It’s a 9 x 6.5’ area that is a gap between a covered walkway and our roof. It maybe gets some brief sun late morning and very late afternoon approaching evening.
This area is somewhat the focal point of the front of our house so I’d love to get a nice statement tree (or any other plant suggestion)
by Duckhunt
47 Comments
*Hydrangea arborescens* would be the classic choice.
Arrowroot or witch hazel
Not sure if it’s native in your area, but I would choose something like a pagoda dogwood. Otherwise a well-pruned, multi-stem tree such as a serviceberry. You could grow a low ground cover under either, and they light up well from below, too!
Serviceberry 😁
A common ninebark would look lovely here!
Is it getting direct sun through that opening?
I would not make a recommendation without knowing more about the light conditions.
Redbud or Grey Dogwood would look great there
Adding witch hazel to the already great suggestions.
Cornus amomum would look great! Would also complement the red of your house.
Persimmons would look great with that siding, and are traditionally used near front doors. Get yourself a copy of Grow a Little Fruit Tree to figure out how to keep it pruned small, and it’ll look great. I have a Fuyu, but if you’re looking for a native plant, there are American varieties too.
ETA: a Carolina spice bush on the side nearest the wall would also be nice. You’ve got lots of room!
How about a Catawba rhododendron? Will have glossy evergreen leaves all year and gorgeous dark pink flowers in spring, and does well in shady areas.
Whatever you go with, make sure you also research their rooting habits. Many trees/shrubs should not be planting close to the home, as the roots will damage the structure of the foundation.
Flame azalea, pagoda dogwood, musclewood, oak leaf hydrangea.
Definitely a redbud.
Pagoda dogwood could be a good choice.
https://www.prairiemoon.com/cornus-alternifolia-pagoda-dogwood check the range map here for your location.
Alley Cat Redbud would absolutely slap.
You’ll have to look these up on BONAP to see if they are native to you: Ninebark, spicebush, witch hazel, flowering dogwood (may be too shady), hazelnut, wild plum.
You also could add a nice native groundcover like wild ginger, geraniums, wild strawberry, etc.
if the space is big enough for smaller shrubs, shrubby St John’s wort and new Jersey tea are great.
I guess it depends on what statement you want to make. If it is maximum ecological benefit then plant the tree that can grow in those conditions and supports the most caterpillars in your area.
Look it up here: https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org
My guess is it’s Prunus americana.
Eastern redbud with some trillium at the base
Witch hazel, it has to be.
Will you keep us updated?? 🤩
So many great suggestions
Mountain laurel, oak leaf hydrangea, arrowwood viburnum?
What’s your ecoregion?
Witch hazel.
I bet this will be STUNNING when you get it planted. Your house looks so interesting!
Mountain laurel
A beautiful cascading Japanese maple
Red flowering witchhazel or ‘ruby slippers’ Oakland hydrangea!
Witch hazel would be nice. They grow in a large “umbrella” shape so it leaves a lot of space underneath for shorter plants and ground cover.
Beautiful house, if it were me, I might go perennials instead. A tall grass goes great with that house style.
Japanese maples are beautiful
Callicarpa americana Beauty Berry.
Redbud, or maybe a serviceberry (though that may get a bit large)
White fringe tree would also be a fun and different choice. Fragrant, satrapy white bloom, dark purple drupe fruit that the birds love.
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chionanthus-virginicus/
I love the almost monolith look of it. Maybe something low to the ground.
Congrats on the gorgeous house. I don’t have any suggestions, though. 🙂
red osier dogwood!! the red color would complement that building nicely in my opinion:
https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/swida/sericea/
my only thought against that would be that it could also be nice to have something larger if you’re open to it to fill that space a bit more
Can I pitch adding a vine as well? Vines going up brick is one of the most beautiful things in the world to me and native wisteria, trumpet vine, and climbing aster are all beautiful
Japanese maple some variegated form
Don’t do a blood good it’s too dark already there
I’ve been a fan of the Summersweet shrub I planted. It gets about half a day of sun and loves it! It smells great too
Trellising rosebush
I’d ask at the arborists subreddit, not sure there’s enough room for tree roots there. Maybe a small one.
Japanese Maple
What’s the water situation there? If you get huge dumps of rain cascading off the roof, that will affect your choices. Shrubs that can deal with sodden soil might work then: clethra, buttonbush, red osier dogwood, certain viburnums. Deep shade and wet soil suggest native ferns: Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina), marginal woodfern (Dryopteris marginalis), cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), or royal fern (Osmunda regalis
Weeping blue atlas cedar
Virginia Sweetspire is really pretty when it flowers and the foliage is gorgeous in autumn. And I think they’re pretty adaptable to a range of growing conditions.
Beautiful home! Looks like they designed that spot for a Japanese maple! I’m gonna have to say a redbud. It comes it many varieties and can tolerate the shade. If this were my house, I would pick one with burgundy leaves. But I was just searching and found a chartreuse one called “hearts of gold”. It looks like it’s a cultivar that nobody owns.
Japanese maple! There are so many and so beautiful—I live in the PNW and they love it here.