Poor rocky soil

by maude
(sudbury, ontario, canada)

My back yard is on the pre-cambrian shield - soil depth is 3 to 5 inches where soil exists at all. Lilacs manage to grow, but I would like to plant something different for a screen around the edge of the property. Right now the area has one mature lilac, two 3-year olds that are 3 feet tall and 2 planted last year, and about a foot tall. The area to plant is about 4 feet deep by 20 feet long. I notice that red maples adn silver birches manage to sprout even in cracks in the rock, but am afraid they would be too large for the area. What can you suggest in a shrub?


Thanks for you terrific website.

Maude

Doug says he'd be planting native shrubs like Saskatoon berries, Viburnums and other really tough native plants that might make this. Rhus (Sumac) is a great native tree (short) that will take this abuse and there are some wonderful new varieties (cut leaf and yellow leaf) that will really brighten up an area.

All should be started as relatively small plants so their roots can get into cracks easier than more mature nursery plants. Water to establish them but once they're established, they should be fine except for extended droughts.