Ground Cover Advise Under trees in NW
Richard Obendorf
4 years ago
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What sort of ground cover would work under Palm tree?
Comments (3)The pallida would indeed look really nice. Don't know why I didn't think of that. Question though - I've read (and seen) it spread like crazy. I don't want it to invade my neighbor's line, esp. as she just got rid of a bunch. However, I have some on the other side of the house I was hoping would spread and though it's growing well, it's not spreading anywhere. I did put down weed block (which seems to do little for weeds) in some places (newspaper in others) - is that enough to stop it from spreading wildly or do I need to make some barrier along the fence? The other one I love - but doesn't it require a lot of sun?...See MoreGround cover under a pine tree?
Comments (10)Kathi, I wouldn't be concerned about the acidity of the soil. While pine needles do acidify the soil to some extent, our soil is so alkaline that it is really more of a case of it being "relatively acidic" instead of actually acidic. It takes a bit more effort to actualy acidify our soil here. Going back to the problem at hand, there are several choices. I like Judy's suggestion of raking the pine needles around the tree. Just don't rake it up against the trunk. This is another case where a tree self mulches like in nature. Vinca, or vinca minor I think would work depending on how big the pine tree is (the bigger, the better). Lastly, try Japanese dwarf or superdwarf mondo grass ophiopogon japonicus, specifically sp. Gyoku Ryu, Fuiri Gyoku Ryu, and Torafu. These will become more drought tolerant as they are established and like the shade. It is a grass, but the tallest one grows only 6" high (one species is 1" tall), so mowing isn't even necessary and I don't think the dog will mind either. I had been looking at these before and picked them out of a crowd of things I was considering for a groundcover underneath a tree. With more sun, a different type of grass could be planted like the zoysia we were talking about earlier this summer. Here is a picture again GL and HTH...See Moreground cover under several oaks
Comments (2)If the area is mostly shade and moist or frequently irrigated, I'd consider wild ginger, Asarum species. There are many different types, several native to North America. Most are evergreen, often with patterned leaves, and produce odd-looking maroon or purplish flowers. Pretty much no maintenance plants :-) If the area is dryer, Vinca minor or Ajuga reptans could work....See MoreGround cover under big pine trees
Comments (4)Try salal (Gaultheria shallon), oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), and sword ferns. They're tough, and grow natively under large conifers. Other native understory shrubs for dry shade: Evergreen huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum) Indian plums (Oemleria cerasiformis) Snowberry (Symphocarpus albus) Perennials, ferns and groundcovers: Bracken ferns (aggressive and tough, could be perfect for you) Bleeding hearts (Dicentra formosa) are pretty, but might be too fragile Wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) -- aggressive spreader, supposed to be tough, not sure how it would do with the kids. Use the King County native plant guide to find more. Check the boxes for dry, and shade, and hit search....See MoreRichard Obendorf
4 years agoEmbothrium
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRichard Obendorf
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4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRichard Obendorf thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)Richard Obendorf
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
4 years agoRichard Obendorf
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRichard Obendorf
4 years agoEmbothrium
4 years agoMike McGarvey
4 years agoMike McGarvey
4 years agoRichard Obendorf
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoMike McGarvey
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoYardvaark
4 years agoEmbothrium
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