Hi Ruth,

Thanks for reaching out! Your question has a lot of different elements to consider. The requirements I can see in your message are as follows:

- Pollinator friendly

- Hardy

- Non-Invasive

- Tolerates the conditions of growing near/under pine trees (From this, I would suggest plants that are tolerant of lower light conditions, dry and acidic soil which exists under pine trees fairly often, and of a size and shape that would be visually appealing under said tree, and which tolerate/not interfere with the roots below or the lower branches of the tree above it)

Soil under pine trees can be quite acidic, so the first requirement would be shrubs that can tolerate an acidic soil. I am unsure about how wet the area is, or how much light it gets (but I am assuming the shrubs should at least be able to tolerate partial shade, as the pine tree would likely block some if not most of the light). I would also advise opting for plants that tolerate at least some dryness, as tree roots will compete for moisture - and the tree's roots are deeper and more established.

You mention a desire for your plantings to be pollinator friendly and non-invasive as well, so that's where I started. Below I've linked a great handout by farmer and pollinator plant expert Jane Sorenson that lists pollinator friendly plants with specific information on their light requirements, seasonality, etc. There is a section specifically for shrubs.

HandoutVermontPollinatorPallettewcommonnames.pdf (uvm.edu)

In the other link provided below, I'm also including a link to a publication developed by fellow Extension Master Gardeners (if you want to go farther to encourage pollinators) - it recommends planting at least 10 different pollinator friendly species, in clumps, across multiple colors/seasonalities. Sorenson recommends that for further encouragement of pollinators, planting many different species, across different seasonal bloom times, if you want to go all out on attracting them!

Pollinator E-book (uvm.edu)

The Pollinator pallette suggests a number of species under shrubs (page 6). Many seem to tolerate some sort of shade, but a few look to be more suited to shade than others, so consider this if the area does not get a lot of sun. Its a great starting point, and if you look up the species listed, you can eliminate based on your other requirements like shade tolerance, soil requirements, seasonality, size, etc. From there you can pick and choose shrubs that have "looks" that you like, and narrow down to your favorite varieties and colors. Be sure to consider those that tolerate acidic soils -- blueberries, redosier dogwood, summersweet, and north bush-honeysuckle are just a few that come to mind but there are others on the list that will suit your conditions too.

Tips on Planting: When preparing the soil directly under a pine tree, keep in mind the roots of the tree are prone to damage from large shovels and spades, and too much added soil can limit oxygenation to the roots, so try not to mound or add more than 2 inches of additional soil. Pine trees are listed by the PennState Extension as a species that is sensitive to root disturbance, so keep that in mind when planting - the link below has some information and advice about planting below trees in general, and avoiding such damage:

Underplanting Trees - Respect the Roots (psu.edu)

Good luck, and happy gardening!

~Kristin Hubbs