I remember seeing this post or one similar to it a few months ago, and I did a bit of research, but I think that the African Spider Plant is NOT the one that most of us have grown as house plants at some point, and I also think that the number of them that would have to be planted in/around/among the canes of the rose would be an impossible and improbable task. The facts are correct (thank you Henry), but the implementation isn't actually going to do any of us much good.... IF I remember correctly, and now (I know I should have done it before I started this post) I'm going to trot off and do that research again.... Susan

Hi it's certainly not listed as a CP in fact Not one mention of the habit in 3 languages lol I first noticed the resin about 2 weeks after germination.. Light amber in color no noticeable smell just incredibly sticky. Within a month it had caught it's first lizard. Noting that there was not one insect caught in the resin I took some ants and placed them on the leaves. They all jumped off immediately. It does seem to secrete more resin around the lizard but I can't detect any type of digestion. Don't you think that's interesting enough to rate a paragraph or two?? lol These trees are grown by the acre in S. America but seem to rare in the US. Schizolobium "Split lobes" refers to seed pods that divides in half at maturity. You can google "pavonia" on the bird catcher tree. Was used tby the native Hawaiiians to cath the tiny birds that made those beautiful robes. It is not listed as a CP either but is known that the tree utilizes the body for seed germination. Most of the writeups are on if the plant is native to "Hawaii" not it's growth habits. I'm not sure "Carnivourous " has a scientific definition?? I suspect that most epiphytic Bromeliads are carniverous but I think only 3 are classified as such. Those that store water have bunches of different creatures utilizing the water yet don't seem to be consuming the plant. If nothing else waste is being deposited in the water all the way up to birds. Since there is no "flush" must be using it?? lol gary

We don't have any hickory trees, but we do have several black walnuts on the land we live on, and have had good success with juglone tolerant perennials near them. I agree with gardengal48 that you may experience more of a challenge from the roots of the trees interfering with planting and moisture more than the juglone. Growing from seed may make the landscaping process easier, rather than trying to dig holes for larger nursery container plants. Here are some links to some lists of juglone tolerant plants. Keep in mind though that sometimes various lists will contradict one another about what is juglone tolerant and what isn't: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1148.html http://wihort.uwex.edu/landscape/Juglone.htm#Trees&Shrubs: http://www.wvu.edu/~Agexten/hortcult/fruits/blkwalnt.htm http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-021/430-021.html You may want to try to select perennials that also tolerate dry soil, depending on much the trees root systems are dominating the land you live on. Sometimes I find it helpful to research the natural forest habitat of trees...what forest-expert types usually call the "forest alliance"...and then look for the plants that naturally grow underneath them what's known as the "understory" or "herb layer". These types of native plants will likely grow the easiest and require the least maintenance. Not sure what kind of hickory trees you have, but if they're naturally growing in your yard, they would be one of the Caryas...possibly Carya ovata (Shagbark Hickory) or maybe Carya glabra (Pignut Hickory). Depends of course on what area of the country you're in. Here's some info on forests with hickories in Maryland: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Md_Veg_Com/10_.asp Look for what's listed as growing in the "herbaceous layer", "herb layer" and "shrub layer" and you may get a better idea of what will naturally grow well beneath hickories.

I have a bunch of stuff growing under the canopy of my trees. It seems that this year my live oak is really competing for nutrients. My boxwoods,ligustrum, liriope are very clorotic. Even my columbine is struggling. I chalk it up to the drought. I planted Suspensum Viburnums two years ago and they seem to be doing very well, almost no chlorosis. They are more attractive and have a bolder foliage than most of the traditional foundation shrubs. http://www.floridata.com/ref/V/viburn_s.cfm My plumbago is also doing well. Sago Palms perform well in dry shade. Cast Iron plant does well in deep shade. Last year, I bought this really neat plant called a Beschornia. False Red Agave. I spotted them at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, in the succulent exhibit. And it was like, "What's That??!!" It's beautiful. I've got three of them. They look very tropical..Like a giant evergreen spider lily. Extremely drought tolerant. They're from the Sierra Madre. I managed to get mine from Rainbow Gardens. However, I don't know if it is something that they normally stock. They got their's from the person that supplied the Botanical Garden's. Beschorneria prefers shade. Yuccado is selling Beschornia seedlings. Here is a link: http://www.yuccado.com/displayone.php?ytitle=Beschorneria x 'Ding Dong' seedlings Beschorneria is very popular in Europe, but for some reason hasn't caught on here. Here is a picture of one in my yard. It's newly planted in the right hand corner. To the left is also a newly planted Mediteranean Fan Palm. In the very far right corner of the photo, near the house, I have one that is blooming. The link photo shows one in bloom. Here is a link that might be useful: Beschnorerias in an Irish Garden