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Advice on what to plant under a shady tree

tomatustomatus Posts: 27
hi everyone, 

i'm looking for some advice for something to plant under a tree, in a sun deprived area of the garden. ATM its just bare soil. 
ideally something that will grow to fill the space for many years, some kind of bush or shrub would be great. 

any advice appreciated :)


Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Is it dry or wet shade? I'm guessing dry, as it's against a wall and under trees etc, but the general soil conditions throughout the year will influence the choices that will suit.  :)
    What's your rough location - what grows readily in the south east of England won't necessarily grow well in the north west of Scotland. 
    Also - how much room is there? It's hard to see from the pic.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • tomatustomatus Posts: 27
    hi @Fairygirl
    yes, good questions, i should have thought of that. I'm in smelly old London. 
    I'd say its quite dry, with a reasonably loamy soil. size is about 2ft x 4 ft. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited October 2023
    You could try things like Potentillas - the pale creamy ones or the whites. They aren't fussy as to soil type, and don't mind a fair bit of shade. They would need well watered until properly established, but a good bit of mulching throughout the year will also help with that. Not evergreen, but they come into growth quite early, and retain foliage until late in the year. 
    This time of year will be good for planting as you'll benefit from the autumn/winter rain when the tree is bare. 
    Even something for the coloured foliage would be fine, like  Euonymus fortuneii. Again, easy once established, and also evergreen. They do flower, but the flowers are tiny. Lots of varieties with foliage in the green/gold/cream variegated mixes. 

    I expect others will be able to offer ideas for drier shade too. Most of my shade is consistently damp, so I'm not too sure of things that are fine with much drier soil. There's a variegated Osmanthus which might suit though. Often gets mistaken for holly. 
    I grow a white Weigela in shade, but I'm not sure how they are in drier soil, but worth taking a look  :)
    Lots of Euphorbias will be fine too- not all are evergreen, and one or two can be a bit thuggish, but plenty of colour in various ways  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited October 2023
    Perhaps another Hydrangea to complement the one you already have?  Add plenty of organic matter to your soil and keep the plant well watered during its first growing season. If you want something different, Phormiums will grow happily in shade. Choose one of the green and white variegated varieties to add some light to that space. Once established they will tolerate dry shade. The light on the wall behind it will add extra interest to its attractive form at night.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • tomatustomatus Posts: 27
    really interesting suggestions, thanks so much to both of you.
    going to do some image searches using those suggestions and see what might work best. 
     :) 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I have a variegated Weigela in a similar-ish location, dry well-drained soil under a tree and near a fence -  but it probably gets a bit more sun - it's a west-facing fence so it gets afternoon sun (and evening in the summer).
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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