I Live On Sandy Land And Have Oak Trees With…
Rhonda Asked
I live on Sandy land and have oak trees with just a little sunlight coming through. What would be good shrubs and flowers to plant in this area?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hi, Rhonda: Gardening in South Carolina is quite different from gardening in Kentucky, but having lived near your town I can give you a few suggestions. Some shade-loving shrubs include aucuba, which are broadleaf evergreens. Azaleas and camellias are other options depending on the amount of filtered light available through the oak trees. Some shade-loving perennials that you might consider are of course ferns and hostas, but it sounds like you would prefer something that blooms so here are other possibilities: columbine, lily-of-the-valley, plumbago, euphorbia, spigelia, bleeding heart, helleborus (lenton Rose), and acanthus. Some of these will do better than others depending on the available sunlight as well as nutrients. You can have your soil tested through the Marion County Extension Service. The horticulture/agriculture agent(s) are valuable resources and they will be able to provide you with literature/publications on growing shade-loving shrubs and perennials specifically for your part of the state. Clemson Extension is a wonderful source of information as well.
