Plants That Thrive Under A Pine Tree

Tired of looking at that bland blanket of pine needles under your pine tree? You can turn this space into a beautiful garden by carefully selecting plants that thrive under a pine tree.

The plants you choose must grow well in full shade and on acidic soil. Although pine needles are very acidic (3.2 to 3.8 pH), it's a myth that they acidify the soil when they fall from the trees. The decomposition process actually neutralizes their pH. But because pine trees prosper on acidic soil, compatible plants for underneath pines also thrive on acidic soil.

The plants you choose should also tolerate dry soil conditions because pine tree roots are quite thirsty and will quickly take in available water. The best plants to grow under pine trees will also mature to just a few feet in height unless you plan to prune back the lower branches of your pine tree.

If you think full-shade gardens always look gloomy, think again. You can plant colorful flowers under pine trees, including the pale blues of columbine (​Aquilegia​ spp., USDA zones 3-10), Jacob's ladder (​Polemonium caeruleum​, zones 4-8) or dwarf periwinkle (​Vinca​ ​minor​, zones 4-9). Try lily of the valley (​Convallaria majalis​, zones 3-8) for delicate white or pink flowers or bleeding heart (​Lamprocapnos spectabilis​, zones 3-9).

Foxglove (​Digitalis​ spp., zones 4-8) can prove an attractive purple addition to your pine tree garden as will bergenia (​Bergenia​ spp., zones 4-8). Want something a little sunnier? Daylilies (​Hemerocallis​ spp., zones 3-9) are surprisingly tolerant of shade, although they may perform best on the edge of the pine tree canopy, where they might get a few rays of sunshine.

In addition, the large, showy blooms of bigleaf hydrangea (​Hydrangea​ ​macrophylla​, zones 6-9) will bloom blue when planted on acidic soil. Plant several of these flowering shrubs around your pine tree to provide a backdrop for the rest of your garden. Another shrubby plant to consider is azalea (​Rhododendron​ spp., zones 4-9 depending on species), which comes in a rainbow of colors. You can also plant astilbe (​Astilbe​ spp., zones 4-9), a small, compact shrub that sends up flower spikes in colors like white, wine red or pink.

Fortunately, many of the tried-and-true shade-loving plants also perform well on acidic soils and don't need too much pampering in terms of water. They also come in an incredible array of colors to suit any creative plan. Hostas (​Hosta​ spp., zones 3-8), for example, can have leaves in virtually any shade of green, as well as variegated green and white leaves. The leaves of coral bells (​Heuchera​ spp., zones 3-9 depending on species and cultivar) can be red, yellow, deep purple, green or blue.

Every shade garden needs a few ferns, whether they're large and showy or simply fill in open spaces to create a lush garden. Lilyturf, also called monkey grass (​Liriope muscari​, zones 5-10), serves well as a "filler" plant in semi-shady areas.

If you have a lot of space to cover and just want to plant some groundcovers and call it a day, you have plenty of colors, heights and textures to choose from. For example, sweet woodruff (​Galium odoratum​, zones 4-8) grows to about 8 inches tall and produces white flowers, whereas creeping phlox (​Phlox stolonifera​, zones 5-8, or ​Phlox subulata​, zones 3-9) grows to about half that height and produces a thick carpet of pale purple or pink flowers.

Choosing common bugleweed (​Ajuga​ ​reptans​, zones 3-10), purple dead-nettle (​Lamium purpureum​, zones 4-8) or creeping thyme (​Thymus serpyllum​, zones 4-9) will place the leaves in center stage with a few colorful punctuating flowers in blue or purple. Another groundcover to consider is the bearberry (​Arctostaphylos uva-ursi​, zones 3-7), which produces bright-red berries that may attract birds to your garden.

Pachysandra (​Pachysandra terminalis​, zones 4-9) is an evergreen groundcover that tends to grow well where other plants fail to thrive — including on acidic soils and full shade. However, it likes moist soil, so you may need to water it often if you choose to plant it under a pine tree. Its star-like rosette leaves provide year-round interest, and it will produce small white flowers in the spring.