Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Landscaping and Design

Planting Under a Spruce Tree: Removing Grass and Choosing Shade-Tolerant Plants

To plant under a spruce, first remove all grass. Add 4–6 inches of soil (accounting for settling), but avoid piling against the trunk. Choose dry-shade specialists: Epimedium × versicolor or Liriope spicata. Many shade plants fail under conifers due to root competition and acidity; these two are proven performers.

Landscaping and Design: Reclaiming Soil After Pine Tree Removal: Neutralizing Acidity for New Plantings; Landscaping Under a 2-Foot House Overhang: Shade, Mildew, and Plant Choices; Repairing Animal Burrows Under Concrete Steps with a Block Barrier; Groundcover Solutions Under Pine Trees and Along Driveways; Why Landscape Blocks Around Trees Fail: Root Growth and Alternatives; Patio Under a Mature Chestnut Tree: Design Options, Root Protection, and Shade Planting; Landscaping Under Mature Oak and Elm: Shade-Tolerant Wildlife Plantings; Diagnosing Leaf Curl in Container-Grown Calamondin Citrus; Plants That Thrive Under a Littleleaf Linden in Wisconsin Shade; Grass Dies Under Pecan Tree: Juglone Toxicity Explained

Garden Articles

Indoor Lemon Tree Losing Leaves? Complete Care Guide for Potted Citrus

Removing Soil Under a 40-Year-Old Avocado Tree: Root Risk Assessment

Growing Ground Cover Under Mature Maple Trees: Solutions for Shade and Root Competition

Building a Planter Wall Under a Mature Spruce: Root Protection Guidelines

Roses Under Oak Trees in New Orleans: Hybrid Musks for Filtered Light

Growing St. Augustine Grass Under Trees: Shade Solutions and Watering Strategies

Designing a Balanced Landscape: The Art of Open Spaces and Focal Points

Plants

Yoshino Cherry Roots and Underground Utilities

Landscaping Under Magnolia Trees: Solutions for Bare Ground

Grass Won't Grow Under Maple: Shade and Root Competition

Assessing Tree Root Risk to House Foundations

Reviving an Underwatered Australian Tree Fern

Moss Under Oak Tree: Mulch, Don't Fight

Lawn Dying Under Eucalyptus: Allelopathy, Not Shade