Plant Suggestions For Sandy Soil Under Silver Maples

[Decado]

I've been neglecting my Perennial garden for years now, it's become an overgrown mess of hostas, day lilies, lilies of the valley, weeds, and other various collected things. I've been watching some Big Dreams, Small Spaces on Netflix and it's inspired me so I want to do some work on my garden. It's not working for a few reasons but the biggest is the 3 big silver maples dominating my yard and their shallow roots that like to suck up all the water. The second big consideration is the sandy soil. Now the area I'm looking at making some changes to ranges from shady to moderately sunny. The hostas and the lilies of the valley seem to do well in the shady areas and the day lilies seem to do well in the moderately sunny area but I'm looking to plant some things to add a bit more variety, some more interest and hopefully some color to the garden (and hopefully stuff less pernicious than lilies of the valley). Now I'm guessing I'm going to be looking for stuff that will thrive in poor, well draining soil, correct? What are some good suggestions for plants like that that will work in my shady and moderately sunny area that will like this poor, well draining soil and also be hardy in zone 4?

[applestar]

I suppose this isn’t exactly what you asked, but when thinking about what you are asking, I start by reading reference materials like these:

Silver maple : UMN Extension
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yar ... index.html


Managing and Restoring
Woodland and Forest Communities
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance ... apter3.pdf
...silver maple mentioned on p.15 as a “pioneer species” (ref. Page

According to the 2nd link, it sounds like elderberry and bush honeysuckle would grow well ...but I had the impression that bush honeysuckle is invasive .. maybe that’s only in areas further south like NJ? That particular document doesn’t specify, but mention there would be other plants that grow in community in similar conditions — that’s where I would start.

You could get named cultivars for more landscaped look. Other plants that live in plant community with silver maple would provide starting point for finding cultivated species in the same family.

...Note the cautions about silver maple’s habits in the first link — it’s not a tree that is recommended around here because of the weedy seedlings and because the mature trees tend to start dropping limbs and splitting trunks. Again, situation may not be as dire where you live?

...But it would be a good idea to find out — I chopped down a perfectly lovely looking ornamental pear that was in my front yard because I found out it could start doing the same thing within 5-10 years. We had a couple of severe wet clinging snowfalls in the last week and I’m still seeing piles of trees and tree limbs and cut up trees on the curb everywhere I go — trees that split or dropped heavy limbs, shrubs and trees that fell over and were uprooted from the weight of the snow.... including ornamental pears and silver maples.

[Decado]

I suppose this isn’t exactly what you asked, but when thinking about what you are asking, I start by reading reference materials like these:

Silver maple : UMN Extension
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yar ... index.html


Managing and Restoring
Woodland and Forest Communities
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance ... apter3.pdf
...silver maple mentioned on p.15 as a “pioneer species” (ref. Page

According to the 2nd link, it sounds like elderberry and bush honeysuckle would grow well ...but I had the impression that bush honeysuckle is invasive .. maybe that’s only in areas further south like NJ? That particular document doesn’t specify, but mention there would be other plants that grow in community in similar conditions — that’s where I would start.

You could get named cultivars for more landscaped look. Other plants that live in plant community with silver maple would provide starting point for finding cultivated species in the same family.

...Note the cautions about silver maple’s habits in the first link — it’s not a tree that is recommended around here because of the weedy seedlings and because the mature trees tend to start dropping limbs and splitting trunks. Again, situation may not be as dire where you live?

...But it would be a good idea to find out — I chopped down a perfectly lovely looking ornamental pear that was in my front yard because I found out it could start doing the same thing within 5-10 years. We had a couple of severe wet clinging snowfalls in the last week and I’m still seeing piles of trees and tree limbs and cut up trees on the curb everywhere I go — trees that split or dropped heavy limbs, shrubs and trees that fell over and were uprooted from the weight of the snow.... including ornamental pears and silver maples.

They can be problematic but at this point they’re just something I have to work around. Removing them would cost thousands of dollars and then I would be left with no trees to boot.