Ground Cover under Spruce trees.

[Sheppard]

I have around 10 Spruce trees on my property. It's a chore maintaining under them. I'd like to put a ground cover under them like Gout Weed. What ground-cover works best under Spruce trees??

Thanks,, Sheppard

[agedgardener2]

Lily of the Valley or Ajuga. would both work.Joy

[Heidi S]

Oh Well, gout weed will work - REALLY well. It is on the verge of being declared an invasive species - and I think that is long overdue. So, make sure you want it, REALLY, REALLY want it, because you will never get rid of it again....

[Laura]

Every time some mentions goutweed I cringe .... I warn you don't do it !!

If you want some just come dig it up from my garden .... 16 years here and still fighting it.

It growing everywhere in spite of my attacking it everyway I know how .... someone here once said the easiest way to get rid of goutweed is move .... I laughed but now it is not funny.

[B_BQ]

Laura: It could very well have been me who said it was easier to move than try to get of goutweed. If I didn't then I should have!

Ajuga would work. I did that last year. The plants survived and grew and flowered this year, but they looked weak and spindly, probably because the soil is not very good quality. I'm watering and fertilizing them a lot this year.
Lily of the Valley should work too.

Another ground cover you might want to try would be pachysandra. At my other house this did very well in shade next to cedars and spruce.

~BBQ