`Katie' produces petunialike, purple blooms for months. And, of course, you can snip off the leaves for cooking. Album has white flowers and white marked leaves. Little Moonshine, for example, reaches about 10 inches high when in bloom; Greek yarrow has lower height and gray-green foliage. One way to cut back on the energy and resources you put into your yard is to incorporate ground covers into the landscape. 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. Creeping Raspberry is a wonderful and attractive ground cover that is naturally hardy, resilient, and adaptable. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Bright pink, purple or white flowers are a bonus that draws in bumblebees from mid-spring to early summer. Botanical Name: Cotoneaster horizontalis This tall ground cover has a horizontal growing habit, give it plenty of water and afternoon shade until it is fully grown. Also known as periwinkle and creeping myrtle, vinca minor will spread wherever its planted and will even scale trellises or fences if trained. As lovely a ground cover as it seems, it's also considered invasive and is toxic to pets. The Ground Cover Dogwood blooms then produces edible berries. There is also a pink flowering form. Copyright 2013-2023. 20 Ground Cover Plants to Fill out Your Garden, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. 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. It spreads rapidly by above-ground runners and is hardy to Zone 4. They save their energy for the surprisingly large flowers, white on desert zinnia and yellow on prairie zinnia. Push the bare part of the branch into the soil at the desired location and water. The lower the zone, the hardier the plant. In mid-summer, however, they're dotted with beautiful purple-pink flowers. Press Esc to cancel. If you want this to be a fast-growing ground cover plant, make sure it receives 4-6 hours of sun each day. Basket of Gold also goes by the name yellow alyssum, another reference to its adorable clusters of bright yellow flowers. Blooms are cream colored. Here are four options that we've grown in various areas around the . It reaches 6-inches in height and spreads to 24-inches wide. As with yellow alyssum, Angelina sedum can be regarded as a "Goldilocks" ground cover. Nepeta x faassenii is one such species that makes for a good ground cover, since it is one of the best ground coverings to stop weeds. Mulching and weeding to prevent unwanted sprouts from stealing water from these low-maintenance succulents, and you can enjoy the cheery color of this low growing ground cover year-round, with a number of varieties to choose from. April 4, 2015 by Homestead Lady 6 Comments. In fact, brass buttons share the same Achilles heel as ferns: Both succumb easily to drought. Just beware: Its rapid growth makes this an invasive plant throughout the Eastern United States, as well as parts of Texas and the Southwest. While lamium looks great, it's not the best at dealing with high amounts of traffic, so make sure it's somewhere with less foot traffic. A relative of spotted dead nettles is yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon). It's low-maintenance because this drought-tolerant perennial grows beautifully in a xeriscape or rock garden. White Nancy jparkers USDA Zones:3-9 There are also several cultivars (all cold-hardy to at least zone 4, most 3 to 12 inches tall, and all wanting the sun/soil conditions of the species plant) of L.maculatum, including: While dead nettle plants areflowering perennials,stinging nettles, by contrast,arenoxious weeds(but edible when properly prepared). They have silver foliage and produce showy pink, purple or white flowers in late spring. If you prefer a small hosta, opt for 'Blue Mouse Ears' that grows 6 to 12 inches high with round, heart-shaped blue-green leaves. In its native environment, it spreads slowly to cover the forest floor, where deer and rabbits typically leave it alone. Fix your gardens trouble spots with these low-growing perennials, annuals, and shrubs. Native to Europe and western Asia, Lamium is frequently found naturalized along woodland trails and paths and colonized along the banks of streams. Swallowtail butterflies, hummingbird moths and hummingbirds are all fans. Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in moist, well-drained soil I think I'll try some . Its not often that a plant is classified as an evergreen ground cover, a trailing plant for containers and a houseplant. This is a deer- and rabbit-resistant ground cover that is ideal for large swaths of landscape. Sweet woodruff foliage can be dried and used in wreaths, potpourri, and other craft creations. Here are a few varieties to consider. 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 summer, the leaves take on burgundy mottling on the way to becoming totally burgundy (hence the name liverleaf). Within two to three years of planting, it forms a lush carpet of velvety, green, heart-shaped leaves that hug the ground. It does best in cooler summer weather and prefers full sun to part shade. Ivy is invasive and toxic to humans and animals but the charm it can lend to a yard can't be beat. It spreads by seed, but not aggressively, making its way around the garden in light shade to full shade conditions in USDA Zones 3 through 8. Equally at home hanging from a planter or covering a hillside, Lysimachia (more commonly known as creeping Jenny) is a plant admired for its trailing branches. Its dense mats are threatening native plants on forest floors. Whatever you decide to mix it with, remember to select plants that need partial to full shade. Wherever its branches make contact with the soil, it will put down roots, creating new plants. There are more native species of sedge than any other plant in North America, and many make fine ground covers for shade. What plant labels typically fail to mention is that, under the right growing conditions, 'Amethyst in Snow' makes a flowering ground cover that will spread nicely. In regions with cold winters, Lamium is deciduous. Lamium spreads quickly, so be ready to cut it back if it begins to encroach on other shrubs and flowers. Farther north, it can take increasing sunlight. From creeping phlox to creeping thyme these perennial ground cover plants are loaded with flowers to attract pollinators to the garden. Clusters of rose-pink flowers appear in spring, then continue off and on until fall, appearing more reliably through summer than other varieties. In ideal sunny conditions, Amethyst in Snow will spread quite quickly, but you can control it easily by pulling out stray shoots. It takes about 14 days until you see seedlings. Lawns also are considered ground covers, but may require more moisture, sunlight, fertilizer and maintenance than other ground cover choices. The thick, dense foliage is excellent for trouble spots where other plants have a hard time becoming established. Excellent evergreen ground cover for shadeThe North American native speciesPachysandra procumbensis harder to find but a more graceful and less spready choiceGrows 6 to 10 inches 15-25 cm tall. `Katie' ruellia has a taller cousin commonly called Mexican petunia. #9. Grows in zone 2 to 6 in part shade and part Sun. The following could be some of the best choices, depending on your own unique landscaping needs: Their stems root where they touch the soil, allowing the plants to spread. This common weedy plant is a member of the mint family and forms early groundcover mats, with fuzzy . This plant thrives in wet soils, which is why planting it in dry soil and denying it water helps keep it in check. It grows to a maximum height of about 12 inches with an 18-inch spread, and it flowers with white blossoms in spring. Clover Unless you want it as your lawn or have a horse to feed, don't plant it. The best quickly-spreading ground cover for shade is Periwinkle 'Bowles' Variety.' Will ruellia make a good ground cover? This type of evergreen comes in an array of shapes and sizes. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. With full sun, this green herb will grow small flowers in summer, attracting plenty of pollinators. Ooo. Its off the menu for deer and rabbits, but a feast for pollinating bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Planted in groupings, it makes a lovely ground cover. The ground has only recently thawed and most are waiting for just the right amount of consistent warmth and moisture before coming up. Lamium is a fast-growing, perennial ground cover that deer and rabbits avoid. . When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. RELATED: 25 Plants That Survive With or Without You. 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. Soil & Transplanting. Scott Little. But what really makes this tough perennial a standout is its vivid foliage that ranges from chartreuse to silvery white to many shades of green. Rock cotoneaster is considered a full-shun shrub but benefits from some afternoon shade. Aromatic enough for both kitties and their owners, catmint (Nepeta) is an easy-care, low growing ground cover. chezmoose. Hailing all the way from Siberia, this cold-hardy evergreen has fern-like foliage that turns a pretty bronzy color in colder climates. Depending on the variety, you can expect this ground cover to behave as a creeper, or a low-mounded perennial, with small flowers that resemble snapdragons blooming in summer. Being creepers and having a tendency to spread, these classic cottage-garden plants are popular flowering ground covers. There are more than 40 species of lamium, but the best are those that are flowering perennials like the Pink Chablis. 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. There are almost endless varieties of hostas that will fit your needs, many with variegated leaves and spikey short-lived and unremarkable flowers. Choose plants that are hardy to USDA zones 2 to 4. Although rich, moist, acidic soils are ideal, this plant will also grow in alkaline, sandy and clay soils. But in regions where spotted dead nettle is not invasive, it acts as an effective ground cover for deeply shaded areas. It tucks into shaded rock gardens and naturalized borders. Hmmm. It is native to New Zealand and invasive in some areas, though its spread has not been out of control. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens,aworking sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. Yellow Archangel Botanical Name: Lamium galeobdolon Interrupted fern, like bunchberry and liverleaf, is a North American native that can serve as a low-maintenance ground cover for shade. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. Once established, its drought tolerant. This quickly spreading ground cover forms a tight, six- to 10-inch tall mass of shiny green foliage that blushes bright red and bronze beginning in early fall. Spotted deadnettle ground cover grows about 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) book to class, Report: Houston ranked No. Each plant takes on a green fountain-like appearance: Long, lush shoots of chartreuse foliage sprout up from the soil, then softly twist and tangle for full coverage wherever planted. Low-growing, ground-hugging perennial plants are the best low-maintenance ground coverings. Vinca minor(commonly known as periwinkle) is a very popular ground cover because it's drought-tolerant, pest-free, inexpensive, and easy to grow in just about any type of soil. Grow Morning Glory and Moon Flower Together, How to Grow Tulip Flowers like a Jeweled Crown, How to Care and Grow Perennial Iris Flowers, Caleana major Commonly Known as the Large Duck Orchid, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (cacatua galerita), Types of Osprey Calls A Guide to Understanding Osprey Communication, Miletus Ancient Theater A Significant Historical Site in Aydin, Strategic Business Planning: Setting Your Company Up for Success, Five College and University Tips for Students to Get Through a Tough Class. Even in Zone 5, where one lives, they persist well into the winter. It prefers shade, but will tolerate some sun. wide. Can be invasive in moist, fertile soils. The versatile strawberry begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera) is neither a strawberry nor a begonia. This plant is fast growing, and one plant can spread up to two feet or more within a year. She is married to photographer John Everett and they have one son. Water the seedlings and apply a mulch layer on top of the soil. The erect flower clusters are long-blooming. Many use the ground cover to define the borders of garden paths. Named for the color and the shape of their flowers, brass buttons stand out perhaps most of all for their serrated, fern-like leaves. FYI: Full sun means an area gets 6+ hours of direct sunlight per day, part sun is anywhere from 3 to 6 hours of direct sunlight, and full shade is up to 3 hours of sun. She was Features Copy Desk chief before becoming the first full-time garden editor for the paper in 1988. Poke holes in the fabric and plant the junipers, then cover the fabric with mulch. When planted in full sun it usually needs extra watering, at least until the plant is well established. You might be more familiar with the short, colorful asters commonly sold along with potted mums in the fall. Lamium will grow under tree canopies and fill in around taller perennials, tolerating some dryness from the roots of other plants, but it grows better with irrigation. Also known as lonicera, honeysuckle is an aromatic perennial that blooms with white, yellow, or red flowers in the spring and summer. They're also popular ground covers used to stop soil erosion. It has excellent resistance to damage by deer and rabbits. RELATED: 10 Grass-Free Alternatives to a Traditional Lawn. Soft, aromatic creeping thyme seems to check off all the boxes for a gardener, plus more. It detests hot, humid weather, but thrives where temperatures drop at night. Spotted deadnettle. Noteworthy Characteristics Attractive foliage makes a good groundcover. Its cheerful bright lilac pink flowers add whimsy to the garden from early summer through midsummer. However, sweet woodruff can be a good ground cover choice for dry shade, such as in areas under big trees. Care Grow the quick-growing groundcovers in moist, but well-drained soil in partial or full shade. Lamium is undemanding and easy to grow in partial to fully shaded locations. So long as the site affords full sun and good drainage, creeping phlox requires next to nothing in the way of care. It likes part to full sun. Known as Lamium maculatum, this perennial plant is deer- and rabbit-resistant and boasts a lengthy bloom time: from mid-spring to early summer. Manure tea is a good substitute when it is too difficult to work more compost into the soil. There are so many reasons to grow golden groundsel (Packera aurea). Both have tiny needle-like foliage that spreads along the ground or down rock walls. 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. The unusual common name of "dead nettles" alludes to the fact that, while it resembles stinging nettles, the stingers are dead on L. maculatum, rendering it harmless. 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. RELATED: How to Grow Zinnias in Your Home Garden. Many are perennials, some are annuals, and some make good ground covers, though they can be overly aggressive in favorable locations. Select either a shady or half shady location when growing Lamium maculatum. Planted in groupings, which spread rapidly, they make an elegant groundcover for moist, shady areas. Miniature hostas will grow less than 9 inches tall, small hostas grow to a foot or more, and giant hostas can grow over 30 inches tall. Propagate by division in autumn or early spring After flowering, plants can be cut back to encourage fresh foliage cover. Choose native common yarrow. Plant this deer- and rabbit-resistant herb in the spring and its fuzzy leaves will cover large areas by autumn. 100 Perennials for a Zone 3 Garden Send me the list! Its a relative of mint, so its guaranteed to spread, and its hardy in the cold of Zone 3 but can take heat up to Zone 8. Plant bugleweed in the late spring or early summer and it will quickly spread runners (stolons) that can form a dense mat to fill large and shady areas, especially where you need erosion control. These creeping ground cover plants will reward you with easy care and bright colors. It is an excellent choice as a perennial ground cover since it tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, although it grows most quickly in slightly moist, humus-rich soils. They thrive in or out of sunlight, and they seem to multiply on their own thanks to their rhizomatous roots. Here are our top 15 ground covers for shaded areas. They dont add much ornamental value, but they do help out the pollinators. Her goal is to inspire and educate people about how to garden every day. Whether you do it yourself or pay a landscaper, maintaining a vibrant garden and lush lawn requires time, effort, and money. Thanks to its bold blue hue and its ability to attract butterflies, Grace Ward lithodora will add bursts of color to your landscape from spring through the end of summer. In shade, its OK if the soil dries out now and then. It will happily soak up the excess moisture, especially if its a sunny spot. 4. It spreads well, but is easy to manage. Planted along sloped pieces of land, it can neaten up the area while providing ground covering. In fact, they are one of the best perennials for shade. Place lamium where you won't be smashing it underfoot, though, because its stems are somewhat fragile. Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. It grows low to the ground, making it a good alternative to grass in just about any climate. It grows best where it has plenty of space to spread out. Eventually, they will form a mat. Growing only about 3 inches tall, this plant spreads over time, crowding out weeds and thus reducing maintenance further. She did graduate work through the University of Georgia system. Virtually disease and pest free, Spotted Dead Nettle is also deer and rabbit resistant. In extremely hot climates it needs a little shade, but otherwise it enjoys being in the sun. A tall border, such as a retaining wall or large rocks, will do a good job containing growth without the need to prune. Several plants in this list happily grow in full or partial shade. To propagate from the stem, cut the 10cm long portion of the stem and leave it to scab for some time. Ground covers are used to provide edgings to pathways, control erosion, and add interest to landscape design. Its brittle, fragile stems help keep it from becoming aggressively invasive and also allow bulbs and other perennials to penetrate its foliage. 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. Much like the fictional character, it has golden hair (flowers) that spread enough to be effective in covering a certain amount of space, but the plant is not so vigorous a spreader to create a nuisance. If you prefer a similar but less aggressive variety, consider C. montana 'Amethyst Dream'. It is perfect for a small space, like a little garden along a north-facing wall. If you live in USDA Zones 3 through 9 and have a low spot where grass struggles because its too wet, try planting golden groundsel there instead.
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is lamium a good ground cover?