Plants

Planting anything under a maple tree can present unique challenges. Many people who have tried their hand at landscaping under the thick, dry, dark canopy of big maple trees have only thrown their hands up in resignation. Maple trees have expansive roots that greedily seek any moisture and nutrients in the soil, leaving you wondering what you can under them.

You need smaller plants with shallow roots, are drought tolerant, and love shade when planting under maple trees. The best companion plants to pair with maple trees include hellebore, vinca minor, sedum, ferns, daffodils, lilly of the valley, daylilies, tulips, crocus, and Canadian wild ginger.

The list is relatively small when it comes to plants that can survive underneath a maple tree because of their roots and the thick canopy that keeps the ground shaded. Some plants can thrive under a maple tree and below are 11 of the best plants you can plant under your maple trees – let’s get to it!

Why Most Plants Fail Under Maple Trees

Grass is difficult to grow underneath maple trees because of the dry, shady conditions. Most turf grass requires plenty of sunlight and moisture, but under the canopy of maple trees, these commodities are rare.

Some grasses can grow in shade, but then you could end up with a lawn that’s not uniform in color and texture. Not to mention the difficulty in mowing around the exposed roots of maple trees because they are so shallow and often stick up above the ground.

The maple trees themselves need quite a bit of sun to thrive, which is why shade-tolerant plants are important for the ground cover below them.

Maple Tree Roots Steal Most Of The Nutrients

There are a lot of plants, shrubs, and flowers that grow quite well in shady conditions, the problems come when you disturb a maple tree’s roots or you start to water the plants. The roots of maple trees are greedy feeders that can choke out other plants when they are introduced into the area.

When you plant something, you have to dig a hole, of course. However, when you plant under a maple tree, no matter how careful you are, you will end up cutting through some roots. The next step is to water and possibly fertilize the new plant. That’s when the maple tree sends its roots out to collect all the water and nutrients.

When maple tree roots are disturbed or cut, they will regrow feeder roots. These can grow fast and thick, and they often will become so thick they choke out the roots of any other plants to absorb as much water as possible.

One way that can circumvent this problem is to lay a few inches of soil over the shallow maple roots, but there are risks associated with this too. If you drop too much soil over the roots, the tree could decline, or you’ll shorten its lifespan.

Too Many Plants And Soil Can Cut Off Tree Root Circulation

Tree roots need some air circulation, that’s why they pop up at the surface. When the soil is too compact, or they are covered in a thick layer of mulch or soil, then the roots can suffocate. You may not notice it at first, but this will eventually reduce the years left on the tree and weaken it.

When covering tree roots with soil or mulch, the fresh nutrients will cause the maple to send roots into this area to feed. This behavior can lead to the new plants getting choked out.

Maple varieties like the fast-growing silver maple and the invasive Norway maple species are the most difficult maples to grow anything under. Many owners report any plants positioned under these species end up being taken over in a year or two because of the aggressive root system.

Look For Native Plants To Thrive Under Maples

Native plants in your area are more able to withstand the summers and winters and will need less care than hybrids and species from other climates.

According to BoulderColorado.gov, native plants have evolved to grow well in their local environment. They can easily bounce back from early frost, drought, and spring snow and, once established, need very little care.

What’s A Maple Tree Owner To Do?

While it may seem like there’s nothing to do but just accept that the area underneath a maple tree is going to look sparse and dry, there are things that can make this area look better.

Search For Plants In Containers No Bigger Than A Gallon

The larger the container, the larger the hole that needs to be dug, and the more roots you’ll end up disturbing.

So, just stick to smaller containers and you’ll be much better off. If you have a proper garden cover, it’ll help cover the holes.

Water The Entire Area Around Your Plants

When watering your new plants, if you only water the plants, this will invite more maple roots to move in and start crowding out the new plant.

To avoid this problem, you’ll have to water the entire area around the tree. When the whole tree gets watered, it will be happy and it won’t need to invade the wet “pockets.”

The same goes for fertilizer. Just adding fertilizer to your landscaped plants will tell the maple tree to send out feeders to snatch up the new nutrients. Either use a broadcast spreader to fertilize a larger area, or forego the supplement altogether.

There are certain fertilizers maple trees enjoy most, especially those high in nitrogen. You can learn more about that in our full list of the best maple tree fertilizers.

Be Careful Around The Maple Tree’s Roots

While it’s inevitable that you will end up cutting through some maple tree roots when you’re planting under it, be careful around the woody roots. These are the thicker roots that have a bark-like coating around them.

When these are damaged, the tree can suffer because they store additional sugars and nutrients for the tree.

When you come across these roots while digging, cover the hole back up and move a few inches over. The softer, feeder roots won’t damage the tree as much when they are cut or broken.

Of course, you could always cut down your maple tree if you want your plants to take priority, but that’s a whole other study.

Best Plants For Underneath Your Maple Tree

Now that we have those caveats covered, here are the 11 best plants you can plant under maple trees. Get your glasses on, it’s a doozy!

Columbine Performs Well Under Maple Trees

Columbines have distinctive five-petaled flowers that have points, or spurs, behind them. They also have pleasing foliage, and attract all matter of nectar feeders. They do well in shady areas and will look good for most of the growing season.

Columbines prefer moist, but not soggy soil. Though they are perennials, columbines are short-lived flowers that only live for about three to four years max before they stop coming back.

The good news is they reseed themselves easily, so once you get a few in your garden, you shouldn’t have to purchase them over and over.

With the easy reseeding habit, even if maple tree roots crowd out the columbines, they will continue to come back as long as you don’t have a thick bed of mulch to prevent the seeds from taking.

These flowers come in many shapes and colors, so you can have a garden area under your maple tree that has a variety of shapes and colors with these flowers alone.

Find a variety of columbine bulbs here—5 Sweet Caroline Columbine Perennial Flower Bulb Collection.

Hellebore Will Grow Under Your Maple Tree

One of the few plants that flower in late fall and into the winter, hellebores offer sprigs of bright color when most other plants are laying dormant, waiting for spring. Hellebores are also evergreen, so you will have color all year long.

They often look weak and spindly during hot summer days. Once the temperatures break and the season cools, hellebores come to life.

Since they like shade in the summer and plenty of sunlight in the winter, these flowers are perfect for areas under big maple trees.

Some varieties of these flowers bloom in November and stop in mid-winter around December and January, while others, like the Lenten Rose, bloom later in the season and last until spring when other flowers shine.

Once established, hellebores are not thirsty plants and can usually survive normal rains. Though in times of drought, they will require some supplemental watering. To keep them flowering, you’ll need to cut out any dead foliage and add a light layer of compost every other year.

You can propagate them by splitting them when they get crowded. They can reseed themselves, but they grow slowly, and may not flower for a year or two when they grow from seeds.

Here are a few live hellebore plants if these flowers have caught your interest—Lenten Rose Live Plants, 3 Hellebore Plants in 2 Inch Pots.

Vinca Minor Thrives Under Maple Trees

This is a low-growing groundcover that has small, shallow roots that can withstand the delicate but aggressive maple roots. Vinca, also called periwinkle, sprouts small flowers either blue, purple, or white in the spring and keeps deep green evergreen foliage.

They spread by sending out thin vines that root when they touch the ground. Sometimes they will try to grow up the trees, but I have yet to see vinca that grows more than about a foot tall.

Periwinkle works great with bulbs such as daffodils, crocus, and tulips. These bulbs will poke through the vinca vines, bloom, and then recede while the vinca continues to spread out. This way you have a flourish of spring color when the flowers bloom, and a green carpet the rest of the year.

Once established, vinca minor needs very little care, it’s drought tolerant, does well without fertilizer, and will stay within a border with regular trimming. You can add a light layer of compost occasionally to keep it green and strong if the soil is lacking, otherwise, just let some of the maple leaves decompose to add nutrients to the soil.

Here are enough periwinkle plants to cover a large area—Greenwood Nursery / Live Ground Cover Plants – Vinca Minor.

Sedum Is Great Ground Cover For Under Maples

If you’re looking for a plant that virtually thrives on neglect, then creeping sedum, or stonecrop, is the “crop” for you. These plants seem to grow where all other plants fear to tread. They can grow in dry soil, between cracks in stones, and in soil that seems devoid of nutrition.

The only places some variety of sedum can’t thrive are wet, soggy lands. Sedum can take a drought like no one’s business, but too much water will have them vanishing like a magician’s assistant.

Creeping sedum is a ground cover that can coexist with even the most aggressive of maple tree roots. It will spread quickly, covering the ground with a succulent carpet of beauty that changes color in the fall.

While some varieties will shrivel up and come back next year, there are also evergreen varieties. In fact, there are over 400 varieties of sedum for you to choose from. Some grow tall and produce clusters of flowers, while others remain a colorful blanket of ground cover.

When looking for sedum, strike up a conversation with your local nursery expert to find out the best kind that will work for you and in your area. You might be able to plant several varieties in the same area for some striking visual impact.

If creeping sedum is your thing and you want to get started now, find them here—Sedum spurium Dragon’s Blood, Ground Cover.

Ferns Happily Grow Under Maple Trees

Ferns have been around since before dinosaurs and are still thriving today. Most ferns live in tropical areas, but there are still plenty of varieties that survive in North America. Ferns typically like shady, moist soil, so if you plant these under your maple trees, you’ll have to water the area regularly.

Two species of ferns that have found happiness growing underneath maple trees are the maidenhair fern, and Japanese painted fern. The maidenhair fern looks slightly different from typical ferns such as the Boston fern. It has small, fan-shaped leaflets that grow off the thin stems.

They are considered slow-growing ferns, taking up to three years to reach maturity. When fully grown, they reach about one to two feet tall and wide. These will need more water than most plants, so if you don’t want to water them constantly, you will do better getting something a little less thirsty.

Japanese painted ferns are visually stunning plants. They have bluish-silver fronds, with darker ribs for contrast and grow about 18 inches tall and wide.

These ferns naturalize relatively easily because they can spread through rhizomes. They also love the shade, as the strong, southern sun will scorch the delicate leaves. They are more tolerant of the dryer, poorer soil than maidenhair ferns, but they still need moist soil to keep them happy.

The gorgeous color of these ferns might make up for their tendency to be picky.

Daffodils Can Live Under Maple Trees

These bulbs are great for naturalizing and often seem to spring up in yards across America as if my magic. They are hardy bulbs that come up in early spring, produce a flourish of yellow, orange, or white flowers, then recede into the ground when it’s time to mow.

They are easy to grow under maple trees because they have a mounding, clumping habit, and will shrivel back when the tree’s canopy reaches full bloom. Since daffodils clump together and the bulbs propagate easily, you’ll have to separate clumps occasionally to keep them healthy.

Bulbs are great options to plant around maple trees because all you have to do is dig a small circular hole in the ground, drop the bulb in and cover it. When planting daffodils, put them in the ground in the fall, and they will flower in the spring. Use this Edward Tools Bulb Planter to make planting bulbs easy.

You can find plenty of daffodil bulbs here—Yellow Daffodils 25 Healthy Heirloom Bulbs.

Lily Of The Valley Flourishes Under Maple Trees

These little plants with their bell-shaped delicate flowers and thick, rich, green foliage are next to the dictionary under “set it and forget it.” They grow well in shady areas, like under trees where most other plants dare to grow.

Lily of the valley spread through rhizomes that can be separated and replanted when they get too crowded. They will quickly spread out and cover an area where adequate shade protects them from too much sun. 

There aren’t many pests that will damage your lily of the valley plants. Occasionally aphids or spider mites can become a nuisance, but ladybugs will often keep them in check. When these lilies go dormant, the pests have no choice but to move on.

These little beauties with their fragrant flowers grow so well in some areas they are considered invasive species, so check your local nursery experts to find out if certain plants are invasive.

You can get a start on lily of the valley here—White Lily of the Valley 10 Pips.

Daylilies Prosper Under Maple Trees

Daylilies are prolific and all-purpose flowers that are used in landscapes all over. They grow in full sun to partial shade, can tolerate droughts, and attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

These plants spread through tubers and seeds and are easily separated and propagated. The flowers come in many colors, as well as styles. You can have double daylilies, ruffled edges, small flowers, or some nearly as large as dinner plates.

Their leaves show in early spring, then they put out thin, round stems where the flowers grow and last sometimes until the fall, but the mounding foliage sticks around until fall. All you have to do is cut them back when they are dried out and they will come back bigger and lusher.

For planting daylilies under maple trees, plant them closer to the outer edge as they need some sun to produce more flowers. A nice contrast would be to plant some ground cover plants in the inner area of the tree and use daylilies as a border at the outer edge.

When the daylilies are cut back, you still have some cover, and when everything is growing you have a nice, contained area of green under the tree.

There are many colors and varieties of daylilies. These are quite natural looking for areas under maple trees and are quite inexpensive—50 WILD DAY LILY BULBS.

Tulips Will Bloom Year After Year Under Maples

Tulips share a lot of similarities with daffodils. They are both harbingers of spring, but tulips can poke through the ground when there’s still a threat of snow and freezes. This is okay because they are cold tolerant plants.

Tulips are essentially perennial bulbs, but after centuries of hybridizing, some of these bulbs have lost their ability to return year after year. Unfortunately, some tulip bulbs may only come up one time, but you get to change them out and alter the colors every year.

If you want your tulips to come back every year, search out words like naturalizing, perennial, and certain species of tulips when you’re looking to purchase. Smaller tulips like dwarf varieties are also recurring bulbs that will come back each year.

The smaller versions rarely make great cut flowers because they are usually too small to put in vases, but they will make a return instead of being a once-and-done flower.

These tulips are perennials, so you won’t have to replant every year—Perennial Tulip Bulbs.

Crocus Spreads Under Maple Trees

When it seems the groundhog was right and winter is sticking around longer than it needs to, the crocuses will poke through the ground to offer the dreary landscape some much-needed color. These little flowers can be naturalized for some early, sometimes needed brightness.

These dainty flowers grow from corms. In the late days of winter, you might see the thin leaves poking through the barren landscape, and soon the little colorful flowers will show you that spring is coming.

Most crocuses are quite small, but the Dutch giant varieties grow up to four inches tall. Yeah, not very big for a giant, but they are great for early bees who need a spring snack.

Crocuses will spread like most flowers that grow from bulbs, so once they clump together, you can spread them out to have more clumps of these early spring flowers. As long as you plant them in the fall, they will flower in spring. They need a period of cold weather to make them flower.

Once you have planted them, there’s nothing much you need to do to keep them healthy. As long as the dormant corms get a dose of water between dry spells, they will be fine. Just add them to the landscape with some later blooming flowers or ground covers for visual interest throughout most of the year.

Get an early start on spring with these—Perennial Crocus Bulbs.

Canadian Wild Ginger Sprouts Under Maple Trees

Canadian wild ginger is a low-growing ground cover that has spade, or heart-shaped leaves that grow about six inches tall. Their flowers are often found underneath the foliage and are mostly hidden, but they can attract the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. This butterfly is considered endangered in Maine.

Wild ginger can propagate from seeds or by splitting the rhizomes. Propagation by seeds is often difficult, so it’s easier to split groups of wild ginger through the rhizomes.

It’s a shade-loving ground cover that tolerates dry conditions. It may need some supplemental composting if the soil is lacking in nutrients.

Wild ginger is also evergreen, so if you plant this around your maple trees, it will keep a pleasing color all year long.  

Use Container Plants Under Your Maple If All Else Fails

Now you have several options for planting under your maple trees, but if none of these work, or they just aren’t what you’re looking for, you can always use containers. Adding a light layer of mulch—two to three inches max—and various containers can offer an acceptable alternative.

When it comes to container gardening you also don’t have to weed, till, or rake these plants. Much easier!

This way you can plant nearly an endless option of plants, shrubs, and flowers under your maple tree. As long as they are shade plants that do well in containers, plant away. Using varying types of containers in both height and width will lead to a more appealing contrast.

To keep from compacting the soil too much, use lighter containers and ones that aren’t too deep. Compacted soil can damage tree roots, so we try not to pack it down too much.

You can also fill the bottoms of containers with lightweight materials like used water bottles to keep them from getting too heavy.

Let’s Conclude This Session

While it can certainly be difficult to find plants that will tolerate the hungry, thirsty, and downright pushy maple roots, you now know you have a few options.

Whether you go with spring bulbs for a pop of early color, ground cover, or a mixture, you don’t have to suffer with a brown “dirt scape” under your maples.

It may be a bit of extra work in the beginning, but most of the plants in this article will grow with minimal care once they are established. Soon you will have a vibrant, lush landscape where once nothing would take.

If you’re interested in planting a new maple tree, take a look at our top picks for the best maple trees to plant here!

References:

Pregitzer, Kurt S., et al. “Variation in sugar maple root respiration with root diameter and soil depth.” Tree physiology 18.10 (1998): 665-670.

Xia, Mengxue, Alan F. Talhelm, and Kurt S. Pregitzer. “Fine roots are the dominant source of recalcitrant plant litter in sugar maple‐dominated northern hardwood forests.” New Phytologist 208.3 (2015): 715-726.

Martin, Patrick H. “Norway maple (Acer platanoides) invasion of a natural forest stand: understory consequence and regeneration pattern.” Biological invasions 1.2 (1999): 215-222.

Pegram, Kimberly V., et al. “Warning color changes in response to food deprivation in the pipevine swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor.” Journal of Insect Science 13.1 (2013). https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/13/1/110/1751849  

If you’re lucky enough to have a big maple on your property, you know the joy it can bring – hearing the wind blow through the leaves, enjoying the cool shade in summer, watching the leaves turn vibrant autumn colors. Maybe you are also struggling with a bare patch beneath it where nothing seems to survive. What plants can you grow under a maple tree… and what plants aren’t even worth a try?

Maple trees have a shallow root system where plants underneath will compete for nutrients and water. Avoid planting goldenrod, aster, English ivy, oriental bittersweet, wisteria, field bindweed, bishops weed, honeysuckle, clover, and hostas directly below your maple tree.

With proper landscaping, a mature maple can be a gorgeous centerpiece to your yard. So whether you’re fixing patchy areas beneath your big trees, or whether you’re planting young maples and want to give them a good start in life, read on to learn how to keep your marvelous maples healthy and looking good!

What Are Maple Trees – And Where Do They Grow?

Maples are attractive, easy-to-grow trees found in cultivated gardens and wild forests across the Northern Hemisphere. Some have colorful leaves, others interesting bark, and a few, like the valuable sugar maple (Acer saccharum), provide sap that can be boiled down into tasty maple syrup! There’s over triple digit species of maples in the world, so there’s plenty of trees to go around.

According to Oregon State University, thirteen species of maple tree are native to North America.

In the West, expect to see bigleaf (A. macrophyllum) and vine maple (A. circinatum). Midwestern forests are home to the boxelder (A. negundo), which has the largest range of any North American maple. The red maple (A. rubrum) dominates the East, although the fast-growing silver maple (A. saccharinum) is nearly as common.

In yards and urban areas, you are more likely to encounter one of the many varieties of Japanese maple (A. palmatum), a smaller species that can sometimes be no larger than a shrub, or the Norway maple (A. platanoides), a non-native that spreads so aggressively it has been classified as an invasive species by the USDA. 

Learning about the growth stages and patterns of your maple tree is important as well. For more information, check out our full timeline of maple tree growth!

The Challenge To Growing Plants Under Maple Trees

The needs of maple trees vary widely between seasons – however, all seasons typically lead to something not allowing plants to grow well under your maple tree.

Maple Leaves Can Block Sunlight To Plants

In the summer, their dense foliage creates a wall of leaves that completely blocks the sunlight from any plants directly beneath them. 

When their lower branches no longer get sunlight, either from their own shade or from a neighboring plant, they will shed those branches and redirect energy into overtopping the surrounding plants. (You can read more about the reasons trees lose their branches here.)

In the fall, the blanket of leaves dropped by maples can smother anything growing beneath them, creating an environment that invites fungus, slugs, and other pests if left to rot in place.

Decomposing leaf litter can also make the pH of soil more acidic over time, further inhibiting competition from other nearby plants.

So, won’t grow well when this happens, but typically that’s in fall. More acidic soil will limit the types of plants that can potentially thrive under your maple.

Maple Tree Roots Stay Close To The Surface

The root system of maples is dense and shallow, with larger roots often breaking the surface while smaller, hairlike ones form a dense mat just underneath the soil. In most species, root growth is not aggressive enough to harm other plants and buildings.

The exceptions are Norway and silver maples, as noted by the USDA, both of which can cause damage to pavement and plumbing.

Since maple trees have dense roots, they tend to suck up all the moisture in the surrounding area during their growing season.

This makes it so that these roots more actively compete with plants, regardless of how deep those plants roots go. In small numbers, it’s OK. However when you get a high maintenance plant, it can become an issue.

Maples Require A Lot Of Water

At the height of summer, a maple tree requires about 10 gallons of water, weekly, for every inch of caliper (the diameter of the trunk measured above ground).

However, in the winter, dormant maples take up little water, leading to muddy, soggy soil in areas with heavy rainfall and poor drainage.

Maple trees also require a large quantity of sunlight, with their canopy blocking the sun from anything under them. Learn more about your maple tree’s need for sun here!

Now, since they need all that water AND have shallow roots, that means that your maple tree really need any water that comes down naturally. So, the only way to make sure that plants can actually grow under your tree are to choose low maintenance ones that you actively water, along with your maple tree.

Plants That You Shouldn’t Grow Under Maple Trees

Some plants that might thrive close to your maple come with other complications. Now, this list isn’t to say you CAN’T plant these plants under your maple tree, but just know that it really could impact your maple tree’s longevity in a negative way.

Think of the area around the maple tree like a nice, big ol’ blackberry pie. If you have the pie all to yourself, you get ALL THE PIE. If you bring it to a multi-family gathering, then you have to share the pie and thus, have some competition on getting a slice.

So, let your maple tree have it’s pie and DON’T grow these plants under your maple tree in order to avoid competition.

Also – I think that’s my favorite maple tree to pie analogy ever 🙂

Beech Trees

Beech are beautiful, long-lived trees beloved for their wide canopies and useful wood products, nuts, and syrup. Since beech and maple trees often grow together in the wild, you might suppose a beech would make a good companion plant for your tree. 

However, beech trees naturally replace maple trees in forest succession, as shown by this USDA study. Beech trees will eventually crowd your maples out, although that might be a problem you pass down to your grandkids!

Now, when we say “under” your tree, you obviously won’t plant a tree under another tree, but I’m speaking a bit more about planting beech trees (and black walnut which I’ll discuss in a second) relatively close to each other.

Black Walnut Trees

Black walnut trees are allelopathic plants, meaning that they secrete chemicals that inhibit the growth of other nearby plants.

Many maples are tolerant of black walnut’s chemical secretion, also called juglone, making them one of the few trees that can grow nearby, but if your maples are facing other stressors like drought or insufficient sunlight, you’ll want to separate them as much as you can from walnuts. Silver maples are especially susceptible to damage from black walnut trees.

Read more about walnut allelopathy in our guide: 20 Plants Not To Grow Under A Black Walnut Tree.

Goldenrod And Aster

The beautiful perennials are both part of the aster family and grow well together, creating a rich environment for honeybees and other pollinators.

However, research published in Canadian Journal of Forest Research has shown that these flowers, like walnut trees, release allelopathic chemicals in the soil that can inhibit the growth of maples, especially if you are trying to introduce young trees.

Unless your maple is already well-established, you should keep your goldenrods and asters well away from its root system.

Grapes

During their growing season, grape vines will reach across gaps and begin growing in the branches of your maple tree. The dead wood that accumulates on a grapevine can weigh down and weaken your maple, causing more of its branches to break off during winter storms.

Over time, a grapevine can even cover a maple tree enough to block it from getting sufficient sunlight.

Virginia Creeper

According to the University of Wisconsin, Virginia creeper, native to much of North America, can grow up to 20 feet in a single year. Like grape, it can grow into the branches of your maple, shading the tree and eventually leading to it’s end.

Unlike grape, the berries of Virginia creeper are not for human consumption and the vine itself contains a sap that causes more issues to boot. Don’t plant it.

English Ivy, Oriental Bittersweet, And Chinese/Japanese Wisteria

Attractive and hardy, these invasive ornamentals have become a plague across many forests in North America, covering and eliminating native plants that wildlife rely on for food and shelter.

You might be tempted to green up the bare patch beneath your maple tree with English ivy, bittersweet, or wisteria. Don’t. All three of these aggressive plants will grow up into the branches of your tree, cutting off sunlight and ending your maple section by section.

Field Bindweed

Sometimes confused with morning glory, field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is one of the more difficult invasive weeds to control once established.

Field bindweed can get into the branches of your maple and strangle it just like other aggressive vines.

In addition, the roots of bindweed can go as deep as 20 feet, according to the University of California, intertwining with the roots of your maple tree. Once this happens, your options for using herbicide are limited, and you’ll have to pull it by hand wherever it comes up to keep it from spreading.

Bishop’s Weed

Also called goutweed, this groundcover is sometimes advertised as “Snow on the Mountain” or “ground elder.” Sounds innocent, but Bishop’s weed is a noxious invasive that spreads so aggressively it’s illegal to sell in several states.

Your maples will struggle to get the water and nutrients they need in the summer when their root zone is covered by dense patches of Bishop’s weed, and to make matters worse, bishop’s weed irritates the skin if you try to pull it by hand. Look for the scientific name–Aegopodium podagraria–and avoid it.

Japanese/Amur Honeysuckle

Although many species of honeysuckle native to North America are great sources of food to pollinators like honeybees and hummingbirds, two invasive varieties, the Japanese and Amur, are aggressive enough to slow down the growth of your maples.

Both have extensive root systems that can reduce the availability of nutrients in the soil for other plants, and once established, both are difficult to eradicate. In addition, Japanese honeysuckle can send vines into your maple that can gird its trunk and branches, strangling it.

Hosts Of The Ambrosia Beetle

If you have Japanese maples, you’ll need to be on the watch for tiny “toothpicks” of sawdust sticking out of the trunk, a sign that your tree has been infested by granulated ambrosia beetles. First introduced in North America in the 1970s, these pests are a serious problem, difficult to treat, and fatal to young Japanese maples.

One way you can protect your maples is by steering clear of other species frequented by the ambrosia beetle: pecans, plums, peaches, apples, persimmons, figs, ornamental cherries, dogwoods, magnolias, azaleas, rhododendrons, Shumard oaks, Chinese elms, sweetgums, golden rain trees, redbud, crapemyrtle, and plants from the genus Syrax.

If you bring any of these plants back from the nursery, including any new Japanese maples, be aware that the ambrosia beetle might hitch a ride into your yard. Since the beetles can travel several miles a year, planting away from your maple won’t stop the spread. 

Fortunately, ambrosia beetles are less likely to attack a healthy tree, another reason you should avoid planting beneath your maple in a way that weakens its health.

Plants That Don’t Stand A Chance Under Maple Trees

Don’t waste money buying plants that will parish beneath your maples. Anything that requires full sunlight won’t stand a chance, and plants that have specific moisture needs, especially ones with shallow root systems, will be in constant competition with the dense surface roots of your maples

(Hint… the maples usually win!)

You should remove the leaves that accumulate around the base of your maples each autumn to prevent pests and rot in your trees. This means you’ll also want to avoid plants that can’t take a little rough handling from rakes and leaf blowers.

Here are some types to avoid:

Grass

Most types of lawn grasses won’t be able to tolerate the shade beneath your maple to grow properly. If the area around your tree is clear enough to let morning and evening sun reach beneath it, you may be able to grow some of the more shade-resistant varieties like creeping red fescue and supine bluegrass.

Even if you can find a variety that tolerates what little sun reaches under your maple, your grass will be constantly deprived of water and nutrients in the summer when your maple is at its greediest.

Grasses that continue to grow throughout the winter face a different problem, as the area beneath a dormant maple tree can easily become over-saturated with rainwater without the maple roots to absorb it.

Be aware that grasses growing in the shade, even shade-resistant varieties, develop shallow root systems. If you are successful in establishing a lawn beneath your maple tree, consider using a leaf blower in the fall instead of a rake to keep from accidentally pulling up the more-fragile grass.

Clover

Clover is not only great for pollinators like bees, but with its ability to capture and return nitrogen to the soil, it plays an important role for other plants in your yard. Clover that grows near your maple will help it.

However, almost all varieties of clover have high water demands. Unless you can provide extra irrigation during the driest months, clover will have a hard time getting established.

Hostas

Although hostas can survive the harsh growing conditions underneath maple trees for a while, after a few years, maple roots will invade the root ball of the hosta and slowly choke it out.

A hosta beneath a maple tree will decline in health gradually, even if the first year or two looks like a success!

So What Can I Plant Under My Maple Tree?

Maples are successful at inhibiting growth beneath them, but don’t give up! There are several plants that will survive in the shade of a maple tree:

Spring-Flowering Bulbs

Plants from bulbs that emerge in the spring can get enough light to bloom before a maple leafs out for the summer.

These types of plants, called spring ephemerals, include: bluebells, daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses, anemones, and hyacinth.

Ferns

Ferns unfurl new growth in the spring while maple trees are still dormant, and many can survive both heavy summer shade and damp winter soil. Try varieties like maidenhair fern, lady fern, wood fern, or cinnamon fern.

Sword ferns can also thrive beneath a maple, although competition from the tree often dwarfs their height to only a few feet tall.

Mondo Grass

If you are determined to grow something similar to a lawn beneath your maple, mondo grass might be your solution. Certain varieties, like dwarf mondo and black mondo, can tolerate the varying conditions beneath a maple tree.

Mondo grass spreads slowly over time to fill in gaps, and because it stops growing after it reaches a certain height, you don’t have to mow it. Mondo isn’t a true grass but is more closely related to lilies.

Shade-Loving Plants

There are a wide variety of other groundcovers and low-growing plants that may succeed in the shade of your maple depending on your climate and the specific conditions beneath your tree.

Plants that do well with maple trees include creeping phlox, rose champion, epimedium, lily of the valley, periwinkle, and Solomon’s seal.

Drought-tolerant moss can flourish over an undisturbed area beneath your tree, although because moss clings to soil with fragile rhizoids instead of roots, it can be difficult to establish.

Whatever you plant, you’ll have better luck if you enrich the soil under your maple with a few inches of compost and plan to provide extra water to the area in the summer months, especially as your new plants are getting started. You can also prune up some of the lower branches of your maple tree, or some of the upper ones to introduce more light to the ground below.

If you want an even more detailed look at what you can plant under your maple tree, check out our list!

Alternative Solutions To Plants Under Your Maple Tree

Let’s face it, your maple wants to dominate the soil beneath it. You’ll have to cut through its roots to plant anything, and anything you plant will be in direct competition with your tree for moisture and nutrients.

Don’t want to fight that battle? Here are some other solutions you might consider:

Mulch

Encircling the base of your maple with wood chips or another type of mulch can be an attractive alternative to a groundcover. When you mulch around your maple, be careful not to put down too much.

Maple roots need to be close to the surface to exchange oxygen, so you should never apply more than a few inches over the root zone to at least the dripline (the edge of the tree’s canopy). Don’t pile up mulch against the tree, which can encourage disease and rot, but leave a mulch-free area about 12 to 18 inches around the trunk.

Maple roots need to have good airflow with the surface, so avoid using large rocks or pavers to cover the area beneath a tree.

Smaller stones like pea gravel can work as a mulch alternative, but this can cause problems when you need to clean the seeds, blooms, and leaves your tree will drop throughout the year. It can be difficult to rake or blow maple leaves without mixing in whatever you have laid around the base of the tree.

You may also need a good fertilizer, which you can take a look at our list of best maple tree fertilizers here.

Create A Charming Place to Rest

If you’re dealing with a big, mature maple, why not enjoy its cool summer shade for yourself? 

Beneath a tree is a brilliant spot for a standalone hammock or reading chair. Incorporate your maple into the space by using something like this circular tree garden bench by Design Toscano.

You can brighten your seating area even more with container plants. Hang containers from sturdy branches or elevate them with plant stands.

Just make sure you don’t affect the roots of your maple too much—no heavy pots that rest directly on the ground—and choose plants that can tolerate the shade.

Feed The Birds

Not all wild birds appreciate a hanging bird feeder.

Some, like juncos and towhees, prefer to feed on the ground, while others, like blackbirds, will purposely knock seed down from feeders for the rest of the flock below. Some, like flickers and doves, struggle to find a perch on small feeders.

Ground-feeding birds do a good job tearing up any plants trying to grow where birdseed falls. If you have a large maple, use this to your advantage!

If nothing seems to grow beneath your maple, designate the area as a feeding spot. Hang feeders in the branches and scatter seed for ground feeders.

The activity of birds will weed out almost everything that tries to grow while also providing bonus nutrients for your tree. 

That’s A Wrap!

Maple trees are wonderful for their summer shade and vibrant fall colors. No matter what kind you have, you’ll want to take care of it so it can continue to color your yard for many years to come.

But to care for your maple, you need to think about what’s happening beneath the surface of the soil. Your maple wants to create a dense, shallow root system to absorb every last bit of water and nutrients, and so anything you try planting beneath it will be in direct competition with your tree.

Now, for a quick recap.

You should avoid planting the following under your maple tree:

• Other trees that will outcompete your maple, like beech and black walnut
• Plants with allelopathic chemicals, like goldenrod and aster
• Vines that can choke your tree, like grape, Virginia creeper, English ivy, oriental bittersweet, Chinese/Japanese wisteria, and field bindweed
• Aggressive invasive plants, like bishop’s weed, Japanese honeysuckle, and Amur honeysuckle
• Plants that introduce ambrosia beetles
• Plants that your maple will outcompete, like grass, clover, and hostas

Hopefully this article will help you avoid choosing something you’ll regret down the road while giving you some excellent alternatives. If you’re interested in planting a maple tree, check out our guide on the best maple trees to plant!

Just remember, respect the root zone of your tree, use good companion plants or non-plant alternatives, and you’ll have a happy maple!

Thanks for reading!

References

Carl H. Tubbs, Allelopathic Relationship between Yellow Birch and Sugar Maple Seedlings, Forest Science, Volume 19, Issue 2, June 1973, Pages 139–145.

Elizabeth Anne France, Dan Binkley, and David Valentine. Soil chemistry changes after 27 years under four tree species in southern Ontario. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 19(12): 1648-1650.

Galbraith-Kent, S.L. and S.N. Handel. 2008. Invasive Acer platanoides inhibits native sapling growth in forest understorey communities. Journal of Ecology 96:293-302 R. F. Fisher, R. A. Woods, and M. R. Glavicic. Allelopathic effects of goldenrod and aster on young sugar maple. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 8(1): 1-9.

Veselkin, D.V., Rafikova, O.S. Effects of Water Extracts from the Leaves of Boxelder Maple Acer negundo and Native Tree Species on the Early Development of Plants. Russ J Ecol 53, 59–67 (2022).