- Selecting plants that tolerate similar climate conditions is the first step to choosing suitable companion plants for trilliums. Herbaceous perennials, like trilliums, have roots that survive under the soil through the winter. Flowers, stalks and leaves die down in fall and reappear at the beginning of the new growing season. Trilliums grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. Zone 4 experiences winter temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit while zone 8 rarely drops below 10 degrees.
- Select herbaceous perennials to accompany trilliums in the garden. Bleeding heart grows in zones 3 through 9 and thrives in full shade and damp soil. The graceful drooping flower stalks produce heart-shaped blooms through the growing season. Hosta lilies come in a variety of foliage colors and grow in full shade. Hardy in zones 3 through 8, hostas make ideal companion plants for trilliums. Other shade-loving perennials that accompany trilliums well are bluebells, wild violets, coral bells and hepatica.
- Ferns provide lush, year-round greenery in damp, shady areas. Select cold-hardy fern varieties to accompany trilliums in the garden. Try shade-loving maidenhair ferns. They grow 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall and thrive in zones 5 through 8. Japanese painted fern, hardy in zones 5 through 8, has silvery fronds, adding visual interest to the garden. Other suitable ferns include lady fern varieties, wood fern, glade fern, tassel fern and beach fern.
- Plant shade-tolerant bulbs with trilliums. Once planted, bulbs come back year after year with little care. Most bulb plants prefer a spot in partial shade. Shade-tolerant bulbs include grape hyacinths, daffodils and crocus. Plant snowdrops around trilliums. They come up early in February, often before the snow melts, adding the first flowers to the garden. Few annuals tolerate full shade. Annuals that grow in partial shade, suitable as companion plants for trilliums, include fuchsias, impatiens and lobelia.
previous post
next post