Planting under Cypress trees

Thomas Farrell

Hi Folks,
I have been asked to find some pollinator plants that will grow under these trees.
The plan is to have a blooming bushy kind of area to the rear and then lower flowers/ shrubs to the front. What kind of bee friendly flowering plants will last under the cypress (i think) trees though.

The area is about 4m x 20m with 5 mature (say 20-25 year) cypress trees

jezko

Dry Shade :-0

Depending on extent of shade (Light/Heavy)

Also before you Plant and After, Mulch with LOTS of Organic Material (Dung/FYM) to Improve the Moisture retention of the Soil

Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)

(Convallaria majalis) Lily of Valley

Campanula rotundifolia

Pulmonaria (lungworth)

Foxgloves

Monarda Didyma

Lamium sp.

Heuchera sp

Helleborus sp

Geraniums (Cransbill)

Carex Evergold

Hosta (Prefers Moisture)

Some Ferns will trive in Dry shade (Harts Tongue)

Skimmia japonica
sweet box (Sarcococca confusa)

Thomas Farrell

Thanks very much jezko. That is brilliant. I was worried that i was going to be stuck with plain old bark mulch.

Would the Cypress have any effects. I'm pretty new to this, sorry. I heard before that evergreen trees can chemically "pollute" the ground, for want of a better word.

jezko

I know Walnuts do this never heard of a Cypress doing it

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1148.html

The roots of Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) and Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) produce a substance known as juglone


allelochemical
noun al·le·lo·chem·i·cal
Definition of ALLELOCHEMICAL

: a toxic chemical produced by a plant in order to defend itself against herbivores or competing plants
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allelochemical

jezko

http://biosurvey.ou.edu/oas/01/papers/bfimple01.htm

Allelochemicals are chemicals found in many plant tissues that inhibit the growth of competing plant species in different ways, such as prohibiting photosynthesis, stunting root growth, or inhibiting seed germination.� In trees, these chemicals are found in the leaves and in the resins in the limbs and trunk.� Allelochemicals can be released from the wood or leaves as the tree decays, or they can be released via the roots.� Therefore, the study of the allelopathic properties of garden mulches made from shredded tree material should be of great importance to gardeners, landscapers, and horticulturalists.


............. The soil pH data shows that the Pine and Cypress mulches leached allelochemicals that reduced soil pH and adversely affected plant growth.

Take from it as you may, I knew the Conifers would reduce the soil PH

Maybe some Shade Plants would be tolerant of the "Allelochemical"

Have used Skimmia's under conifers successfully myself.