Lucky you! Our Kwansan Cherry tree blooms get killed by late frost more often than not. We may see those beautiful blooms once in five years.

I'm in a colder zone, but what about a variegated pachysandra? Here it is evergreen and not aggressive like the green one. I think the scale (size) would suit the cherry and it would be bright under the dark foliage.

I don't have a problem with deer (lucky me) but I see it listed as deer resistant.

Mickie

I just have gravel under mine but I do have a Golden Hops which I train up the trunk every year. Mine is a wee bit larger than yours Cameron, planted around 1970 it's about 35' and that's after we had some of the branches were either taken out or cut back due to some die back.
The trunk is quite large I'm sure DH has sized it up, wondering how many salad bowls he could get out of it LOL. Given time these trees get quite large. Ours is still dormant but the buds should start swelling soon.

Annette

We planted Ajuga under a Kwanzan cherry at our Arboretum and the result was interesting. The ajuga did well outside about a 6 foot circle around the base of the tree. The plants inside that circle died. Of course, we've been very dry the past couple of years, but the tree took up all the moisture it could and away from the plantings under it. I hope yours does better. :)

All good ideas and I know the cherry will eventually sap the nutrients from that area. Which brings me to this question... why did our landscaper plant it so close to our house? Hmm... it's such a lovely tree.

Memo - -that's a gorgeous suggestion. I've not seen it around here, so I am unfamiliar. However, it says through zone 7, so marginal for it. I like Bluestone and I may give it a try. I'll first call down to a local grower to see if they have it.

Cameron

Cameron,
They really are lovely trees. Unfortunately, I don't think some landscapers think that far ahead. Like planting 12' shrubs under windows.

Pam

Kwansans are simply gorgeous here in this clime - mine is celebrating its' sixth birthday in my yard, was about the same size as yours in your pic when planted. Now, it's reeaallly tall (I'm no good at estimating height)and the trunk measures 24" around. While some other flowering shrubs have sulked over capricious weather patterns and refused to bloom some years, the Kwansan is a true and spectacular trouper - never fails to overwhelm me each March.

As for close to house planting, well...... in my yard everything is close - my garden courtyard measures about 40' wide x 24' deep at best (so 'courtyard' is a better description than 'back yard'). Skilled pruning, limbing up and shaping are the key and my Garden Elves are the best! They've balanced the canopy perfectly.

As for underplantings, I have a half circle or so of azaelas and gardenias - set about 4' from the trunk. They do okay, but the azaelas are less vigorous than the ones in the front yard, and it took forever for the gardenias to get a grip. This year I'm going to try to 'artfully' arrange rocks in the bare area toward the front and search out shady rock garden plants (or maybe just hope the rocks grow!).

Am thinking for you, maybe something from the stonecrop/sedum family - they like it dry - 'fraid mine is too shady, but will try some anyway. And I have a bumper crop of Solomen's Seal beneath a thirsty Japanese maple, so they might do well too. Actually, my SS burrowed under the drystack wall and poked up three feet away under a magnolia. Since I needed to thin them out beneath the maple, I added more under the magnolia and planted a cluster under the Kwansan. Time will tell if I committed tuber-cide! :o)

A viburnum Eve Price would be pretty because it blooms near the same time with white flowers tinged with pink. The dark evergreen would be a nice contrast to the cherry foliage. It also grows in shade. Kwanzan gets big so a shade tolerant shrub with other perennials would be nice. If you get a gallon sized shrub it can grow up with the tree so to speak and you can still scatter perennials around while the tree is small.

In our hot climate, Stachys 'Helene von Stein' does very well in part sun. Other possibilities for morning sun/dry soil: Allium senescens (german garlic), Cerastostigma willmottianum 'Palmgold', Tradescantia virginiana 'Sweet Kate', Veronica austriaca 'Crater Lake Blue', Campanula poscharskyana, Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine', or Oreganum compactum 'Nana'.

All good suggestions. I have plenty of stachys 'Helene von Stein' to divide. My ajuga isn't mature enough to divide yet, but I like the idea. I wish I could put another Winter Daphne there (I have one in the fragrance garden that's flourishing), but I don't know if there's really enough shade yet. I had one toast 2 years ago in the summer.

The distance from the tree trunk to the stream is only 4 feet, so any shrubs will have to be on the small side since the cherry roots will be hit if we try to dig large holes.

The rabbits are a problem now... I've named this baby Cinnamon Bunny! :-) She's sitting on the threshold of the gable gate (only a few feet from the cherry tree). We've seen her every morning for the last few weeks, so I'm having to use a rabbit repellant on the hardy geraniums, rudbeckia and coneflowers.

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I think that burgundy hellebores would go well with the pink blossom plus hardy ferns which can also cope with dry shade. And will hardy Cyclamen grow for you? They cope with dry shade.

I'm interested that Viburnum Eve Price blooms with the cherry blossom in fairweather's area. Here the Viburnum blooms in the winter and the cherry in the spring. By the time the cherry is out the viburnum is looking a little tired. Curious how plants behave in different climates.

How much sun can hellebores take? If I wait a year or so, there will be definitely be sufficient shade for the hellebores. Right now, I'm not so sure that they won't get toasted in the summer. Maybe I should plant annuals until I have enough shade from the tree for a more permanent solution.

Cameron

Cameron some of my Hellebore get quite a bit of sun but my sun is probably not the same as yours. Why don't you try one and see how it does, the leaves are quite leathery when mature and from what I have heard Deer resistant. I have a couple that have seeded themselves in gravel paths and are growing great guns, I thing you can plant these anywhere they're as tough as nails. Like the saying goes nothing ventured nothing gained :o).

Annette

Hellebores are $12 and up around here. I think that's a little pricey to risk planting and have them toast in the heat. I'm closing in on working in that area... I've been moving from one section to another and still haven't cleaned up all the different gardens. Tell me I'm crazy if I ever think about expanding the garden even further!