Acidic Soil

Q: What shrubs or plants will survive in an acidic soil and full sun in summer. Cedar tree in the next door neighbor’s yard does carry over?
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A: Having cedars in and around ones yard can be challenging for those who want to grow a variety of trees, shrubs and perennials that do not like an acidic soil. When a soil is excessively acidic, many plants will struggle for varying reasons. The one thing that you will have an abundance of is moss though.

To combat that situation you can add copious amounts of lime 2 or even 3 times a year to raise the ph of the soil and that is an relatively effective way to improve the growing conditions for many plants. You may however want to consider simply planting plants that are tolerant of a low ph soil.

Below are a number of Shrubs, Trees, and perennials that I like and that I know you will have success with in an acidic environment.

SHRUBS
Viburnum Davidii zone 5-8
Blueberry plants zone 2-8
Yew zone 4-7
Skimmia Japonica zone 7-9
Heavenly bamboo zone 6-8
Alberta Spruce zone 2-7
Osmanthus zone 5-6
Pieris Japonica zone 6-7
Some varieties of Rhododendrons
Mahonia, Barberry zone 5-10
Kalmia, Mountain Laurel zone 4-9
Witchhazel zone 5-8
Acuba zone 7-10
Flowering Quince zone 5-9
Enkianthus zone 4-7
Hinoki Cypress zone 4-8

TREES
Stewartia zone 5-6
Japanese Snowbell zone 5-9
Norway spruce zone 2-7
Star Magnolia zone 4-9
Liriodendron, tulip tree zone 4-9
Liquidamber, Sweet Gum zone 6-9
Flowering Dogwood zone 3-9
Kousa Dogwood zone 3-9
Beech zone 3-9

PERENNIALS
Rudbeckia zone 4-9
Aquilegia, Columbine zone 4-10
Heather zone 5-7
Chrysanthemum zone 4-8
Foxglove zone 5-9
Salal zone 3-8