What to grow underneath evergreens
What can I plant that will grow well underneath evergreen trees?
**FULL QUESTION:** A year ago, my husband and I built a house on half an acre in old Ancaster, Ont. We have 20 90-foot-tall spruces on perimeter of the property. These had not been trimmed or cared for in at least 40 years. Now we have trimmed up the branches from the bottom to get more light and air into the backyard. I know that the soil is very acidic. What would be a good groundcover for this area? My husband wants it to be green!! I was thinking of pachysandra and /or periwinkle. I cannot have any low-growing evergreens as I am allergic to wasps and they love to winter there. Got any suggestions? The exposure is south and west—the south area is 80 feet by 15 feet from the tree to the fence.
Looking forward to your input.
*- Edie Bodnar*
**ANSWER:**
Hi Edie,
Growing anything under large evergreens is a challenge. Whatever you put there will need regular watering and fertilizing, as well as a good layer of mulch. Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) and periwinkle are popular ground covers in such situations, though the spurge takes time to fill in. Other perennials you might try are: Barrenwort (Epimedium), big-root geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum), barren strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata), deadnettle (Lamium) and sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum).
You might also consider building some raised planters which will give the plants more soil room and less root competition. Just don’t completely cover the root zone of the spruces. I suggest that you put down a good layer of mulch (chopped leaves/finely shredded bark/well-rotted manure), keep it moist and wait a few weeks before planting. The moist mulch will soften up the ground and make digging easier.
Happy planting,
*Karen York, GL Botanical Editor*
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