What options do I have for shrubbery

I have a line of pine trees that I would like to plant some things under, particularly bushes of some variety and possibly some perennial flowers. I live in zone 5 and the trees are pretty big and provide pretty well full shade, along with being pine trees. The plan is to put some mulch around the trees to help the ever-present war against weed trees. I am hoping not to have to do much futzing with these plants.

So… what options are there?

Ni!

Ni!

ETA: Damn you, Leaffan!

Oh dear, I’d hoped there had been enough substantive answers already posted to this thread for me to start adding Pythonesque quotes.

But I see it’s too soon.

Honestly, I’d vote for a “blank” buffer area around the trees with just mulch, at least a little. Trees take up a lot of nutrients and water from the soil around them, and so the American standard of planting a ring of flowers right up against the trunk winds up being not so good for both the flowers and the tree. (Pro tip: the tree will eventuall win. Plant those same flowers somewhere else, though, where they don’t have the same level of competition, and watch 'em bloom!)

That said, Google “shrubs full shade zone 5” for some specific ideas, and you can even add additional info to the search field like “clay soil” or “drought-tolerant” to narrow it further. Keep in mind that fallen pine needles are acidic, so the soil around the pines is likely not friendly to plants that need alkaline conditions.

I would ask Roger…he arranges designs and sells shrubberies, from what I’ve heard.

-XT

If planted away from the immediate tree root zone, shrubs will have a better chance of flourishing.

This site has a listing of hardy shrubs tolerating shade (including some viburnums, hydrangeas, dogwoods, witch hazel etc.).

I’d look for options with fall foliage color, since pines are deficient in that category.

And not an herring to be found. I knew I was gonna get some Python answers but I was pretty sure the word bush wouldn’t help.

Yeah, you were doomed from the get-go.

I, for one, cannot see or hear the word ‘shrubbery’ without snickering.

Sorry to be of zero help.
mmm

The only things that seem to grow in deep shade are dandelions and poison ivy and sugar maples. :smiley:

How shady is the area? Is there any direct sunlight hitting that area at all, even if it’s only a few hours per day? If you can get a few hours of sunlight per day, you have more choices.

For deep shade, hostas do okay under pine and spruce trees. There are some nice varieties available with different sizes and colors. I’m in zone 5 and I have some hostas around the base of my spruce trees, where very little bright sunlight penetrates. It’s okay; nothing exciting.

In USDA Zone 5 your options are rather limited, especially when it comes to flowering perennials in the shade.

When all is said and done, you might be better off going the mulch route. It’s attractive, low maintenance, and will function better than trying to find plants that will thrive and look good in a plant-hostile environment.

One thing you could do, if you’re so inclined, is to groom and mulch the area, and then bring in shade-tolerant annuals (impatiens, for example) in large, attractive containers. Container gardening is quite popular. It’s an art and a science and there are many articles and forums on the topic of gardening in containers.

Get large containers, lots of potting mix (generally you do NOT want to use top soil or compost), put the containers on dollies so you can move them around easily, plant the colorful flowers, and arrange them as you will. It would be nice if you could position them occasionally so they get a few hours of sun once or twice a week (impatiens don’t do well in full sun, but they need a little bit of sun here and there). You will also need to fertilize them every 2-3 weeks with an all-purpose, fast-acting fertilizer, diluted to the strength indicated for indoor plants. Outdoor-strength solution is too strong for container plants and they will get fertilizer burn.

You could also do plants like Caladiums which are grown from bulbs that can be purchased at almost any garden center. While not flowering plants, they have colorful leaves and they like the shade. You could save the bulbs every year (they only overwinter in the warmest zones) and replant them next year. But they’re economical enough that you could also by new bulbs if you don’t save them.

It could be gorgeous, but it is additional work and some extra expense. You need a place to store the containers over the winter and you should probably use new potting mix the next year.

I’ve been gardening in zone 5 for decades and have tried a number of things with plantings in deep shade. I’ve had very little luck. Unfortunately, we don’t live in the warm zones and don’t have a wide variety of zone-hardy plants to chose from.

Maybe some really creative person will have a better suggestion.

In shady acid soil, rhododendrons and azaleas would work well.

It does get some sun during the morning, especially since the weed trees are gone and we trimmed a lot of the lower branches. I like the idea of azaleas if I can keep them watered enough. Service berry showed up in one search and has the added advantage of providing a cheap drunk to the birds during the winter. I think bleeding hearts are supposed to do well in shade but I am not sure about how well they do in the acid.

You may want to try salal, since it naturally grows in the shade of coniferous forests in the Pacific northwest (very acidic environment, I believe), And its berries are edible as an added bonus.

Let me second rhododendrons, hostas, impatients, and also laurals. Maybe teaberries.

Vinca.

I’ve got corylopsis growing in quite deep shade here. But that’s under broad leaf trees- not sure how it would perform under conifers

A good idea is to walk/bike/drive around your area and see what’s looking good in people’s yards in comparable shade. And check out the website of the university extension service/division of horticulture closest to you (if I search under Ohio State, for example, I come up with this.

As for serviceberries, there is a widely available hybrid called “Autumn Brilliance”, known for fall foliage and with white flowers in spring. I have one doing nicely (it’s in mostly full sun, but is adapted to partial shade).

Get well soon. :slight_smile:

Nuuuu-wong! and Eka-eka-eka-bugawww!

(Hello… he’s buggered off!)

Rhododendrons do well in shady, acid soil, so does wintergreen, though it can be invasive. You could also try trillium, lily of the valley, toad lily and hellebores.

And yeah, Monty Python called to me too.

You might consider artificial shrubs that require no care and don’t interfere with the tree in any way.
I’ve always been fond of rubbery shrubbery.