Many/most maples are surface rooted and dense. As azaleas and rhododendrons are also surface rooted, they compete unsatisfactorily with that type tree. You might do better with different choice of shrub....

I do have azaleas under a small mature japanese maple; somehow I don't think that is the type of street tree you are describing.

Mor is correct, you've described a very difficult situation for the shrubs, as well as for the tree!

Mor, hope you are still following this thread. I hope what you describe you have is the same as what we would like to do. We also have a mature japanese maple (don't know exactly what kind: leaves turn red in fall, deciduous, about as tall as our 1 story house). There is some kind of shrub (?) poorly growing underneath it, mostly due to poor maintenance. The exposure is great for azaleas and we'd like to replace. Sound ok?

Thanks!
Julie

Hi Julie...You're in the bay area so a nice marine influence for pleasing azaleas? Here conditions are perfect for azaleas and rhododendrons, so they have no other problems to contend with other than a little root competition.

My maple could be smaller than yours, it's Orido Nishiki and aprox 12 x 10', maybe a little smaller. I waste no space - have none to waste. The maple has billardiera longiflora (tiny leafed evergreen vine) growing through it, azalea, maidenhair fern, dwarf solomon's seal, cimicifuga brunette and hellebores under it. I do mulch with compost every spring, fertilize nothing, and have a drip hose wound throughout to keep all happy.

Dig around a little and see if you have planting pockets without too many roots in your way, you'll know if azaleas will work for you there. The also evergreen oriental hybrid hellebores are thriving under my maple too...you can't be locked indoors in your climate in winter either and might enjoy those for the winter flowering interest - my gray damp winters need it.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:392697}}

Thanks Mor! Well the shrubs (still don't know what they are) will be removed and I am thinking they'll leave a nice hole to start with for planting.

Azaleas and Rhodies (I am not clued enough to say which is which yet) are all over the place in my area. But we are pretty inland. A very DEEP marine layer will hit us since we are on the edge. Watch a crow fly and you are practically in the Sacramento valley. As long as they are on the east or north side we do fine.

Thanks for the info. That first post made me freak our for a second! Whew!