that is the only place you have to garden, or you are running out of room, why not try it? John
John your shade garden sounds lovely. Dee
Sis, which river? I'm on the Kaw, but not close enough to get the benefit of that black river-bottom soil. Darn! Nothing but hard clay here.
John, I'm amazed you can garden under that silver maple. I'm constantly fighting surface roots. And, the surface roots are winning. (*~*)