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What to plant under a tree?

RowieRowie Posts: 8

Morning all,

I'm completely new to gardening (and this site, so hello! image), and am looking for ideas of what to plant under a large sycamore tree.

The garden itself is south facing, the tree is at the back of the garden, so the area tends to get sun early in the morning then shaded for the rest of the day in the summer.

What would you recommend?

Many thanks,

Rowie x

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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,068

    I have just underplanted some trees in my garden with a mix of geranium phaeum and saxifrage London Pride.

    The geranium will spread happily and has purple blotches on its foliage and small purple flowers in spring which are attractive to bees and hoverflies.   There is also a version with white flowers.   Geranium dalmaticum has evergreen foliage and clear pale pink flowers.  Geranium macrorhizum has scented foliage which goes red in winter and flowers can be white, pink or deep purpley pink.

    The saxifrage will also spread but give a low mat of foliage in glossy rosettes with thin spikes of small fluffy flowers later in the season - if all goes to plan.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • RowieRowie Posts: 8

    Hello Pansyface, 

    I was thinking something small, perhaps evergreen, for interest all round. I have what I think is an Azelea currently under the tree, that does really well, and produces beautiful orange flowers in the spring.

    There is a spot next to this, nearer the tree that I would like to put something to fill that gap,( currently just soil.) Happy to have something low growing that spreads, to fill the gaps around that area.

    As for looking after it... I'm very new to this, so would need something that if I did

    forget about, it wouldn't be such a bad thing...image

     

    image

     

     

  • Did you want something there all year round or flowers for the seasons. Daffofdils, bluebells, snowdrops etc would look lovely in the spring. Ferns would be there all year round. 

  • RowieRowie Posts: 8

    Thanks Obelixx,

    Those plants look really nice (yes,... I had to look them up image) I think they may look good under my tree.

     

  • RowieRowie Posts: 8

    Hi Star gaze lily,

    I would love some colour all year round ideally, I did consider bluebells etc, but then wondered about the rest of the year and how it may look....

    Unless you think they may look good planted with other plants for year round interest?

     

  • Alan4711Alan4711 Posts: 1,657

    We have planted (or Kate has planted ) under a plum tree Cyclamen and they are thriving, we checked first with the RHS ::  A delightful tuberous perennial providing colour often when little else is flowering, particularly in late winter or early spring. Hardy cyclamen species and cultivars are ideal for naturalising under trees, on banks or in a shady border and planted in association with other early-flowering woodland plants such as snowdrops, winter aconites and primroses. we also planted Hostas and living near the coast we can surround our plants with seaweed so no slugs and snails hope this is helpful image Again a bit dull erein Munds

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Of the geraniums obelixx mentions I have found macrorrihizum to be very reliable, dalmaticum a bit inclined to fade away. There's also the hybrid between the 2, halfway in size, G x cantabrigiensis, comes in at least 2 colours. But I still rate macrorrhizum as number one.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Yes sorry Rowie, thats what I meant, so you would have a pop of colour in Spring when the other plants weren't in flower. Meant perhaps one or two small ferns for interest amongst other flowering plants. Astilbes like shade and would mix in with plants suggested by others.

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,068

    Astilbes need quit a lot of moisture so I wouldn't put them in dry soil under trees but you can plant some daffs - small ones such as Tête-à-tête or Minnow would do well for early season colour then follow with bluebells and let the geraniums take over for the rest of the year.    Some ferns such as dryopteris would add height and form and cyclamen are a very good idea and in flower now so a good season extender.   Just make sure they're not swamped by the bigger stuff as their foliage is beautiful but  very low to the ground. 

    Something esle you could consider is removing the lower branches of the sycamore to improve light and allow more rainfall to get to the plants under it.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • RowieRowie Posts: 8

    Thanks for the advice guys, I'm now starting to imagine what it may look like with all those wonderful flowers you've suggested.

    Obelixx, I was looking to remove a branch or two from the tree so I'll try to get that sorted. Is it best to cut branches off at this time of year or wait?

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