Subject: Re: What plants thrive under Pine Trees

From: J. A. Stiller <[email-masked]>
Date: 1 Apr 1995 16:59:42 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> thirlwak,
[email-masked] writes:
>Now I am looking for some flowers, plants, etc. that will grow in 
>the acidic soil that is underneath the trees.
>
There are so many plants that like acid soil that you would be doing
yourself a favor checking out a good garden guide and picking the ones
you like.  In general, plants native to the eastern North American
woodlands seem to like acid soil, I guess because oak leaves make soil
acid too.   Some to consider:  Mertensia (Virginia bluebells), if they'll
grow in your zone; ferns; hostas; Celandine poppy, bloodroot.

Jenny Stiller
Haverford, PA

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From: [email-masked] (thirlwak)
Date: 31 Mar 1995 03:12:43 GMT

Hi, I just moved in to a house with three pine trees in the front yard.

I have cut off the lower branches about three feet above ground.  
Now I am looking for some flowers, plants, etc. that will grow in 
the acidic soil that is underneath the trees.

The plot faces south and will get the sun most of the day.  
Central Alberta, Canada climate.  Warm dry winds.  Elevation 3000 ft.
Growing season of 100 to 110 days.

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From: [email-masked] (Virginia Boehm)
Date: 31 Mar 1995 23:34:11 GMT

>Growing season of 100 to 110 days. 

The key consideration is soil ph.  Pines make the soil very acid.  Pick 
stuff that likes acid soil.

      Gini

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Dickow)
Date: 1 Apr 1995 21:14:18 GMT

> Growing season of 100 to 110 days. 

Try some Spanish or English Bluebells (Scilla bulbs). They like a
little moisture though, I think.

--

--Bob Dickow ([email-masked])

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From: [email-masked] (Sandra Heiler)
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 1995 16:42:25 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, J. A. Stiller
<[email-masked]> wrote:
> grow in your zone; ferns; hostas; Celandine poppy, bloodroot
                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
> Haverford, PA

I've never heard of these, but I'm a big poppy fan and I have lots of
wooded gardens.  Do they have another popular name?  I'm quite sure I've
never seen seeds for them in the regular old (I almost said
garden-variety) seed catalogs like Parks and Burpees.  Do you know of a
source.  Virginia bluebells and ferns are flourishing in my wooded
gardens.
Thanks,
Sandy

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Apr 95 17:53:31 -0600

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Sandra Heiler) writes:
>                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> wooded gardens.  Do they have another popular name?

It's a short-lived perennial member of the poppy family, the Papaveraceae,
but it's the genus _Chelidonium_.  The one I have grown is "greater
celandine", _Chelidonium majus_ (chel-ih-DON-ih-um MAY-jus), which is
native to SE Europe into Asia, but has naturalized in the eastern US.
I think I got mine from Bluestone many years ago.

Picture a 1" wide California poppy flower, but lemon yellow, on an
Anemone-looking plant, and you've got the idea.  The yellow latex is
a traditional wart cure, but I've not tried it..

Kay Klier  [email-masked]

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From: J. A. Stiller <[email-masked]>
Date: 5 Apr 1995 00:19:43 GMT

>>> grow in your zone; ferns; hostas; Celandine poppy, bloodroot
I don't know another popular name, but I can tell you where to get them. 
 Celandine poppy is Stylophorum diphyllum and it isn't the same thing as
Greater Celandine, though they have some similarities of appearance.  I
got mine from Niche Gardens in Chapel Hill, NC, whose current catalogue
describes them as follows:

"A must for the woodland garden with dark bluish-green foliage resembling
oak leaves that adds a wonderful texture in the garden.  In mid to late
spring, 2" bright yellow poppies appear in profusion on attractive 1'
clumps.  Unusual hairy seed pods follow which provide added interest. 
Plant in partial to full shade locations.  If sited well, it self-sows
without becoming aggressive.  The foliage provides an unusual coarse
texture in the shade."

Niche Gardens specializes in nursery-propagated North American natives. 
Their catalogue identifies which of the plants they offer are not native,
and since this one doesn't have that designation, I have always assumed
it is a native.  Niche says it's OK for zones 4-8.

I also have lots of Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus) doing its weedy
little number in various spots of my yard.  I'm not real aggressive about
pulling it out, as long as it keeps out of my flower beds, because I like
its flowers.  G.C. is European and has naturalized in the Eastern U.S.) 
The foliage of the 2 plants is very similar but not identical (I nearly
had a fit when I opened that box from Niche 2 years ago and thought I had
paid money for Greater Celandine, and it took picking a sprig of G.C. and
comparing it with the new plant to assure myself that I hadn't).  The
flowers are different, though, even though both are yellow - G.C. flowers
are much smaller.  The seed pods are totally different.  The poppies were
fully dormant through the mild winter we just had, but the G.C. never
went dormant at all.

I might add that my Celandine poppies are already blooming, even though
the foliage is not yet fully developed.  (I am on the border of zone 6
and zone 7 outside Philadelphia.)  My neighbor, Haverford College, has
them planted in a woodland garden with hostas, and it makes a very nice
combination.  They bloom here until about the end of June, with the
occasional later flower throughout the summer.

You can reach Niche Gardens at 1111 Dawson Road, Chapel Hill, NC  27516. 
Their telephone number is (919) 967-0078.

Jenny in Haverford

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Dickow)
Date: 1 Apr 1995 21:14:18 GMT

--

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From: [email-masked] (Sandra Heiler)
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 1995 16:42:25 -0400

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Apr 95 17:53:31 -0600

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From: J. A. Stiller <[email-masked]>
Date: 5 Apr 1995 00:19:43 GMT

Jenny in Haverford

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From: [email-masked] (Sandra Heiler)
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 1995 16:42:25 -0400

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 4 Apr 95 17:53:31 -0600

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From: J. A. Stiller <[email-masked]>
Date: 5 Apr 1995 00:19:43 GMT

Jenny in Haverford

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From: [email-masked] (Sandra Heiler)
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 1995 13:37:18 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, J. A. Stiller
<[email-masked]> wrote:
Jenny, thanks for the celandine poppy response.  I'm the unidentified
poster who asked what they are.  I'll call Niche Gardens.  Have you grown
them from seed?  They sound terrific.
Sandy