Gardening Under a Dense Oak: Shade-Tolerant Solutions

A mature oak casts deep shade that starves sun-loving grass and flowers. Instead of fighting it, embrace the shade. Mulch the area with pine straw, leaves, or wood chips, or plant shade-tolerant perennials such as autumn fern, variegated Solomon's seal, mondo grass, liriope, hosta, and Lenten rose.

To plant, use a small shovel to remove soil between roots, mix it with an equal amount of soil conditioner, and backfill. This creates a pocket of enriched soil where shade plants can establish without damaging the tree's root system.