What to plant beneath camellias

A friend has a row of camellias that have lost their skirts - their lower 2-3' of trunks are completely bare She'd like to plant something beneath them but what? I am not sure there is enough room around the roots, I'll be exploring that tomorrow, but if there is, what can I tuck in there other than ferns? She lives on a bluff just over the beach so the temperature is mild, even in full sun, and the air is humid.
If there is no room around the roots, can I put any soil over the roots? Or will that suffocate them? 

Thanks!

Nan
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