Question
A guy who worked for us sprayed weed killer around an old oak tree we had. I do not know what species it was. But within a year the tree dried out completely, so we decided to chop it off. We chopped most of it except about 4 inches of the stub is still rooted to the ground. It is abosolutely dry I don't think it will ever grow.Is it okay if we plant White bird of Paradise around it or should we take that stub out before planting anything. The bark of that tree is peeling off itself and has a very light green mold on it.Please help.

Answer
There will not be a problem with the plants growing around the old stump. But the stump will continue to rot and over several years will rot away. If it is going to be in the way of your planting you might want to think about getting someone to grind up the stump below ground level. But in any case planting around the stump will not be a problem.