Question
Hi there.  I was wondering what flowering bushes and perrenial flowers you would recogmend planting along with my blue spruce trees I have in my front yord.  The trees are planted in trios and I wouldn't min putting a nice white or reddish flowering shrub next to them..   Also I have a yellow maple tree in the centre of the drive way what shrubs compliment this tree?  thankyou

Answer
Hello,

Here is a partial list of plants that would compliment your blue spruce and maple:

Shrubs:

Azalea. Grows to 5 feet high. Wide variety of flower colors. Requires acid soil.

Chokeberry. Aronia arbutifolia. Grows 5 to 7 feet high. Spreads 2 to 3 feet. Tolerates wide range of soil types. Moderate growth rate. Flower color is pale pink. Fall flower color is red.

Holly.

Leatherwood. Dirca palustris. Grows to 6 feet high. Produces pale yellow flowers and berries.

Ground Covers:

Pachysandra
Vinca
Liriope. White and purple flower varieties. Very shade tolerant. Resembles tall grass.

Bugleweed. Purple flowers. Grows to 1 foot high.

Primrose. Grows to 1 foot high.


Perrenials:

Hosta
Sedum. Various species. Very drought tolerant.

Astilbe. Variety of flower colors. Grows to 3 feet high.

Coralbell. Heuchera. Grows to 2 feet high. Flowers form on spike. Flower color is coral to pink.

Bergenia. Bergenia cordifolia. Grows to 2 feet high.

Bleeding heart. Dicentra. Grows to 3 feet high.

Bugbane. Cimicifuga ramosa. Grows to 6 feet high. Tall spike with white flowers.

Forget me not. Myosotis sylvatica. Grows to 1 feet high. Delicate blue flowers.







Bulbs. Can be grown under trees before foliage forms in spring.

Grape hyacinth
Crocus
Bluebells
Daffodils

Check further on the growing requirements and characteristics of these plants and see if they will grow in your zone. All the plants listed here will tolerate full shade,not including the bulbs.

A maple tree would require extremely shade tolerant plants. I would recommend azalea as the first choice for a shrub. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help.

Mark Harshman
http://www.mahdrafting.com
Email: [email protected]

http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47