Gmnolen, I underplanted my Japanese maple with nothing but dwarf mondo grass, and I love it. The tree itself is really striking so I didn't use any flowers or my typical "floofy" plants immediately under it.

Low growing evergreen groundcovers, or moss and rocks, would look good and not take away from the grace and form of the Acer.

Hi,

I have a Japanese Maple I am also looking to underplant. I love the idea of the Mondo grass, but I am in New England and although officially I am in zone 6, weather here is unpredictable. Last winter for example was cold, and very little snow. For the first time in 7 years, I lost quite a few perennials, so I know I have to be careful. I hate losing plant material and having to replace it.

I thought I remembered that Mondo grass is a zone 7 or higher and not cold hardy. Is that correct?

Also like the idea of the moss and rocks. I have some evergreen junipers there now, but they are getting too much shade and are not doing well. I wouldn't recommend them as most evergreens need full sun.

Adam

Any think in the pink family to complitment the reds in the Japanese Maple would be pretty. I have Barberry-red color under mine but can't say I care for it-. It's not that striking-all the same color. No contrast.

I live in Oregon and we have lots of maples here. I think the golds and moss greens are striking. Also, blue evergreens can look beautiful. I'm not sure how they grow in your area.

In your area white jonquils all around the base...... hostas might look nice or liriope...... depending on what you're looking for you could put a ground cover or small scale shadiier garden........

I am also trying to decide what to plant under a red maple. A landscaper suggested paccasandra (sp?) or lavendar. I like the idea of blue junipers.

Underneath my JM I have planted lemon thyme ( a good ground cover), and nearby I have purple sage, Spanish lavender, yellow yarrow, silver and green Santolina, and Lonicera (boxleaf honeysuckle). I like the yellow and purple combo.

Thanks for all the ideas. :-)

I have junipers under it now and they are not getting enough sun and I need to move them to a better location.

I like the idea of the small shade garden. Question...aren't Maples pretty depleting of the soil as they get large? I have heard that they are one of the toughest places to plant due to the surface roots and the dry deep shade they produce.

Adam

To quote J.D. Vertrees, "Japanese Maples", "Their root system is not a deep taproot type of structure but is predominantely a fibrous root network that will stay mostly in the upper level of the soil...This fact, however, does not make them serious competitors with companion shrubs such as rhododendrons or similar ornamentals. They are not overly competitive but coexist well with practically all landscape plantings. A surprising large number of maple enthusiasts also have fine plantings of rhododendrons and azaleas, because the culture of Japanese maples is very similar to that of rhododendrons."

The combination I enjoy under Jap Maple is (if you have the space) a combination of the following: Several hosta with opposite variegation with the combo of green/yellow in them; japanese painted fern; coral bell 'plum puddin' and Pulmonaria!!!!!! Good Luck

I have a number of crocus under mine that seem to have been doing well for a few years anyway. They flower when the maple is still leaf-less and get eaten by the deer just about when the maple leafs out, after which they are just veriagated grass-like tufts around the base.

japanese painted ferns will give you silver, green, and burgundy, and they naturalize well.

some of the smaller striped hostas would also look nice.

we've got a white- flowered lamium, japanese ferns, and woodland phlox planted under my MiL's little japanese maple, and it looks really nice :)

I think mondo grass underneath a maple would contrast well with the leaves and provide a nice soft underpinning around the trunk, and a background against which to view the branches, during the many months it is leafless. Mondo grass (othiopogon japonicum or something to that effect) actually grows well in sun or shade so it's quite versatile.

How tall is your maple, what kind is it/ form (spreading, weeping, upright, etc), and how tall will it ultimately be? Is it grafted high, so there's a tall trunk, or low, so it's more like a bush? Is it in a location where the tree will shade it all the time, or where western exposure, for instance, will give the underplantings late afternoon sun? Where is it (against a foundation, in a border, etc?) Are you going for a Japanese effect, or just a nice color combo?

:) questions questions questions...

i have white daffodils at the base and on one side, sloping down a number of perrenial candytuft...on the upperside i planted a cotoneaster this year, but i am not too sure how that will work...the candytuft give a mat of white while the tree is red, and then are evergreen for the rest of the year.

I've read that the Lenten Rose is a pretty companion to plant under the Japanese Maple, and maybe some Ajuga (bugleweed)?

I have a bed that gets the first morning sun, then the end of the day sun, and it is planted with a dark red dwarf japanese maple ( 5 ft tall, 4 ft wide), a Firemound Spirea (plays off the maple gorgeously), in front of the maple is a pink bleeding heart (huge now, very blue tinged foliage) and a Thunderbolt hosta (blue leaves with yellow stripe in center). To the other side is woodland phlox in blue. It all looks very nice together, but the spirea (bright yellow/gold leaves tinged with red) looks so good next to the Japanese Maple, that is a winning combination I will repeat elsewhere in the yard.
Amy

I have two container grown, weeping variety, JMs and am looking for new ground cover ideas for them. One red one green. The containers are large and so have plenty of room with rocks etc. I would like something contrasting under the green one but can't think of a thing, Any ideas?....

I have two container grown, weeping variety, JMs and am looking for new ground cover ideas for them. One red one green. The containers are large and so have plenty of room with rocks etc. I would like something contrasting under the green one but can't think of a thing, Any ideas?....