It grows to a maximum height of about 12 inches with an 18-inch spread, and it flowers with white blossoms in spring. RELATED: 14 of the Best Plants for Your Drought-Tolerant Garden. Though bugleweed's deer-resistant flower spikes can't be missed (they can grow 6 to 9 inches tall) this fast-growing perennial is a ground cover that has an aggressive creeping habit. Lamium, or dead nettle, is a perennial ground cover, often with variegation. You will have to experiment to arrive at the right balance between giving it enough water to keep it alive and giving it so much that it becomes invasive. This lesser-known perennial has attractive little mounds of grassy foliage, and teeny ball-shaped blooms that pop up in late spring to early summer. Do spotted dead nettle attract butterflies? By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Lamb's Ear. Root-hardy, it will return after a freeze, but in mild winters such as this year's, little damage is done to the foliage. The low-maintenance plant thrives year-round, rewarding you with delicate blooms in spring and summer. It prefers moderate climates but is able to withstand full sun and drought-like conditions. Growing as high as 36 inches, it blooms all summer long with purple flowers. On top of all that, with proper care the plant can last 5 to 6 years, during which time you can harvest your own fresh thyme. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. Hostas are some of the happiest and hardiest perennial ground coverings you can grow. Rock cotoneaster is considered a full-shun shrub but benefits from some afternoon shade. manure tea is a good alternative. Grows in zone 2 to 6 in part shade and part Sun. The versatile strawberry begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera) is neither a strawberry nor a begonia. World of Flowering Plants. It quickly forms a thick mound and blooms all summer long, producing a sweet honey scent that attracts pollinators throughout the season. Using several ground covers can add variety to the landscape and prevent soil erosion. Plant it with an assortment of flowering plants, including paperwhites, cyclamen, and coral bells. LAY-mee-um mak-yoo-LAH-tum Description Fast growing; Spotted dead nettle is a good ground cover for moist, shady areas. Try it in part shade to full shade, with moist, well-drained soil. This native, weed-suppressing ground cover spreads quickly by seed and offshoots to fill challenging spaces under tall trees, along the waters edge, or in that tough strip between the street and sidewalk. Although not as attractive to cats as catnip (Nepeta cataria), catmint is a gardeners dream: an easy-to-grow, robust purple ground cover. Original Author. The beauty of this easy-care perennial ground cover is that it's deer-resistant which means flowers may be trampled, but not typically eaten. It needs full sun to bloom best. Soft, aromatic creeping thyme seems to check off all the boxes for a gardener, plus more. Creeping Raspberry is a wonderful and attractive ground cover that is naturally hardy, resilient, and adaptable. Its not often that a plant is classified as an evergreen ground cover, a trailing plant for containers and a houseplant. Plant number: 1.305.190. And remember that although these ground cover plants are extremely tolerant, they still need to be watered during dry spells for the first year or two until their root systems are well-established. While grass is typically the best way to fill out empty space, sometimes low-growing plants are a better and prettier option. When planted in full sun it usually needs extra watering, at least until the plant is well established. However, sweet woodruff can be a good ground cover choice for dry shade, such as in areas under big trees. In either case, cut back shabby foliage after the first frost to make way for new growth in the spring. Spotted dead nettles are generally grown more for their silvery leaves than for their flowers, but the latter can be quite pretty, as well. Imagine sky blue flowers popping up in and around your shade garden in the springtime, swaying in the slightest breeze, rising above a carpet of Canadian wild ginger or lamium (see below). Pachysandra is one of the most widely used ground covers in the country thanks to its extreme durability while it grows under challenging conditions such as too much shade and drought. The low-lying, flowering ground coverit grows no more than 4 inches tallcan endure being stepped and stomped on, making it a smart choice for planting between pavers or for replacing grass entirely. When selecting a ground cover for shady areas, make sure to choose shade-tolerant plants that naturally thrive with minimal sunlight. At the time of this publication, there were 30 cultivars of L. maculatumlisted in the RHS Plant Finder, compared to 11 cultivars for all the other species combined. But in regions where spotted dead nettle is not invasive, it acts as an effective ground cover for deeply shaded areas. Rock cotoneaster is a deciduous shrub. The plant dies back to the ground in the winter and comes out in the spring, but giving it a good shearing before winter will help keep the plants healthy. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens,aworking sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. Lamium, or dead nettle, is a perennial ground cover, often with variegation. Select Delosperma floribundum'Starburst', a mat-forming cultivar with pink flowers and white centers for zones 6 to 8. True blue flowers are rare, especially late in the season. It got its name from the way its red stems spread like strawberry plants do, and how its rounded, dark green leaves with white veins and maroon undersides resemble a begonia. It likes full sun, but can tolerate part shade. Bishop's Goutweed While it works great for ground cover in a shaded area, you will never, ever get rid of it. Low-growing mats of Creeping Thyme are covered in teeny purple or white flowers in late spring, which makes it a haven for pollinators. In ideal sunny conditions, Amethyst in Snow will spread quite quickly, but you can control it easily by pulling out stray shoots. 100 Perennials for a Zone 3 Garden Send me the list! But this plant with prettyfoliageand funny namerarely becomes a problem for those who grow it in areas where it is already native. Soil & Transplanting. Native to Africa, purple ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) became popular as a cold-hardy ground cover in the United States in the 1990s. Though Chinese lantern is also considered invasive, it is a novel and colorful perennial ground cover with autumn interest because of its bright orange-red shaped seed pods that turn into papery husks. One difference, though, is that it is more aggressive. It does spread under the right conditions, but it is fairly easy to pull it out and keep it from taking over areas where it does not belong. Here are a few varieties to consider. Glechoma hederacea is not the same as henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) or Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum L.), AKA red deadnettle, red henbit. Within two to three years of planting, it forms a lush carpet of velvety, green, heart-shaped leaves that hug the ground. Lawns also are considered ground covers, but may require more moisture, sunlight, fertilizer and maintenance than other ground cover choices. It matures to a height of about 3 feet, and it, too, can be used as a taller ground cover. You might be more familiar with the short, colorful asters commonly sold along with potted mums in the fall. This elegant fern looks as dainty as a pearl necklace, but is tough enough to survive winter growing in the Himalayan Mountains, where it is native. Shown: 'Spotted deadnettle' (Lamium maculatum) Tall-Growing Alyssum is an annual ground cover that grows very well from direct sow seeding once temperatures have reached 65 to 70 degrees. At least one like petunias. The small leaves are speckled with spots, which earns the plant its name. Vinca has few pests, so it can be considered invasive, which is good news if your goal is to keep weeds at bay. Lamium is grown for both its pretty foliage and beautiful flowers. 7. Lamium is evergreen from Zone 6 south. They have silver foliage and produce showy pink, purple or white flowers in late spring. Turf lawn grasses are by far the most popular ground cover plant in residential landscapes, but some places aren't really suitable for grass growth (like arid desert yards) and some people simply prefer more diverse or unique "lawnscaping.". They have silver foliage and produce showy pink, purple or white flowers in late spring. Just like the name implies, the fuzzy silver leaves resemble lamb's ears. This plant is deciduous in areas where there is colder weather but stays semi-evergreen in other regions. Though Lenten rose is not a rose (it's part of the buttercup family), its little buds are early season bloomers when it flowers at ground level in the late winter. For example, choose Delosperma brunnthaleri, a hardy ground cover that grows around 2 inches tall and 2 feet wide with yellow flowers and ideal for zones 4 to 9. With very attractive foliage and either white or pink flowers, Lamium maculatum makes an excellent ground cover plant for a shaded position. Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. It even takes on the terribly invasive Garlic Mustard. In agriculture, ground cover is the name given to plants that are low growing and are used to cover a large area, giving a carpeted effect. Prepare a bed on the sandy, well-drained soil under 6-12 inches depth and plant the seedlings 18 inches apart in the late afternoon. Available at Etsy; $10.99 per 1-quart plant. A ground hugging creeper with silvered variegated foliage and some really pretty colored flowers Dead Nettles are an ideal choice for gardeners who want a tough plant with a variety of . As lovely a ground cover as it seems, it's also considered invasive and is toxic to pets. However, it will grow out of its boundaries so trimming it back can help if you want to keep the yard neat. It tucks into shaded rock gardens and naturalized borders. When several are planted together, they form a dense hedge that thrives in almost any type of soil and full sun. RELATED: 30 Plants for Your Easiest Garden Ever. While it may be one of the toughest (er, tolerant) plants out there, Lily of the Valley looks as sweet as can be with darling white bells dangling from strappy green leaves. To encourage new growth in the springtime cut spotted dead nettles back after the first frost or in the late autumn, depending on where you live. Water it during dry spells and give it a haircut at the end of its blossoming period. Within two to three years of planting, it forms a lush carpet of velvety, green, heart-shaped leaves that hug the ground. When shopping for this plant, be sure to ask for Aurinia saxatilis or yellow alyssum, not sweet alyssum, which is an entirely different species. It is a woodland plant that requires good drainage and shade. plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. She's been a frequent speaker at various garden events. Plant in full shade or partial shade. This is great if you need to cover a problem area with an attractive ground cover, but not so good if you are trying to grow them in a place where you need a well-behaved plant. Lamium Excellent Ground Cover for Shade. With full sun, this green herb will grow small flowers in summer, attracting plenty of pollinators. Put lamium next to other plants with darker foliage so this ground cover can bring out those colors. Cost: Buy 200 seeds for around $7 or a large, potted plant for around $20. It is far too unattractive a little for this low-growing carpet of leaves. In midsummer, after the blooming period is over, prune plants back by one-third to help prevent them from becoming too invasive. Plants that are under 12 inches tall are good for tight spaces and as edging but can require some weeding to look their best. Read our, Amethyst in Snow (Centaurea montana 'Amethyst in Snow'), 31 Best-Deer Resistant Flowers and Plants to Grow, 10 Best Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Landscaping, 18 Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Spring, Summer and Fall, 35 Types of Orange Flowers: Identification & Photos, 15 Best Plants for Drought-Tolerant Gardens, Angelina Sedum (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'), Rock Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis), Chinese lantern is also considered invasive. It also doesn't die back in the winter. The Ground Cover Dogwood blooms then produces edible berries. Several plants in this list happily grow in full or partial shade. If you prefer a similar but less aggressive variety, consider C. montana 'Amethyst Dream'. All rights reserved. And Beacon Silver has pink flowers and silvery leaves. It has a stripe down the middle that can be white, yellow, red, or silver. Doesn't need much water. Push the bare part of the branch into the soil at the desired location and water. Whats more, it requires relatively little maintenance, and it resists deer and other critters. White flowers pop up in spring. It has basic requirements and is well worth cultivating in your garden. Hardy in zones 7 through 10, these low maintenance ground cover plants love full sun and heat. Just like other plants with the word "creeping" in the name, liriope can be considered aggressive and invasive in parts of the United States, from Virginia through to Mississippi. The plant prefers partial shade or full sun and well-draining moist soil. It grows best where it has plenty of space to spread out. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Once it settles in to its new home, this fern will speed up its spread and transplant easily if you find new shady places for it in your landscape. Try some honeysuckle! She was Features Copy Desk chief before becoming the first full-time garden editor for the paper in 1988. Snip some for cooking, or keep it trimmed back to manage its height. RELATED: 10 Grass-Free Alternatives to a Traditional Lawn. Q. Perfect for plantings under perennials or shrubs and as a groundcover or edging plant. While this super spreader is a great ground cover to prevent weeds, if you want your vinca minor to play nice with other plantings, youll need to cut it back on a regular basis. This is a highly invasive plant but it's also popular for growing on huge swaths of areas that need ground cover and won't encroach on another's property. This perennial creeper is a great ground cover that will quickly carpet your landscape with pretty and small flowers. Catmint can handle several types of soil as well as both humidity and drought, and its also deer and rabbit resistant. Most perennial ground coverings fall into these categories. Kathy Huber has worked for the Houston Chronicle since May 1981. Fun bonus: The flowers, either fresh or dried, can be used in salads or steeped in teas. Ground cover plants are the perfect solution for a variety of landscaping issues.

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