Plants to Plant Under a Large Tree

Seasonal Shade

• Deciduous trees shed their leaves each fall, leaving the ground beneath exposed to the full strength of the sun from early autumn to mid-spring. Many woodland flowers and hardy bulbs bloom in the early spring before the leaves develop and shade the plants below. Small flowered bulbs, such as snowdrops and crocuses, look pretty when grouped around the base of a tree, though their foliage will need to be cut back by midsummer. Low-maintenance wildflowers such as wild blue phlox, Virginia bluebells and violets cover shady spaces in delicate spring blossoms, leaving a lush layer of greenery behind.

Year-Round Shade

• Evergreen trees do not shed their leaves, creating year-round shady spots where many traditional garden plants refuse to grow. Fill these blank garden spaces with ground-hugging, shade-loving plants such as Virginia creeper, English ivy or goldenstar. These fast-growing woodland natives add glossy, green foliage and small, colorful flowers to dark spaces. Trailing along the ground and rooting as they go, Virginia creeper and English ivy can become invasive if their growth is not monitored. Both vines are capable of climbing brick, rock, stone, bark, concrete or metal, and can easily spread up to 50 feet in a single season.

Filtered Shade

• Filtered shade or dappled light occurs under the canopy of open-branched trees. The light layer of foliage, allows rays of sunshine to filter down to the ground below, creating a constantly shifting array of sun and shadow. A wide selection of plants will flourish when set in filtered shade. Use annuals such as impatiens, wax begonias or pansies to a create a carpet of carefree color that will remain in bloom all summer long. Add texture to the flower bed by mixing in the feathered foliage of cinnamon ferns or bold, tropical-looking hostas.

Dry Shade

• Many shade trees are valued for their abundant, thick foliage. The dense canopy of leaves effectively blocks the sun, filling the yard with cool, shady spaces all summer long. However, their compact foliage also blocks the flow of water to the ground below. In this situation, a lack of moisture, not a lack of light, can cause many popular plants to wither and fail. Hardy, no-fuss vines such as the winter creeper, shade-loving ferns such as the maidenhair fern, or groundcovers such as bugleweed or creeping lilyturf, will fill these difficult spaces with lovely green foliage and seasonal flowers.