In either case, cut back shabby foliage after the first frost to make way for new growth in the spring. It takes about 14 days until you see seedlings. Growing and Harvesting a Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus). It spreads via rhizomes, a trait that can be a double-edged sword. Don't site near small plants which may be overtaken. Just beware: Its rapid growth makes this an invasive plant throughout the Eastern United States, as well as parts of Texas and the Southwest. Lamium is evergreen from Zone 6 south. Angelina Sedum is easy to propagate by rooting, so you can quickly fill an area with its succulent foliage. It matures to a height of about 3 feet, and it, too, can be used as a taller ground cover. Straight from your grandma's garden, Dianthus is an old-fashioned perennial with a vanilla-like scent. Lamium is one of the best choices for a tough yet showy perennial groundcover. 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 . Deer are usually not interested, leaving more for you to enjoy for your garden and fresh bouquets. Spotted dead nettles tolerate evenshady areas that have dry soil. Lamium is one of the choices for ground-cover especially if you are looking for ground-cover that is tough yet showy. The opposite leaves are silvery green with large silver blotches on the upper surface, lightening up a dark shady area. Lamb's Ear. 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. 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. Also known as lonicera, honeysuckle is an aromatic perennial that blooms with white, yellow, or red flowers in the spring and summer. Read our. Please keep reading to learn about this plant with a cautionary tale. A popular climbing vine, English ivy will creep along to cover the ground if you let it, and thrives in the shade. To propagate from the stem, cut the 10cm long portion of the stem and leave it to scab for some time. Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) grows as a spreading mat of herbaceous stems and leaves. Because the leaves are scented when crushed, deer and rabbits may take one bite and then move on to something more palatable. In shade, its OK if the soil dries out now and then. They are tough and their easy-going adaptability to a wide variety of rocky slopes, clay, and alkaline soils keep them comfortable in the west. The low-maintenance plant thrives year-round, rewarding you with delicate blooms in spring and summer. I still like the stuff It is really a pretty ground cover. English Ivy. The creeping juniper is a sprawling, creeping needled evergreen shrub that grows to a maximum height of about 18 inches and with a spread that can go as much as 8 feet. Creeping phlox is the quintessential ground cover plant. Getting Started 1 most stressful city for U.S. workers, Texas tornados destroy homes, leave 300,000 without power, Willie Nelson's new album is a lovely tribute to a fellow country legend, Turner: TEA is giving Houston ISD two optionsclose school or be taken over, Two ocelots were photographed crossing a road in rare South Texas sighting. nettles (Lamium maculatum) constitute the majority of commercially available varieties. Though pruning is not necessary, hostas will yellow and die back so trimming dead foliage can look better, especially in a small area. 4. In fact, brass buttons share the same Achilles heel as ferns: Both succumb easily to drought. Pink or white flowers bloom in spring and summer. As it spreads, new clumps will form. The plant's multicolored leaves and tiny pastel flowers look attractive by themselves along a walkway or mingled. This plant grows vibrant purple flowers that grow against grey-green foliage from early spring through early summer. One way to cut back on the energy and resources you put into your yard is to incorporate ground covers into the landscape. Ajuga ground cover doing very well in low light. Pachysandra are aggressive and fast-spreading coverings that grow underground with runners. No special soil is needed for it to flourish and reseed. Lamium is a versatile plant, hardy in U.S.D.A. With society garlic, you can have your ground cover and eat it too! Soft, aromatic creeping thyme seems to check off all the boxes for a gardener, plus more. Mow it down once in late winter and watch the fresh green growth fill right back in. Install the plants in an acidic, well-drained, loamy soil. Planted along sloped pieces of land, it can neaten up the area while providing ground covering. Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. Well to make a long stroy short the Lamium is gone and in its place we planted a very small ground cover called Tiny Thyme. It even takes on the terribly invasive Garlic Mustard. Though many annual flowers can be used for ground coverings, it can be laborious to replant large swaths of coverings yearly. Yellow archangel ( lamium galeobdolon) 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. 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. Dead-nettle is an ideal plant for ground cover which is much appreciated for its cute summer blooming and for its elegant evergreen leafage. Low-growing, ground-hugging perennial plants are the best low-maintenance ground coverings. Plant it with an assortment of flowering plants, including paperwhites, cyclamen, and coral bells. While many shrubs give you flowers, the prettiest thing aboutCotoneaster horizontalis is its colorful, red berries. It's also a beautiful ground cover to consider for moon gardens, but just beware the flowers are less than fragrant. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. LAY-mee-um mak-yoo-LAH-tum Description Fast growing; Spotted dead nettle is a good ground cover for moist, shady areas. Many plant species from the genus Sedum are native to North America. It matures to a maximum height of only 6 inches, so many gardeners choose to plant creeping phlox on a slope or along the top of a retaining wall to appreciate its beauty from several angles. It grows best in morning sun and afternoon shade. Can be invasive in moist, fertile soils. I've never tried that one. 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. Note: This plant is considered invasive across much of the northeast, some areas of the northern Midwest, and parts of the Pacific Northwest. The small leaves are speckled with spots, which earns the plant its name. That kind doesnt make a good ground cover and needs lots of sun to grow well. The plant prefers partial shade or full sun and well-draining moist soil. She was Features Copy Desk chief before becoming the first full-time garden editor for the paper in 1988. NC State University Cooperative Extension. They love harsh conditions, including heat, full sun, low water, and even rugged terrain or rocky soil. Common pests for spotted dead nettles are slugs and snails, which seem to be the main pests for this plant, although aphids can also attach themselves to the stems and leaves. When several are planted together, they form a dense hedge that thrives in almost any type of soil and full sun. Groundcover plants are helpful for weed suppression, while also adding texture and color to your garden with low maintenance needs. . By Sarah Littleton and Teresa Odle Published Jan 10, 2023 4:50 PM. . Plant liriope any time for quick growth and spreading. All our groundcovers are grown in biodegradable . A Texas Master Gardener, she's the author of The Texas Flower Garden, published by Gibbs-Smith in 1996. Hostas are some of the happiest and hardiest perennial ground coverings you can grow. 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. In moist soil, however, brass buttons spread vigorously, forming 2-inch-tall mats of growth strong and thick enough to withstand even regular foot traffic. Keep in mind that smaller containers will require watering more often. Here are a few varieties to consider. Height is a foot or so. Lamium is evergreen from Zone 6 south. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Care Grow the quick-growing groundcovers in moist, but well-drained soil in partial or full shade. Clusters of rose-pink flowers appear in spring, then continue off and on until fall, appearing more reliably through summer than other varieties. Lamium is undemanding and easy to grow in partial to fully shaded locations. Yellow archangel, also known as yellow Lamium, is very competitive and fast-growing in the forest habitats of western Washington and western British Columbia. However, keep a good supply of glyphosate on hand to keep these in check! Creeping thyme (also known as mother of thyme or wild thyme) is a creeping, woody-stemmed perennial that is a favorite plant to use for a low-maintenance ground cover serving as a filler between garden stepping stones. Being creepersand having a tendency to spread, these classic cottage-garden plants are popular flowering ground covers. If you do not want to open a nursery, and it is crowding other plants, shear in midsummer to promote more compact growth. Ooo. :) Thanks much guys. You could first try it in a small area container to see how it does in your garden. Ice plants need plenty of sun to thrive. Plant Lenten rose ground cover in the early fall or late spring but away from the path of bitter winter winds. Subscribe now and be up to date with our latest news and updates. 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. Lamium is a fast-growing, perennial ground cover that deer and rabbits avoid. Original Author. Root-hardy, it will return after a freeze, but in mild winters such as this year's, little damage is done to the foliage. If you are looking for a low-maintenance ground cover, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a good pick, but only under certain conditions. Blooms late Spring to mid Summer. Snip some for cooking, or keep it trimmed back to manage its height. 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.