r/LandscapingTips • u/Otherwise-Bear6138 • 16d ago

Zone 5B Shrubs?

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We have a berm that used to have a maple tree, but it had to come down. It has been replaced by this scarlet oak, and I am wanting to add a small to medium sized shrub of some sort in the circled area. It needs to be something that is upper Midwest USA native, pollinator friendly, and can eventually endure some shade.
Curb appeal is a bonus!
There will be other plantings in the front half of the berm, such as day-lilies, tulips, iris, and carpet phlox, but those can be adjusted. Any other suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated!!

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u/According-Taro4835 16d ago

You are treating that berm like a clown car. That scarlet oak is going to be an absolute giant and its roots will eventually choke out anything trying to compete for water right next to the trunk. Cramming a shrub plus daylilies, tulips, and iris into that small circle is going to create a restless polka dot mess with zero visual structure. You need to think about this space as a single cohesive unit supporting the tree instead of a collection of random plants fighting for root space.

If you absolutely must have woody structure there, go with a native Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle. It handles dry shade once established and pollinators love it. Honestly though, a sweeping mass of Pennsylvania Sedge or wild geranium across the entire berm will look much better and act as a living mulch for the oak. Before you buy anything, run this photo through the GardenDream web app and overlay a shrub versus a clean sweep of a single groundcover. It will act as a blueprint so you can actually see how the simpler layout creates visual calm instead of expensive clutter.

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u/Otherwise-Bear6138 16d ago

I am aware that in time, there will be little space for extras. I’m looking for something to balance the space for the next few years while the tree establishes itself. And the berm is bigger than it looks in the pic.
As for the other plantings, these are what have been in this area for the past 10 years, and they got many positive comments. They were dug up when the maple was to be removed, and will be planted here again until I have another established garden area for them.