Birch trees root close to the surface and densely. Therefore, in dry times they have difficulty penetrating the groundwater and suffer. Early underplanting is therefore useful in order to protect birch trees from drought in summer and at the same time to make their root area visually more appealing.
Which plants are suitable for planting under the birch tree?
Perennials, ground covers, ferns and woody plants that are suitable for underplanting birch trees are those with theroot pressure, the lightshadeand thedry earth at the foot of a birch tree. These include:
- Fairy flower and star umbel
- Golden strawberry and hosta
- Rainbow fern and worm fern
- Storksbill and purple bells
- Apple thorn and privet
Planting birch trees with perennials
Before the birch is too established, it should be planted as a shallow root with suitable perennials. Ideal are those perennials that aredeep-rootedand can latertolerate theroot pressureof the birch Shade perennials such as Hosta is preferable or at least plants that thrive well in partial shade. The following specimens have proven successful for planting under birch trees:
- Funkie
- Elf Flower
- Stony Seed
- Asters
- Feverfew
- Aquilegia
- Star Umbel
Plant birch with ground cover plants
The ground cover with which you plant your birch should not only tolerate apartially shaded to shady locationbut also thedry soil, which is usually found under the crown of the birch tree. Adaptable and drought-tolerant ground cover plants have proven to be suitable here, such as:
- Golden strawberry
- Storksbill
- Purple bells
- Evergreen
- Ivy
Underplanting birch trees with ferns
Ferns set natural accents and their lively fronds stand out beautifully in the root and trunk area of a birch tree. It is important that the ferns are planted aroundat the same timewith the birchso that they can really gain a foothold before the birch's roots become too dense has. They should also bedrought-tolerant. The following are well suited for underplanting:
- worm fern
- Rainbow fern
- Spotted Fern
- Lady fern
- Deertongue Fern
Planting birch trees with grasses
Low grassesthat areshade tolerant are suitable for underplanting birch trees. The grasses can temporarily protect the birch tree from drying out and decoratively enhance its bare root area. The following are particularly suitable for underplanting:
- Sedges
- Flatgrass
- Rasen-Schmiele
- Feather grass
Underplanting birch trees with bushes
If you want to plant shrubs or trees under the birch, you should do this when the birch has been freshly planted. Otherwise, the roots of the birch tree get in the way of the other trees and one of them loses out. Deep-rooted plantsare perfect, whichstay smallor can toleratepruningwellThese include, for example:
- honeysuckle
- Cherry Laurel
- Apple thorn
- Mahony
Tip
Falling birch leaves shouldn't be a problem
It's best to choose plants for underplanting that can handle the falling leaves of the birch in autumn and even benefit from it. The foliage protects against severe frost and drought throughout the winter.
