Spruce trees provide permanent structure and needle color for a full 12 months of the year with little maintenance required. Spruce trees come in a wide range of varieties, from upright giants that reach over 100 feet high to slow-growing dwarf types that stay under 10 feet. Due to their tight whorls of needles, spruces make easy topiaries and perfect Christmas trees.
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Spruce trees require full sun to retain the best foliage coloring. Plant them in well-drained soil with a slightly acidic or neutral pH. Spruces prefer a rich loam, but most varieties will tolerate heavy clay to sandy soil. Topdress the planting with organic compost to get the tree off to a good start. Spruces have a fibrous, shallow root system, making planting under large trees a challenge.
Shrubs To Plant With Spruce Trees
Spruce trees grow well with other conifers and broadleaf evergreens, creating an enduring backdrop for seasonal perennial plantings. For evergreen partners with interesting foliage, flowers, or berries, pair spruces with rhododendrons, azaleas, pieris, holly, and mahonia. These options offer high contrast against the spruce foliage. You can also pair spruces with other conifers that differ in shape and color; select dwarf varieties for a smaller garden or rockery.
For blooming deciduous options, plant witch hazel, ninebark, and roses in front of a spruce. The spruce provides a solid background of color and texture to set off the blooms. Spruce, barberry, and cut-leaf Japanese maple is a winning combination when creating a calming outdoor seating area in partial shade.
Perennials To Plant With Spruce Trees
Plant shade perennials under spruce to create a lower story with a woodland feeling. Some of the best understory perennials include heuchera, foamflower, epimedium, hellebore, hostas, and most ferns, which do not mind the drier conditions under a large spruce tree. In a rock garden setting, include dwarf spruces alongside sun-loving perennials such as thyme, allium, lamb’s ear, globe thistle, shasta daisies, and loosestrife.
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Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation to water the beds under spruce trees to avoid wetting the bark and trunk. Mulch around the root zone to lock in moisture and suppress weed growth.
Annuals To Plant With Spruce Trees
A few annuals will grow well in the shade of spruce trees, including nasturtium, flowering vinca, wax begonia, and sweet alyssum. These annuals have a long bloom time from late spring to the first frost of fall and will grow quite happily in shady positions. Nasturtium will appreciate the drier soil conditions, which reduces its susceptibility to blackfly. In sunnier positions, African daisy (arctotis), euphorbia, and nicotiana make a nice contrast against spruce, and can handle hot, dry conditions.
Best Companion Plants For Spruce Trees in Containers
Dwarf spruce or specimens pruned into topiary can live long lives in a planter with other plants. Select shallow-rooted annuals or perennials for a seasonal change of color to suit your mood or gardening trend. Trailing plants, such as petunias, calibrachoa, sweet potato vine, and bacopa, can be used to soften the edges of a planter and add weeks of color during the summer. These annuals are surprisingly tough and will thrive in full sun or part shade. Perennial plants like heuchera, creeping Jenny, and upright thyme look great as filler plants and provide year-round interest.
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Plants Not To Grow With Spruce Trees
Spruce trees make poor companions for a cultivated lawn. The soil under spruce is typically shallow and dry, which is unsuitable for growing thirsty, sun-loving turf. Plants that thrive in alkaline soil, such as lavender, lilac, most native meadow flowers, and clematis, will also struggle to grow with spruce in acidic soil. Under those conditions, these plants are likely to remain small or fail after a few years.
Best Plants To Grow With Spruce Trees
Spruce trees are wonderful evergreens to include in mixed plantings. Grow them with native deciduous and evergreen shrubs for a pleasing mix of foliage and seasonal color. A few outstanding companions include silverbark birch, rhododendron, blueberry, and Western sword fern, which all thrive in consistently moist, acidic soil. For an informal cottage garden with contrasting foliage, pair spruce trees with shasta daisy, sea holly, hostas, nIcotiana, and oakleaf hydrangea.
Sources: “Evergreens and Companion Planting.” American Conifer Society. conifersociety.org