What can I under plant a young plum tree with..

[Chippychop]

It's in a smallish bed. 2 m x 2m I've edged the bed with ilix (and box at the corners) other than there there is path/patio around the bed. Perhaps something colourful for heavy clay/ rubbish soils. Thx!

I've got alpine strawberries, rhubarb, mint and lemon grass under mine. Seem fine in my clay soil and v low maintainance as they die back in winter. Strawberries have pretty white flowers and my dd loves finding them to eat.

Mmm thx I was thinking flowering perennials but given it's next to my herb bed anyway-maybe mint etc would be better. Have you ever grown creeping thyme? Looks pretty on google.

I've got bog standard thyme, but it's survived my dd! Hardy stuff. No idea of the names of my perennials, as I'm a rubbish gardener. I've gone for ones that don't mind getting wet as our clay soil has rubbish drainage too.

Have you looked at wild geraniums. I've just remembered I've got them and those big daisies. Both are fab and easy!

Tiarella, heuchera, heucherella? Comes in lots of colours and happy in shade, depending on the variety.

Nothing . It needs a Area of at least 1m in diameter to be free from plants . Otherwise it has to compete with these plants for food and water and it won't establish and grow as well . You can mulch if you like

Strongly agree with 'nothing'. Let the plum tree have all the nutrients and water rather than compete with other plants.

Wild geraniums are foul. Smell like cats piss.

Strawbs under fruit trees are best. They grow under and alongside fruit trees in their natural habitat and provide good ground cover.

Stacey's right. Leave a metre. After that, definitely no mint, which spreads. Thyme is nice but as the tree grows it'll be shaded out and die.

I buried a dead possum under my lemon tree and it thrived (the tree, not the possum). We buried a dead guinea-pig next to a bush and it grew like mad. I'm not advocating killing anything by the way.

Horopu

Given the quality of the soil I reckon Stacey etc may be right I'll leave a ring around it and may gravel the rest and plonk some pots on the top. Thx all

We have strawberries under ours and it has done really well because it gets a lot of water -we are crap at watering young trees because they don't seem to be doing much but always remember to water our strawberries.

I opted for periwinkle (vinca)thanks all