Azaleas and camelias are happy in the shade of an oak tree. The asiatic jasmine will do very well, too, but I wouldn't call that "low maintenance."

Oyster plant...
Low maintenance, will spread quickly but growth is limited to the shade.

Looks fantastic, IMHO

Variegated ginger, Persian Shield, Justicia, Florida Anise, Bromeliads, and Ferns. I have shade from oaks, too. I also have dwarf gardenia and hydrangea with some coleus and fuschia. Sounds like you already have a good plan, too.

Plants, plants, plants. Why is it always plants? This is the perfect setting for a rock garden.

1. Your tree's root system is going to suck up all the available water and nutrition. Any plants you put in MUST be willing to tolerate that environment.

2. Things fall out of large trees on a regular basis. Anything you plant under the tree is going to get damaged when that happens.

Spray the entire area with RoundUp. Two days later, cover the area with river rock. Use three different sizes - extra large, medium, very small. You'll need at least 60 bags (40 are medium) to do the job right. Big expense, but you'll never need to water or fertilize them.

Buy three very large boulders. You want them to be different sizes and shapes. Two close to the house, one closer to the street. Place them artistically.

For plants - bromeliads, barrel cactus, various succulents, maybe an agave. Plant them in the sunny spots, as well as around one or two of the boulders.

This should cost you a couple of grand but it will be low maintenance, work well with the setting, and your ongoing cost is nearly zero.

This post was edited by fawnridge on Sat, May 18, 13 at 7:39

I have purple & green bromeliads, ferns & purple lady under my live oak, all seem happy to coexist.
I also have some large ceramic pots w/ 'houseplants' : snake plants, Chinese evergreen, dracaena, & something trailing I do not know the name of.

Definitely could use a bit of landscaping. I think caladiums under oaks work well.

Grass should be able to grow better than that under there, but that's some seriously sandy soil. I don't think it retains enough moisture or has enough nutrients to support grass, especially not a hungry variety like st. Augustine. You might start spreading compost frequently and in a year or so you might have enough nutrients to support grass.

The river rocks sound attractive but costly. I have lovely kalanchoe under the shade of a live oak, also ferns seem to do well. Just planted some oyster plants and know they do well, transplant easily and provide that cool green and purple combo.

You have to cut that tree down completly, then start to think about landscape or garden.

NOTHING!!!!! Will grow under this oak. I can't understand what a point to keep it? It cause only mess all year around and ugliness.

This is my back yard. I posted a photo of the front yard in a separate post. Bromeliads work well for me.

Troll...

Here is a link that might be useful: Troll (Internet)

Thanks for the advice everyone.

@fawnridge: A rock garden has its advantages, but it's costly and I prefer the look of plants. I may incorporate some hardscaping if I'm unable to get plants to grow.

@slopfrog: Yes, this area has very sandy soil. Unfortunately, growing grass under the oak is a losing battle as there's just not enough light. I would have to resod every year.

@avgusta: Cutting down the tree isn't an option. Oaks are considered a protected species and it's against the law to remove healthy trees in our area.

@coffeemom: Great job on your front and back yard! Definitely an inspiration.

A poster's advice to cut down a healthy oak tree is shocking. The benefits of trees in the landscape is well documented. Trees add value to your home and reduce pollutants in the air. Almost all cities in South Florida encourage the planting of trees, and most will levy fines against homeowners who remove mature trees without a valid reason. Visit this website to learn more about trees in residential landscapes http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm

I think Love the Yard had it when he/she called 'Troll'. I've only been on these forums for a year and I've been amazed at how Troll-free these forums are. But that's two possible trolls in two weeks. Does this happen a lot this time of year? Spring brings forth the flowers, new gardeners and trolls?

Not too often - at least not in such an obvious way - in the 10+ years I have been here.

Carol

Well I'm certainly not a troll, and I have to agree with her. I don't care for them at all. They make a mess everywhere, they make it darn near impossible to grow anything that needs sunlight (which is most everything I'm interested in), they take up far too much space, and while they might lower power bills, they're also great for ensuring your home stays wet and moist all the time - resulting in rot and insect infestation. Plus, they take all the sunlight away from the windows and make your house feel like a dark cave. Oh, and let's not forget about all the squirrels that will come and eat every bit of fruit you do manage to grow in whatever speck of sunlight you might find.

I grew up in a house with huge magnolias and oaks and suffered terribly as a teenager cleaning up after the damn things. If it were me, I'd cut it down ordinance or not. If they fine me, I'd pay the fine. There's a limit to how much a city can fine someone for ordinance violations. I think it's a $1000 or something like that. Worth it to me.

I have a general rule, and that is that I keep trees that work for me instead of me working for the tree. If I have to work for the tree in order for it to provide for me, then I'm okay with that too. But there's a quid pro quo - I expect fruit , flowers, or some other useful product.

The only time I like oaks is when they are in other peoples' yards, provided they aren't my neighbors. Flame away! :)

Oaks ARE messy (especially when the catkins are dropping), but I love them anyway.

I quite like them and often wish I had two on the west side of my house. There are a few in my neighborhood that have grown up to shade the homes they are near and of those homes, only one is showing signs of deteriorating conditions and I've noticed a marked difference between this house and the others. The other homes in the area with oaks growing near them have had the oaks trimmed back so that no branch comes within 5 ft or so of the roof, walls or eaves of the house. Being that I rarely see anyone on these roofs blowing off leaves, I'm actually surprised that the roofs are as clean as they are. But in the case of the one house that is indeed starting to rot and mildew (oddly enough, the same next-door house that has the cat smell permeating around it), none of the branches have been trimmed back. Every time the wind picks up, I can hear the branches scratching and scraping across their siding and roof. A few of the branches (thin ones) are actually resting on the roof and catching any run-off of water or leaves making for huge mounds on their house. This causes a near-constant trickle of water down the north side of their house which keeps turning green with algae growth. And I take back the bit about the 'none of the branches have been trimmed back.' Near the beginning of last summer some of the branches from this tree started scraping against the edge of my lanai and I asked them, politely, to trim it back. But by September the branches had not been trimmed back and they were starting to pull at the guttering along the eaves, so the Park Owner came over and trimmed the tree away from my house.

So yeah, I can see how oaks can lead to increased home maintenance, but I've also seen that with proper care, they don't seem to do as much damage.

Also, as a side note. I have seen squirrels make that 5 ft leap from the trees to two of those houses, but it's not very often. I haven't seen one leap back to the tree though. They end up looking for other ways down. My neighbor's house though... Squirrel City. Squirrels are crafty little buggers, but I think the more difficult you make things for them, the more likely they are to seek easier venues.

There is one thing I do not like about Oaks though, and that's the acorns. Come October/November, I'm always very thankful that I don't have an Oak over my house as I hear half the neighborhood 'clang-clanging' and 'bonk-bonking' from the rain of acorns.

I learned years ago that we don't plant trees for our generation, we plant them for the next generation. Trees benefit us all, not just the property owner. I have several trees on my property that don't produce fruit or flowers for me. But I am proud that I am doing my part to clean the air and provide a habitat for animals.

I love oaks. I've bought three houses in the past because of the oaks. My property now has dozens of oak trees. I have lots of free mulch each year. But I don't like the acorns getting into my crocs. Anyway, I don't think anyone has mentioned cast iron plants. Especially the varigated ones look great in the shade and are low maintenance. All kinds of ferns, too. I like holly ferns the best. And Azaleas. They go great with oaks.

Some people are dog people. Some people are cat people. I am dog people.

Carol

What about those of us who like dogs and cats? :)

I have similar issues in my yard. The oaks stays 1) because it shades the front of my home. 2) it is providing me free mulch for the bed I'm creating under its boughs. and last 3) I'm trying to create a 'Florida Friendly Yard' with what I have to work with. I am from Ohio and am still learning the growing seasons and what should grow where and what was already in my yard. (not much). I just started my planning this spring. The caladium I planted under the tree when I first moved here are still sparce but so far all bulbs have come back for a second year and have flowered. :) still working on filling in the rest on the bed???. Research and what you like iswhat will work for you. Good Luck with what ever you decide.

Cindy

I've pulled up all my front lawn and put divided it into sections, some with river rock, some with mulch and native plants. The river rock is much more work! I have to leaf blow it almost every night to keep it looking neat. I've got lots of plants in attractive planters on the river rock (and filling in thin spots where it's mulched till the bushes get bigger). I have a huge live oak in the back yard (one of the reasons I fell in love with the house). It self-mulches, I amend it occasionally. The squirrels have planted queen palms around the base. I'll let them stay till they get too big. When they're young, they're similar to areca palms.

Few mature trees welcome grass as they are in competition. Asian Jasmine has been successful under our North Texas Live Oaks. It takes several years and a fair amount of water to get a firm hold and then it will attempt to take over. A dilute spray of Roundup can be used on it in late Spring to kill the weeds that pop up while it is getting established. Iris get along with oaks. I have had luck with autumn sage, artemesia, lantana and, contrary to expectations, rosemary on the sunnier perimeter about 4 - 6 ft trom the trunk. You may consider a simple drip water system for those plants at least until they are well established.

I commune with my maker among trees. They are my church or temple. There is a swamp west of town called Barley Barber Swamp. I go there to be with the grand daddy cypress. 500 to 1000 years old. I make furniture from sustainable stands. I'm reverent to the lumber. Only clear finishes to see and celebrate the beauty of the wood. The trees make life sustaining oxygen.

But I have issues with ficus trees. I do like them but they need to be in the right place. Just like an elephant. I like them but I don't have the room. And the ficus can be overwhelmingly destructive. Their roots seek water and will harm septics and swimming pools.

Save the oak please!

I have 3 mature Laurel Oaks in my 1/3 acre yard (one with a diameter of 3ft). One provides a lot of shade but the others do not because the lower limbs have been cut and the crowns are very high. Plenty of sun gets to the ground. I even have a some veggies growing under one and they are doing fine. The leaves make great mulch, but those pesky acorns are a pain.

I recently removed a Live Oak from my back yard. The builder put the tree between my two story house and my neighbors in a 20 foot space. We all know that Live Oaks eventually get 100 foot wide. My neighbor and I both have pools and the tree was constantly creating a mess almost year round. We have lived here 10 years and the tree was above both houses. It was more messy every year we allowed it to grow. The tree had to be limbed up every year to keep it off our roofs which was $200 per year. The tree was also about 4 feet from the patio and was causing subsidence of the concrete. Limbing the tree up still did not provide enough sunlight for grass to grow because it was in a tight space between two houses. Last winter a huge limb broke in an ice storm and just missed my roof and fence. I like Live Oaks when they are out in wide open spaces where they are allowed to grow naturally without the use of a chain saw. There are way too many of them planted along city streets which have to be butchered in order to keep them out of the power lines. I replaced the Live Oak with a smaller ornamental tree and created a butterfly garden. Also re sodded the yard. I am happy, happy, happy. No more high maintenance.

I was disappointed that the only large oak on the property we ended up purchasing had been limbed up high (instead of more picturesquely), but the ground protected by its high, dappled shade is easily the most desirable growing area we have (for decoratives, not veggies, of course). My plantings there are already confirming that many plants that need "full sun" farther north greatly benefit from dappled or high shade in Florida, including flowering ones. No surprise -- it was the same where I gardened in SoCal.

Koolkat, since we're seasonal residents, I had to choose plants that would be fairly bulletproof once established. And budget pretty much limited this year's choices to what I could find at flea markets. With those limitations, my choice for a little "mass" ground cover, both at the base of the tree and also toward the west perimeter where more and more afternoon sun zaps in, was agapanthus -- which I might well have chosen anyway. It had all settled in nicely and was blooming away when we left, and the foliage was already providing its usual handsome contrast to the existing lawn and the new shrubs, as well as a couple of tough perennials I couldn't resist tucking in.

Ckjudd where in Ohio? We're from the Cinti/northern KY area.

Sedges do very well under oak trees and in shade. Try Carex Divulsa - also called Berkeley Sedge (although it's true grey sedge). Here's some pretty pictures: http://www.greenleeandassociates.com/carex-divulsa.html

I live not far away from the Tampa area, and have live oaks in my yard.

One is mature, and has been here forever. My only complaint is that way back when another owner had a pool installed, they put it directly under the oak tree :( Yes, I could have it removed, but doing so would allow the sun to hit the house directly for another 3 hours per day. So I'll clean the pool instead. The grass growing in the shade under the tree is the nicest grass in the yard. Deep green, soft, and no brown spots.

The second live oak I actually planted in front of the house about 2 years ago. It is growing well, and I look forward to the time when that oak will be able to provide shade for the front yard. It should keep the grass a little healthier actually.

They do have another benefit for those of us who hate freezes. Their overhead canopy is some of the best freeze protection you can get. I have seen the temperature get down to 24F here, and yet no frost under the live oak, even if it was everywhere else in the yard. As a result, I have more success with bananas that are partially shielded from freezes by the long reach of my oak. If the bananas in the front or sides of the house freeze, I walk around back and still have bananas that are a healthy green. Even with relatively sensitive bananas like Ice Cream, the canopy of the oak helps as much or more than planting them tight up against the house.

Most of the people in my neighborhood grow bromeliads under them, with a few people planting ornamental grasses under them. Another native option is dwarf palmetto. Because of the additional freeze protection, it's also a good place for crotons. I'm literally surrounded with fruiting plants and do not have an issue with insects, at least not one that is worse than anyone else on the street.

If the shade is too much for your tastes, you can thin the tree out using a pole saw. I typically trim mine twice a year (fall and spring), on the branches that are too low for me to walk under when I mow. Hopefully this helps and you can keep the tree.

Here are some photos from Fort Lauderdale area.....Bromeliads around Ficus Tree and Live Oaks, and a mixed planting of liriope, crotons, xanadu around a Bald Cypress...I think it works better and looks better than mulch....

Another option to add a little dressing is shown in attached photo from last year

One (or maybe two) of the more disturbing comments I've seen here-these oak haters. Wow, I guess it takes all kinds but that's some serious ignorance, the first guy anyway.

But, W-Tom, the fellow who gleefully prescribes poisoning or shooting anything that might eat flora and fauna has not chimed in yet!

Yes, we can still look forward to that!

jc927, loved your photos.

Well my opinion , is thus first to those who suggest cutting down the oak .They might check their local ordinances,you must acquire a permit before ever even thinking of harming these majestic trees. If you do and are caught by code enforcement it could cost you in hefty fines and having to plant many oaks for the one you destroyed all based on the girth of the trunk.

Now to the planting of Bromeliads if you spend no time at all outside these plants are great as mosquito breeding grounds as they hold water in their throat and mosquitos will lay their eggs there ensuring blood sucking varmints galore.

Some people have already made some great suggestions . My favorites are as follows Azaleas ( there are a lot of choices in flower colors and sizes. Azaleas are shallow rooter. So buying smaller one gallons can assure better results. Amending the soil by using Miracle grow potting soil will give you a great start. Remember if you want showy flowers in Feruary and March prune after flowering stops and never ever prune after 4 th of July . Otherwise you will cut off the buds. So cut only rooster tails ( tall scraggly unruly branches that grow twice as tall as the rest of the plant.

Ferns are great and thrive under oaks and are fairly maintenance free. ,they also spread filling areas with little output of money. My favorites are Holly Ferns, Foxtail ferns and the old standard Boston ferns. A little fish emulsion amended into the soil prior to planting can garner good results.

Camelias, Hydrangeas, are awesome as they live all year round .

annuals can sometimes give you many months and even years of pleasure ( as they can reseed themselves) caladiums ( which are bulbs ) in a grouping surrounded by impatiens are wonderous way to get color in the shade of an Oak . Remember watering during hot months and a little osmocote mixed into the potting mix and sprinkled around each flower can give give your flowers months of food thanks to its time release formula. Philodendrons of all sorts are also a good choice. Mondo grass, liriope ( big blue or Aztec ( variegated)

Asiatic jasmine is somewhat minimal maintenance and there are new varieties out, that have bright pink foliage mixed in and these newbies just love the shade. Oak leaves make a great natural mulch ( as when the leaves break down the turn the soil slightly acid P.H. And this is ideal for all the plants I have mentioned above. Also consider large boulders water features like a small water fall .running water splashes onto plants and the sound of water has a calming and cooling on humans when it is hot . Last the shade from large trees especially oaks can drop temperature by a few degrees . Couple that with a slight breeze and you will appreciate the shade of an oak especially on a hot day. Try to buy oaks from a reputable nursery. Live is the majestic tree that outlives most humans two three fold or more. Laura oaks are fast growing a six foot tree at planting with loving maintenance can see growth of twice to three times its height and width in 3 to 5 short years.

Look around your neighborhood or surrounding coomunity if you spot an oak take note as to what plants are growing under oaks with your own similar exposure.

To the person that stated sandy soil is just around your tree. Florida soil is primarily sandy .

Last consult your local nurseryman,He will be the best investment .

Rob

I forgot Orchids hung from an oak can be spectacular . Also Staghorn and Elkhorn ferns do well hanging under the shade of an Oak.

Rob

Koolkat..glad to see you reject removal, river rocks, mulch etc.."oaks are messy"..so are animals, children, husbands etc..so rid ourselves of anything that requires some work?..don't think that's the solution..I would never remove that tree..