What to Plant Under My Variegated Maple

English Ivy

• When it comes to ground cover, English ivy (Hedera helix) performs well in shade, spreading over an area in a deep carpet of green. It grows well in poor soil conditions and may climb the tree trunk. Annual pruning easily controls the vines. Mature English ivy produces small white flowers and poisonous black berries. There are several different varieties, including ones with different leaf shapes. The plant grows to a height of 8 inches.

Hosta

• Hostas, also called plantain lilies, are shade-loving perennials that grow large, showy leaves in green and cream hues. The plants die back in the fall but reemerge from their roots in the spring. The leaves of mature plants reach up to 18 inches in height and send up tall flower spikes during the summer. Many varieties of hosta are available with different leaf shapes and colors. Common varieties include Blue Angel, Blue Cadet, Royal Standard and Sugar and Cream.

Periwinkle

• Common periwinkle (Vinca minor) is a versatile, spreading groundcover that grows successfully in sun or shade. While the plant produces more of its distinctive five-petaled lilac flowers when grown in sun, the leaves fare better in the shade. For best performance, start with 2-year plants set 9 inches apart and fertilize each spring with about 7 lbs. of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. Periwinkle tolerates mowing in early spring but raise the mower deck to its highest setting.

Fern

• If the area under your variegated maple stays moist for most of the year, ferns may be a good choice. Ferns tolerate and even thrive in dense shade, where their distinctive open-leaf structure makes a visually interesting contrast to the dense groundcover and broad leaves of most other shade-tolerant plants. Ferns range from the common to the exotic, with varieties like autumn fern, holly fern, lady fern, painted fern, river fern and sensitive fern being readily available in most areas.