Top 10 Plants You Can Grow Under Trees

Top 10 Plants You Can Grow Under Trees

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Having a lovely, large garden with flourishing trees can be a boon. It immediately sets you apart from most other home gardens. There’s also lots of room to try out new and bigger gardening and landscaping projects to actually develop your skills. Finally, having a tree there means that you have something in your garden that will live on for decades and it’s something to be proud of.
On the other hand, having large trees in your garden can also be a bane. It makes growing other plants in that area very difficult as the roots just can’t compete with the larger plant. Because of the large canopy, certain areas of the garden don’t get any sunlight and sometimes even rainfall doesn’t percolate through. Finally, mowing the lawn or pruning the trees there can also be a challenge.
hosta plants for shade
But this doesn’t mean that you should give up! In fact, we’ve listed ten reasons why you should grow more plants even under your trees. This will maintain the diversity in your garden, and keep you actively involved in your favourite hobby.

Grow these top 10 plants for shade under trees:


1) Rhododendrons:

This is a shade loving shrub that is an easy choice to grow under a tree. The online thing is that it requires soil with a pH balance between 4.4 and 6.0, which shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.
rhododendron bush

2) Alpine currant:

This is an incredibly hardy plant that grows even during the winter in some areas. Moreover, it doesn’t require too much sunlight and can survive in adverse conditions for a long time.
alpine currant bush

3) Hydrangeas:


This plant actually prefers to grow under the shade, so it’s the right choice for growing under trees. The one thing you need to keep in mind though is that it requires constant moisture, so set up a drip!
Read about Top 10 shade giving trees in India.
hydrangea flower

4) Wild ginger:

This is another low maintenance plant that just requires a good amount of moisture. Besides that, it can spread out well in the shade and cover a large area to get its nutrients.
wild ginger ground cover

5) Hosta:

If you need some colour under your trees then this is the option you should go for. Hosta is a slight drought resistant plant that comes in many varieties including gold, yellow, blue, green, etc.
hosta plant

6) Pansies:

Need to grow plants under your trees in the spring or the fall? Then Pansies are your best bet. They are excellent understory plants that can adapt well to conditions even bloom quite beautifully. Buy Pansy flower seeds online in India.
pansy flowers that grow in shade

7) Violets:

You probably already have violets growing in your garden because of their beautiful blooms. If not, then under a tree is a good spot! They don’t need too much sunlight and will add a splash of colour to the garden.
growing african violets under tree

8) Vinca:

This plant grows well in full or in partial shade and develops striking pink flowers as it matures. It requires slightly moist soil conditions to thrive completely.
vinca ground cover

9) Impatiens:

One of the most well known and classical understory plants in the world, this annual can grow well under trees. Just give it regular watering and good fertilizer.
impatiens flowers

10) Lilies:

Who doesn’t love to grow this gorgeous plant in their garden. And now you know that you can even plant it under a tree because its stem will stretch to reach the sun. Buy peace lily flower plants online.
lily flower - flowering shade plants
So, how are your plants doing under trees? Let us know in the comments!