What to grow under a Maple Tree?
NutCracker20
19 years ago
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LinLee
19 years agojoepyeweed
19 years agoRelated Discussions
What to plant under Maple trees
Comments (25)I have 1 large Silver maple, 1 large Sugar maple, and used to have 5 large Norway maples in this yard. In my experience, there is a significant difference amongst the 3. The Silver maple is very greedy about water and has large gnarly surface roots that grow aggressively into the gardens that are irrigated. These trees have a high anaerobic tolerance, can tolerate seasonal flooding, and I wouldn't worry in the slightest about piling mulch or soil in the root zone (1 foot of soil is a bit much - on the other hand, the roots might be gleeful to have more soil to grow into). I also regularly hack away at large roots to cut them back from the perennials and septic system, with little apparent effect. It's not easy to grow under these trees, but drought tolerant plants do okay. The Sugar maple has much more well-behaved roots. Only, these trees don't tolerate root disturbance, salt, suffocation, or compaction. I dug out 2 large Burning bush from one side of this tree and within months it suffered die back on the trunk on that side and a strip of bark peeled off. So I only dig gently around this tree or not at all. Norways are near impossible. They have dense shade, allelopathic roots, and they suck the soil dry. Not to mention they are extremely invasive. I had 4 of them cut down. The only thing growing happily in the root zone of the remaining tree is Vinca minor. I love the native maples, but they aren't easy to garden under, and I'm not interested in pampering plants to be able to do so. But I have other places to garden....See MoreWhat to do under our old maple trees
Comments (4)Sweet William, Hyacinth, dafodils, are the only plants left that still grow under my Sugar Maple root carpet. This year I dug holes to bury pots that I placed a cut piece of landscape paper in the bottom of pot before the drainage gravel and soil. I am gonna plant elephant ears in the pot and mulch around the rim to hide the top of the pot. Hope to prevent the root carpet from choking them out! The roots finally choked out my Hostas, Lillies, and numerous other plants. I plan to try adding more pots each year if it works this Summer. I hope to use this method to prevent my perrenials from getting choked out after a few years of thriving (wasting money on bulbs) and make it easier to dig up those bulbs in Fall that aren't Winter hardy....See MoreWhat will grow under a Norway Maple
Comments (3)I grow lots of shade plants under large norway maples. They are limbed up, so that the area is reasonably bright even if there is no direct light. I dump a lot of manure and compost on the area and add more each year and also water the entire area during dry spells. I grow lamium, ginger, hosta, ferns, bleeding heart, yew, hellebore, roberts wood spurge, carex, mahonia and a bit farther from the trunk -- kousa dogwood, cornus mas, japanese maples,......See Morewhat to plant under a maple tree?
Comments (19)The espaliered witch hazel at CUH is impressive. My pruning education (formal and practical) said to tread lightly with this plant family, so I was surprised by what I saw there. My winterhazel confirmed its dislike of pruning by sending up a bunch of water sprouts, tall straight growth through the middle of the plant, when I took off a couple of damaged stems. I imagine the gardeners at CUH are successful because the plants are very large, albeit 2-D, and the pruning has surely been done slowly and carefully. Keeping it in a shrub shape, if that means shortening most of the branches, may offer disappointing results. You may want to consider disanthus a for a nice full shrub shape, although the fall color will be less spectacular in shade. Anything planted under a maple is going to be water-challenged, however. Maybe a native (oceanspray comes to mind) would do well....See MoreGhanima
19 years agojoepyeweed
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