Good Plants to Put Underneath a Japanese Blueberry

Shrubs

• Avoid root competition for moisture and nutrients and choose slow-growing shrubs with shallow, spreading root systems. Slow-growing shrubs tend to require less maintenance. Shade-tolerant options include red stoppers (Eugenia rhombea), which grow slowly to 9 feet tall. This salt-tolerant evergreen is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 10 to 11 and thrives in partial shade. Red stoppers have exfoliating red-brown bark and bloom with white flowers year-round. The jacobina or flamingo plant (Justicia carnea) grows slowly from 3 to 7 feet tall. It has long, dark-green foliage and blooms from summer through autumn with clusters of red, orange, yellow, white or pink tube-shaped flowers. Hardy in zones 8B to 11, this evergreen thrives in shade and rich, moist soil.

Ornamental Grasses

• Ornamental grasses prevent weed growth and erosion beneath a Japanese blueberry tree. These versatile plants require little maintenance and many tolerate shade and drought. Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) grows to 3 feet tall and thrives in partial shade. It is hardy to USDA zone 10 and tolerates a range of soils. Muhly grass produces pink, feathery inflorescences. Fakahatchee grass (Tripsacum dactyloides) also grows well in partial shade. This native grass grows to 5 feet tall and produces tall inflorescences in midsummer. Hardy to zone 10, this evergreen grass requires little maintenance.

Ground Covers

• Ground covers fill in empty spaces under a Japanese blueberry tree. Evergreens add year-round color and texture, while many deciduous species produce attractive fall foliage colors. Baby rubber plants (Peperomia obtusifolia) thrive in partial shade and are hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11. This tropical plant has dark foliage and grows from 12 to 18 inches tall. Several variegated or multicolored cultivars are available. They grow well in moist, fertile soil. Blue porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis) grows from 1 to 3 feet tall and produces butterfly-attracting, blue-purple blossoms. Hardy in zones 10 and 11, this semi-evergreen grows well in partial shade and tolerates drought.

Perennials

• Perennials add color to shady sites under the Japanese blueberry tree. Choose shade-tolerant varieties that bloom in light colors, like white, pink or yellow, to provide the most contrast. The yellowtop (Flaveria linearis) grows from 2 to 4 feet tall and blooms all summer long with clusters of small, yellow blossoms. This perennial wildflower is hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11 and grows well in partial shade. It tolerates a range of soils and attracts butterflies. The pineland pinket (Stenandrium dulce) blooms with small, pink blossoms atop 6-inch-tall stalks. It thrives in partial to full shade and spreads into a dense carpet over time. Pineland pinket is hardy in zones 9 to 11.