Flowers grow around trees
by
Tess
+62
I have this big tree in my back yard that normally I put mulch around . This year I would like to grow a hardy pretty perennial around my tree . Does any have any suggestions on perennial flowers that will grow?
I want flowers around tree
Big tree in backyard
53 answers
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Host as would look pretty.we really need to know how much sun you get there.Impatiens would work also
Funnygirl
on May 14, 2014
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REBLOOMING DAY LILLIES..lots and lots of colors..I'd go with something bright, since its a shaded area at times...these are NOT the old style our parents had..new hybrids are sooooo much better...will grow just about anywhere, no care after the first year...
Wanda sinnema
on May 14, 2014
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What about phlox? Will it grow under my tree?
Tess
on May 14, 2014
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Blue Hosta, Bleeding Heart, Lily of the valley, Lenten Rose, or Bluebell. All of these are easy to grow in shaded areas. Hosta is easier to find, Bluebell is really pretty though.
Kirt N
on May 14, 2014
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Hi Tess, I'd plant a variety based on how much sun, if any the spot gets. I start with a ring of grape hyacinths so you have something early spring, then I'd add a few daffodils, then based on sunlight, either day lilies, or hosta. I have all that I can share with you and am in Columbus, OH
Deb
on May 14, 2014
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Phlox might grow but it doesn't flower for very long.
Deb
on May 14, 2014
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I have "Garden Phlox", it is not the typical phlox that you think of, this has leaves and bushes out. It says full sun, but mine are in part sun and part shade and are doing well. Also, Heuchera or common name Coral Bells will grow in the shade and there are several varieties. Both are perennials. Please click on photo for more information.
Donna Byram
on May 14, 2014
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Thanks
Tess
on May 15, 2014
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That looks like a shady area and phlox will not be happy there. A mixed planting of hellebores, astilbe and Japanese anemones would give you a long season of blooms in the shade.
Douglas Hunt
on May 15, 2014
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I have hostas encircling my big old oak tree....looks good and easy maintenance
Maureen Nussbeck
on May 15, 2014
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You might try a cranesbill geranium, or "geranium oxonianum" under your tree. These are not the "Martha Washington" upright plants (pelargoniums) you see in nurseries everywhere. They are a herbaceous perennial, which means they die to the ground in winter and come back every spring. My favorite is "Wargrave Pink" which mounds up into a perfect half-circle with pink flowers all season long. They get bigger every year, so you might want to dig and divide every couple of years to avoid damage to your tree.
CB
on May 15, 2014
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What about ferns,just not the tall type. Just my opinion, I would not go tall plants it would not look right. You do not want it to take away from the tree and tall plants tend to look like weeds.
Tracy Halman
on May 16, 2014
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We have Perriwinkle, several types of ferns, Lilly of the Valley, and Trillium under our centre clump of 60ft. cedars. Pathetic different textures, shapes & shades of green offset the fact that we don't have a lot of colour as far as flowers go. I've been toying with the idea of planting a few Astilbe or perhaps Bleeding Hearts to the mix.
Nancy De Blauw
on May 16, 2014
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I love hostas and they're so hardy Lilies too.
Deborah
on May 16, 2014
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I don't think Phlox will grow unless in full sun, I would go with Hostas, or a shade perennial, Check it out with Spring Hill Nursery, or Santa Rosa Gardens.
Carolyn Hoxton
on May 16, 2014
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I have had luck with hostas, ferns (if deep shade), lily of the valley (it will take over) and bleeding heart. The beauty of all of these they will spread and fill the area. You can get a lot of expense, so check with friends and neighbors and local garden club, they may be thinning theirs out and have some to give away!!
Jan Posey Comer-Shipman
on May 16, 2014
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Fern leaf bleeding heart is one of my favorite shade plants. Watch out for Lily of the Valley, as it can be quite aggressive.
Connie Mar
on May 16, 2014
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As suggested above you may want to consider perennials with pretty foliage instead of flowering plants. This would be especially true if the area gets very little sun. I also like a variety of plants but that is just my preference. Japanese painted fern, huecheras, hostas, other ferns come in a variety of colors and do well under my trees and last all season.
Patti @Hearth and Vine
on May 16, 2014
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I have tried Bleeding Hearts and Primroses around our red maple tree in our front yard to no avail. You may have success with Hostas but I read that flowers should no be planted around trees. I now have bark mulch in the area around our tree and put plants in pots and set them in that area. They look nice, don't die and all I have to do is keep them watered and dead-headed.
Margie*Lee
on May 16, 2014
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Geraniums or impatiens or begonias
Michele Schneider
on May 16, 2014
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Try some hosta
Kathy K
on May 16, 2014
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If you can make the circle bigger and plant your flowers around the edge. You are going to have a hard time keeping anything alive with the tree sucking all the water from the plants if you plant them close to the trunk of the tree. The further you can place them out the better chance the roots from the tree will be less competitive. Any of the plants suggested above will work.
Cyndi Moore Tippett
on May 16, 2014
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I have hardy geraniums and Hostas under our maple tree. The geranium has little pink flowers on it but they don't last all summer.I would suggest both these plants as perennials and maybe just add annuals each year for extra color.Impatients are awesome for shaded areas.
Tanya Lynn
on May 16, 2014
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Most perennials have a big flush of bloom and color and then you are left with the foliage, so make sure you choose plants that have nice foliage. Or mix in some annuals with the perennials. For example, you can plant some hosta, astilbe, or fern (you will have to keep these well watered) and then in the empty spots (which will change over time as the plants grow), fill in with impatiens or another shade loving annual. So you will have color and a nice texture.You can add some of the same annuals around the edge of the playhouse too. It is a very pretty tree. You will always have to supply extra water (and amend the soil with compost before you plant anything) because that tree will suck moisture like nothing else. If you do mulch, be careful not to add too much - no "volcano mulching!" Another idea - since you have children, how about adding in a fairy garden tucked into a piece of the roots of the tree? You can do that and add your flowers or plants around the rest.
Gretchen
on May 16, 2014
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I have had great luck with hostas for years, they are my old standby.
Ruth Yunkun
on May 16, 2014
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HELLEBORES! The say they are a shade plant, but I have some with all degrees of sun-and they bloom January/February ...the bleeding hearts are a great idea or Heuchara....they have so many different leaf colors. They also keep their leaves year young so you aren't left with nothing to look at in the winter...that's when the hellebores shine!
Mikie S
on May 16, 2014
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Sweet Woodruff. It is a shade loving, perennial ground cover that has small white flowers in the spring. I have it growing under Cedar trees where nothing else wants to grow! Add a few ferns for height.
Cathy Bradley
on May 16, 2014
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Yes, I had the same problem around my birch tree, only I have 2 spirea bushes I couldn't get rid of, so I widened the space, used bricks for my border, added some fresh garden soil and planted spreading plants, like creeping jenny, wild violets, various sedums, tansy, which spreads like wildfire, and can get tall, snow-in-the-mountain, also spreads rapidly and annuals, like dwarf marigolds around the edge inside the brick border. The rest of the plants are perennials. Have fun!
Kathi S
on May 16, 2014
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go to your local nursery and ask for their advice for plants in your area.
Barbara C
on May 16, 2014
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I just finished planting more in my Shade Garden under Cedar trees. Caladium, Japanese Spurge (Pachysandra) a ground cover but somewhat invasive and a Cali Lily. I also planted some coleus (an annual) for additional color I already had hydrangea, False Spirea (astilbe), variegated Jacob's Ladder, different Hostas, Painted Japanese Fern, and Aucuba, both male and female. It is doing extremely well and very pretty foliage and berries. But beware of tree roots. I had to dig and re-dig to avoid the bigger tree roots, but it is well worth it. Good Luck!
Denise
on May 16, 2014
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HOSTAS HOSTAS HOSTAS! They have over 6,000 varieties and many colors and bloomers and prefer partial shade and are soooooo easy to maintain! There also is one called the Christmas Hosta which is short, very tightly leaved and really stunning! They have a big Royal Blue that would go very well on 4 points and you could put the Patriot in and around those and then get some Thyme and scatter throughout for color and then pansies would really complement the whole thing! I get soooo tired of the "general gardening rules" of planting! You could even get a Hybiscus and plant in FRONT towards the street! It looks like a really good area for Hostas! Well, you can tell by my "co-horts from the Richmond, VA area" that we are avid fans of Hosta! Easy easy easy!
Barbara Turner
on May 16, 2014
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Stella De Oro's are a beautiful lily that bloom all summer and they look great with hosta! Bonus: both grow rapidly and by third year can be split and spread out easily!
Pam Braford Austin
on May 16, 2014
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I have hellebores planted around the bottom of my dogwood tree and they do beautifully, they've been there for years and are large plants now of many different colors.
Pat Spinelli
on May 16, 2014
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I plant tulips and daffodils. Has a little sun but mostly shade.
Marla
on May 16, 2014
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Here are a couple of my hellebores.
Pat Spinelli
on May 16, 2014
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HOSTA!! There are thousands of varieties!! Faithful Loyal, hardy, spread nicely..I only have 8 varieties, but when I see a new one I beg .So sad to see a grown woman whine and beg, especially to strangers. But you gotta do what you gotta do!
Bernice H
on May 16, 2014
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HOSTA, without a doubt! Mix up the varieties
Priscilla Reedy
on May 16, 2014
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Hostas come in a variety of textures and do well in the shade.
Kim snead
on May 16, 2014
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Call all your gardening friends and plant all the free plants you can get! If they don't do well just plant them somewhere else. Mix in some annuals for color all season long. Be careful with the tree roots, you don't want to lose the tree.
Rose
on May 16, 2014
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If you want color, pick some of the flowers suggested by DeAnna. I got rid of hostas because they always had holes from slugs. Impatiens are also a good annual for all summer color with no deadheading required. Check first to see if your area has had issues with the blight that has affected impatiens.
Linda Smith
on May 17, 2014
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Hosta's come in lots of color hues .. plant some variegated and blue girl varieties for color and flower blooms. We don't have slug problems here with them. And it spreads, loves the shade. Heuchera are good for color/texture contrast, and they have airy pinkish blooms.
Linda
on May 17, 2014
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are there any Hostas that could grow in South Florida?
Johanne Clerie
on May 17, 2014
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coral bells are nice too and they come in lots of different colours
Rachel Winstanley
on May 17, 2014
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Hostas come up every year put down black plastic first for the weeds then your dirt make an x to where your plant will go plant them them put black bark mulch around your flowers such as pansies, marigolds,
Cathy
on May 17, 2014
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Impatients
Carolyn Vermillion
on May 18, 2014
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Hosta mixed with impatiens. Can change the color of the impatiens yearly and add a nice bit of color too
Terea H
on May 18, 2014
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Oh good thanks! (I prefer Barbara. I hate Barb, it sounds like barbwire.) thanks! Yeah, I've also noticed that when I throw out tea grounds that keeps them away as well.
Barbara Turner
on May 18, 2014
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You have a few good suggestions but my suggestion to you is find out what is native to your area, they are easier to care for and a benefit to bees and hummingbirds.
Sue Peet
on May 19, 2014
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Day Lillie's!!! Can take any kind of heat bloom in shade and sun totally easy flowers,and come back automatically every year and multiply!Whats better than that???
Funnygirl
on May 19, 2014
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Myrtle....pretty purple flower. Easy to trim...looks good with hostas also
Lori Kuhn Sutter
on May 24, 2014
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Check out 'thegardenfrog.wordpress.com' A must for all information re: gardening.
Denise
on May 25, 2014
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Hostas around the tree, then, working out plant a cluster of different flowers, prim rose, peonies, that extendstrillium, ect.. around the tree, then finish with a ground cover like an Allysum--a bit easier to care for.
Pamela
on May 30, 2014
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Day lilies and hosta grow just about anywhere if you're interested in perennials-also creeping phlox. If you want to plant annuals, I'd suggest impatients.
Mikkigirl
on Nov 07, 2016
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