Planting ground cover under rhododendrons is particularly useful. They can provide the popular garden shrub with many beneficial benefits. You can find out what these are and which species are particularly suitable for them in the following article.
Which ground cover plants are suitable for planting under rhododendrons?
Suitable ground cover plants for planting under rhododendrons are golden nettle, lungwort, foam blossom and fern, as they have loose root systems, tolerate shady locations and create a cool, humus-rich soil. This means they optimally support the moisture and nutrient supply of the rhododendrons.
Why rhododendrons love underplanting
For many trees it is advisable to plant them with ground cover. This gently revitalizes your root system, supplies it with humus and moisture and shades your planting area. Rhododendrons can particularly use this kind of support.
They have a shallow-growing root system that requires a continuous supply of water and nutrients on the surface of the earth. At the same time, they don't like it at all when their location, especially their planting ground, heats up significantly. So you benefit enormously from the cooling shade that a ground cover offers you. In addition, the shading naturally prevents drying out, which can lead to significant dry damage to rhododendrons.
So let's note what ground cover offers the rhododendron:
- gentle revitalization and loosening of the shallow rooted soil
- continuous supply of moisture and nutrients
- Ground shading and cooling, protection against drying out
Suitable ground cover for rhododendrons
Not all ground cover plants are suitable for underplanting rhododendrons. Above all, you should have a root system that is not too tough so as not to hinder the shrub's root development. Nevertheless, they should provide good, widespread shade and can even tolerate a shady location. Because rhododendrons themselves like to be in a little shade and cast deep shade with their thick, dark foliage.
These requirements are met, for example, by the following ground cover species:
- Golden nettle: It tolerates partial shade very well and can absorb a lot of fallen leaves in autumn, which it processes into valuable humus. With its variegated, silvery leaves it also forms a quite attractive contrast to the deep green rhododendron.
- Lungwort: Lungwort shades the ground well with its broad leaves and has a loose root system. Here too there is a nice play of textures thanks to the dotted leaves.
- Foam blossom: It also has a good shading effect with its broad foliage and forms a humus-rich soil. Their tall, delicate panicle flowers are pretty to look at in spring.
- Fern: Ferns feel very comfortable in the shade and have a good soil-improving effect. Their charismatic fronds are a particularly attractive structural contrast to the smooth, firm rhododendron leaves.
