Companion Plants for Acer Palmatum

Shrubs

• Choose shrubs that prefer acidic, moist soil to plant with your Japanese maple. The sweet azalea (Rhododendron aborescens) grows well in light to partial shade and moist, well-draining soil. This acid-loving shrub has glossy, dark foliage that contrasts with colorful maple leaves. Sweet azaleas produce aromatic, white-pink flowers in summer and grow in USDA zones 4 through 7. A relative the Catawba rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense) grows well with Japanese maples. An evergreen, this North American native grows in USDA zones 4 through 8 and blooms with showy purple flowers in spring.

Perennials

• Perennials that thrive in moist, acidic soil and shady sites near Japanese maples include hardy begonias (Begonia grandis). These 2-foot-tall perennials are native to eastern Asia and produce pink flowers. Hardy begonias prefer rich soil and partial shade. They grow in USDA zones 6 through 9. Another pink bloomer, the cranesbill geranium (Geranium sanguineum), produces deep magenta flowers through spring and summer. This perennial grows to 12 inches tall and grows in USDA zones 3 through 8. It prefers moist soil and tolerates partial shade.

Ground Covers

• For those shady spots directly under a Japanese maple, choose shade-tolerant ground covers, such as dwarf Soloman's seal (Polygonatum humile). This slow-growing plant reaches heights of 9 inches and produces white spring flowers that add brightness to shaded spots. Dwarf Soloman's seal grows in USDA zones 5 through 8 and prefers rich, moist soil. For year-round coverage, plant spreading wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), an 5-inch-tall evergreen that forms a dense carpet of greenery in USDA zones 3 through 7. Spreading wintergreen has aromatic, lustrous foliage and produces pink flowers in spring, followed by edible red berries. It grows well in shady sites with acidic, moist soil.

Annuals

• Add color to the area under a Japanese maple with annuals. Suitable for moist, shaded sites, wax begonia (Begonia semperflorens), a 12-inch-tall flower, produces white, pink or red blossoms. Wax begonias come in several cultivars and can tolerate full shade. For showy blooms, plant fuchsias (Fuchsia x hybrida) near your Japanese maple. Fuchsias love cool, moist sites and produce pendulous red, purple and pink blossoms through the summer. Lobelias (Lobelia erinus) also tolerate partial shade and prefer moist soil. These mounding plants grow from 6 to 18 inches tall and bloom all season long with small white, blue and purple flowers. While some of these plants may grow as perennials in warmer climates, they're treated as annuals in the Japanese maple's climates.