I have a website on companion plants. The plants on this site are;

Astilbe
Kalmia, Mountain Laurel
Mahonia, Oregon Grape
Pieris, Andromeda
Viburnum

Also, there is a link for Companion Trees.

The link is below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Companion Plants

Hi Cynthia, here where we can grow many rhododendrons and azaleas in what amounts to full sun, skys the limit on what to pair them with. I imagine there you have to be more careful with summer heat, so think about what you like that will grow in the same conditions. Do you have the same amount of light at the front of this bed?

Were you thinking of something that would complement and bloom at the same time, or bloom later when your encores have finished (you wouldn't have to be so cautious with color if not blooming together).

Astilbe is good, lots of color choices here. Astrantia (masterwort) is one of the longest blooming plants in my mild Z8. Columbines in many colors (and they'll cross pollinate so you'll create even more). Heucheras in a range of foliage colors, bletilla striata (ground orchid). Many violets - v. Fuji Dawn with it's very white variegated foliage would brighten up a shady spot. Evergreen epimedium and many hardy geraniums that are happy in part shade. If you are providing regular water, the candleabra primroses like primula bullyeana will work, and saxifraga fortunei 'Five Color' & 'Velvet' could carry foliage interest all season.

Have you ever looked at the selections available from your home state Yucca Do Nursery? Some very interesting things there, i.e. shade tolerant agave and aspidistra as alternatives to more common hosta.

Here is a link that might be useful: YuccaDo Nursery

Thank you for the suggestions. I went in search of Mahonia, unfortunately only one does well here... and it's big. I do like astilbe, but it's not very happy here.

I ended up with EAst Indian Holly a fern with wonderful leaves. Guess I'll do some more low-growing azaleas.

smiles of appreciation
cynthia

I do ferns with mine too. Also Caladiums.

Might want to think about Iberis sempervirens too -- great plant.

Q

Hostas, woodland poppies (celandine)japaneese peonies, cranesbill geraniums, lenten rose, tiarella, heuchera, lungwort, blue oat grass, carex, bleeding hearts, epimediums, cimicifuga, spiderwort, wild ginger and solomons seal, are some of the first perenials that come to mind for part shade.

Thank you all so much!
Now I have a long list of possibilities...and I love bulbs.

ARe there pics of some of your beds anywhere?

cynthia

The following plants all like the same soil conditions:

Azaleas, Camellias, Rhododendrons, Pin Oaks, Holly, Hydrangea (Blue), Magnolias, White and Yellow Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Birch, Blueberry

Azaleas and Rhododendrons have shallow roots, so care must be taken when disturbing the soil under them.

More great suggestions!

EGO45: These lilies are on my list for sure. Do you have the clematis on the azalea shrubs during summer?

Rhodyman, I planted some peonies from a swap two white camelias and various hydrandeas: lady in red, endless summer and Annie oakleaf. Ended up with 3 very large : 10 gallon pot encores to go in front of the monarcs One is Autumn embers and the other 2 are Angle....the pure white.

I still need to fill in and bulbs are a natural for me. I spotted that low-growing creeping mahonia at a nursery. Haven't found anyone in TX to tell me that it works here, but I sure do like the color of the autumn foliage....one was turning gold and purple. SO far one nursery person at anothe place told me that only the large one does well here. trying to find out the scoop.

thank you all again
cynthia

Cynthianovak wrote she saw some Mahonia that she liked if it would survive in TX. I have the regular Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape) along our country road here in PA where it gets lots of road salt and surprisingly it thrives. I am shocked. I have no experience with growing it in the southwest.

Other good companion plants for rhododendron and azaleas are Pieris and Kalmia. Kalmia latifolia and Pieris japonica do well for us here in PA. In Scotland I saw some fabulus red foilaged Pieris that aren't grown in PA. Again, I have no idea if there are any species of Pieris, Mahonia or Kalmia that will do well in TX.

Thanks Rhodyman
I grew up in OH near Pittsburgh. I remember salt and sleet. Of course, it was 95 today and summer here, instead of winter seems endless.

I did a search and found th Mahonia Repens I saw at the garden center. Seems it is fussy and wants alkaline soil. Such is life.

Sure do miss the pretty hills of western PA
x

Here is a link that might be useful: Mahonia Repens in TX

Cynthia, clematis will do good on azaleas only if they are grown not in a considerable shade. Here in CT we could grow rhododendrons and azaleas almost in full sun if adequate moisture provided, though I don't think this will be a case in TX. Yes, I have clematis on azalea whole summer and combo blooms like this: May-azalea, June and September-clematis. They don't have a bloom time overlap, so no color clashes issue exists.
Most clems need a fair amount of sun to bloom, though some are more shade tolerant than the others. You know better your azaleas particular growing conditions, so you have to decide if clematis will get enough sun to bloom.
I would definitely look for group 3 clematis for one and only reason, they bloom on new wood, so they could be cut in early spring and their first flush will NOT coincide with azaleas, thus making azalea interesting AGAIN in early summer and in early fall.
You have there gorgeous TX native Cl. texensis (scarlet) which IMO will be more appropriate on azalea than more flashy large-flowering cultivars. There are some other cultivars of C.texensis (C.coccinea) in different than scarlet colors if you are looking for particular color scheme. Duchess of Albany (pink), Countess of Onslow (violet-purple) to name a few of the most readily available.
Good luck. Sounds like you going to have a nice bed there.