What to plant in deep, dry shade. Preferably native
Sigrid
3 years ago
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What can I plant under tall hemlock that's part shade and dry?
Comments (27)THE plant for dry shade--Geranium macrorrhizum--big Root Geranium. Semi evergreen, handsome groundcover, highly deer resistant, easy to control, very attractive with late spring bloom and no dead heading, dividing or other attention required. What more could you want? Alternate--Epimedium sulphureum--slower to fill in, must be cut back in late winter, but very attractive and has early bloom. If you garden in deer country, as I do, there is very little point in planting plants that deer love. It's a losing battle. And while it is true that starving deer will eat anything, there is a huge range of plants for both sun and shade that they generally have very little interest in. If your yard has mostly unappealing plants, they won't hang out there much. That said, I ALWAYS spray a new plant with a good repellant so if some young thing tries it, their first experience is YUCK! They spread the word. And having said all that, yes, I do have a few plants that deer will eat, and I do spray those. But they are very few, so keeping up with the spraying is not onerous and doesn't break the bank. However, I have NO hostas, yews, or tulips--the ones that say "Free Lunch"....See MoreList of plants that grow in dry full shade in zone 5?
Comments (18)Here is a garden under an ash tree in OH in it's even though the garden was just over a year old at the time, from previously being sparse grass. There are hostas, columbine, creeping phlox, Pulmonaria, Bergenia, Trillium, violets, Polemonium (jacob's ladder,) a few bulbs, Lamium, a little lilac, ready to be a tree if the ash got emerald beetle borers (I moved, remains a mystery,) and a few others I don't remember and can't see from this angle. 4" of mulch can retain moisture for weeks. Of your list, I would avoid the Vinca. Just too sprawling/spready to play nice with the other plants. In general, you don't want vines in a flower bed. Entities like Vinca or Ajuga that rapidly spread really do best in their own, well-enclosed space. Spreading through other more self-contained plants, these spreaders can make the whole thing look like a confused mess. But, like most things-gardening, this is subject to your personal opinion on the matter....See Morewhat to plant under cypress tree in dry shade clay/dirt area?
Comments (10)If coreopsis is blooming under the tree, it isn't completely shaded. You might try a low growing evergreen shrub, such as one of the hollies, or even ornamental grasses such as Penesetum alopecurides "Hameln" or "Little Bunny." The grasses will die on top, but the dried tops look lovely all winter with their fuzzy flowerheads and tan foliage. They reshoot in the spring....See MoreEast Bay plant suggestion? (Dry mostly shade)
Comments (4)I am surprised you are able to grow Galvezia in total shade, llilibel. (Since you say yours hasn't bloomed, that isn't your plant in the photo, correct?) I have one beside a shed, where it is in bright reflected light, but no direct sun during the winter (in the summer it will get sun). The leaves are larger than normal, the stems stretched and it hasn't flowered yet. The plant 5' away, but with sunlight, is compact and blooming. It may survive in total shade, but I wonder if it will bloom under those extended conditions....See Moredeanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
3 years agoSigrid thanked deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK