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Planting under a silver birch

carolscraftscarolscrafts Posts: 1
in Problem solving
I have a silver birch tree in my front garden.  I cannot get any plants to grow under it.  The ground is very stony and dry.  What shrubs or the like can I plant here.

Posts

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I have grass and crocuses under my B.jacquemontii, just grass under the others. These are all old, well established trees. A couple are in quite moist soil and have acquired a self sown fern or two.
    For me part of the appeal of birches is their beautiful bark and graceful shape and I see no point in concealing it behind shrubs.
    In any case, if the ground is that dry and stony, shrubs of any kind would be next to impossible to establish and if you did get them to grow they would be competing with the tree for inadequate resources, so threatening  its wellbeing too.
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