In the forest as well as in the garden, it is rare to be able to appreciate the spectacle of exuberant vegetation under a conifer. However, by using a few tricks and appropriate plants you can decorate its foot in the most beautiful way!
Problems to overcome
Under a conifer, several parameters come into play, reducing the chances of spontaneous plant growth.
First of all, the needles of conifers that have fallen to the ground produce toxins that allow them to avoid any competition at their feet by inhibiting the germination of other plant seeds. Nutrients and water are thus reserved for them.
Some conifers, such as umbrella pines for example, have superficial roots that draw nutrients, making the soil very poor on the surface, so plants that would have succeeded in germinating do not find enough food to grow properly.
The sometimes dense shade that conifers produce is not suitable for most plants. Let's add to that a significant lack of water because the rain has a hard time penetrating the branches of these evergreen trees for the most part.
Here is a very worrying picture completed by the acidification of the soil caused by the decomposition of the famous needles preventing the calcicolous plants from settling down durably.
Solutions for planting under a conifer
No need to panic! Once the causes are known, it is always possible to get around them!
- Never sow seeds under a conifer, as we have seen, they will have little chance of germinating. Prefer to install already well-developed seedlings in cups or pots.
- Rake out the needles and replace them with a thick mulch of well-ripened compost to gently fertilize the soil. Work it in with a claw, taking care not to damage the tree's roots.
- When you decide to install a plant under a conifer, create a pocket of potting soil and add a handful of ground horn and dried blood mixture, not forgetting the mycorrhizae that will help your plant build a stronger and more efficient root system by entering into symbiosis with them.
- Choose only shade loving plants and forget about those that need sun to bloom.
- Don't hesitate to install an automatic watering system under your conifers to compensate for the lack of water.
Which plants should be installed under a conifer?
If it's a large tree with a bald trunk, think of the lianas that will climb along it. Clematis is ideal and you will find many varieties. Some ramblers can also be placed at the foot of your conifer, so choose the variety according to your climate and prefer ADR-labeled roses that are much more resistant.
Think also of climbing honeysuckles or the splendid ivy in its variegated versions.
As for ground cover plants, opt for white or blue periwinkle, which are always delicate and form a beautiful carpet!
If you prefer flowering plants, try bergenia, this plant that is so easy to grow that it will cover itself with bouquets of pink flowers without any effort on your part. The same goes for perennial geraniums, very hardy and floriferous, which will grow without any problem under your conifers, as will St. John's wort, which will offer you its golden yellow flowers from June to September.
As for decorative foliage, choose the asarum, whose many cultivars offer silvery shades of the most beautiful effect or for one of the many varieties of Brunneras.
We don't think much about lungwort, these plants with trailing rhizomes, with foliage that is sometimes silver or mottled, and which has beautiful flowers from February to May. Here again, you will have a vast choice among cultivars with a palette ranging from white to red, passing through all shades of blue and purple.
Outdoor evergreen ferns are also a great way to decorate the base of your evergreens with their textured fronds.
Heather plants also thrive in the shade of conifers and in this acidic soil. Plant azaleas in groups, or clumps of rhododendrons and camellias. If you prefer the wild side of heathers, create beautiful carpets with these easy to live with plants.
For a blooming winter, think of the multiple cultivars of hellebores. This plant known as 'Christmas Rose' has beautiful white, green, yellow, pink, red, purple and even black flowers, sometimes variegated or spotted, single or very double. What a great way to start a collection!
If you like surprises, plant bulbs and forget about them! Their blooming will be a renewed wonder every year. Naples cyclamen, wood hyacinths, anemones, snowdrops, muscarias, puschkinias, daffodils, bear's garlic, summer peppermint, botanical tulips, lily of the valley... You'll find plenty to stagger the blooms! Bulbs can also naturalize and form beautiful carpets over time, so take advantage of it!
