Re: under maples

> I won't tiptoe around the subject., cut the silver maple down. Root it
> out.   It is a weed.  If allowed to get large, it will die off in areas,
> leaving an unsightly shape and mess.  This tree does not belong in
> anyone's yard.

Hey!  Trees are your friends!  I will admit that a silver maple may not
be the ideal species for a bed such as Susan has, but silver maples
can be beautiful too!  I like the way the bark twists upward into the
tree in a giant spiral, and the early spring flowers are nice to
see.

Some silver maples aren't as annoying as others, too.  Sharon might
have one of the better cultivars -- 'Blaire' has stronger branching,
'Pyramidale' has a wonderfully pyramidal habit, and then others combine
clean foliage and on-fruiting.  My favorite is 'Laciniatum', which
has wonderfully deep, deep, dissected leaves.  Supposedly they're
incredibly popular in the U.K, but I'm still waiting to buy volume
1 of "Trees & Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles" (I started at
volume IV so I could read up on Viburnums) so I can't tell you for
sure.

Anyhow, I think Sharon still has a number of options available to her.
She should be careful -- as the tree grows older it will become 
more messy and possibly damage any underplanted specimens.

If the soil is there is dry, stick with plants for dry shade.  Adding
water will just make the tree more aggressive.  Silver maples really
aren't too terrible to plant beneath.  The worst are Norway maples,
which shade out even grass.

Chris
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