Other plants, though, require some consideration. Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is a native plant in northern regions of North America. This is horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis), a native Texas plant that some gardeners use as a prolific ground cover in shade where little else, including grass, will grow. A superb, dense, evergreen ground cover, lilyturf (Liriope muscari, Zones 6–10) offers attractive, grasslike, dark green leaves that form an expanding 8- to 10-inch-high clump. Common names: Native daisy, cut leaf daisy. It stays about 6 to 8 inches tall. One of the reasons why this perennial is a great ground cover plant is that it grows well in shady areas where other plants don’t thrive. Pachysandra terminalis Some plants, such as lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis), have such a bad reputation that they don't even bear consideration. Ground covers with aggressive and invasive tendencies are noted in the plant chart. Carpet Bugle Probably the best ground cover for heavy shade, carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans) grows fast, spreading by underground stolons. Your local University Extension office is usually the best place for information. In the South, it endures long, hot summers and is a wonderful pass-along plant. What can we say about 2020 that hasn’t already been said? Now, however, we have available a wider selection of plants that can cover large areas of ground without the benefit of a lot of sun. It’s a great choice for your garden because it requires little maintenance. Another shade-loving native is the inside-out flower (Vancouveria hexandra). Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. We'll help you find the best hardy shade ground cover perennials for your zone. 30 Easy-to-Grow Perennials for Beginning Gardeners, 29 Shrubs That Grow in Full or Partial Shade, 12 Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Landscape, Best Perennials That Offer Long Bloom Periods, 18 Yellow-Flowering Plants for Your Garden, 10 Best Ornamental Grasses for Containers, 15 Recommended Flowering Shrubs for Your Home. A pH neutral soil will make it happy, as will an even amount of moisture, but it can take drier conditions and is a good choice for xeriscaped gardens. This invasive plant tends to get out of control in the yard. Native groundcovers are particularly useful plants in any garden. It reaches a height of 12 to 18 inches with rose-colored flowers. Carpets of round, silver-veined leaves send out thin, red stolons to steadily capture new ground. The midsummer flowers are small, bluish violet, and tightly clustered on a stalk that rises above the foliage. This European and North African native is an evergreen ground cover with flowers in shades of pink and purple. It grows well in partial shade, in rockeries, between pavers and even beside … Foamflower is a perennial ground cover that grows up to 15 inches in height, with white flower spikes that seem to float above a mass of green leaves in midspring. Garden ferns are an unusual family of plants, since they include several different genera that reproduce from spores rather than from flowers and seeds. The 2-inch-diameter leaves have a rich, grayish green color with striking, silvery gray markings. This low maintenance native ground cover literally appeared on our doorstep. Pachysandra often goes by the common name spurge, which leads to sometimes confusing this plant with wood spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'), which is also used as a ground cover plant. Ground covers also help suppress weed establishment, conserve moisture, and regulate soil temperature. Farther south, it spreads vigorously. Deer are a real problem for our groundcovers in North Carolina. California ground cover native plants can create a drought tolerant, shady, sunny or wet garden like no other from San Diego up through Los Angeles, San Francisco There, it is not as exuberant as in its western habitat, but it is a tough plant that keeps coming back. Flowers are large and reddish-pink, becoming cream towards the base. ", Back in May, Fine Gardening committed to planning and planting a garden for Karen, an emergency department nurse. But don't be deceived by its good looks. And since bunchberry enjoys friable, acidic woodland soil, it will not grow in clay soils or in soils that are even slightly alkaline. It makes a bushy cover crowned with long-lasting, attractive purplish flowers. USDA Hardiness Zones 5–8) is actually a vigorous spreader. 3. Once established, they’ll crowd out weeds, provide year-round protection to the soil, and offer overwintering habitat for native fauna. Farther north, it can take increasing sunlight. Remember, though, that some types of hosta need a bit more sun to achieve their best color. Ground covers can transform those dark, hard to grow areas that get no sunshine. What Are Ground Covers and Why Are They Useful? Buy yours today! The deciduous, emerald green leaves are also star shaped and stay neat well into autumn. A very common gardening error is to think that a plant that "tolerates" shade will grow in complete dense shade. 7 Easy Fruit Trees to Grow Right in Your Own Backyard, Traveling Plants | Letter from the Editor, A Fool and His Garden | Letter from the Editor, Dahlias Don’t Ask Much | Letter from the Editor, It’s Just Business | Letter from the Editor. Easily grown in acid, always-moist woodland shade in the South and some sun and light shade in the North, it is an insect-resistant, fast-spreading, attractive ground cover. Are any of these particularly suited to areas with lots of deer activity? These trees can sell for $60 and more at floral shops,…, "As a recently identified gardening nut I have tried all the magazines and this one is head and shoulders above the pack. Flowering ground cover plants for shade BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine – receive 12 issues for only £39.99 Ground cover flowers are fantastic for shady spots – … Gardeners who plant it for its attractive shiny dark-green or bronze leaves often come to regret the decision, as it can quickly spread into turf grass or onto neighboring properties. This is not a plant you can plant and forget. Are you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe? Ground Cover Why Plant Native! In general, hostas with green leaves, as well as blue-leaved types such as Halcyon hosta, are ideal choices for dense shade, while gold-leaved types and those with variegated leaves, such as Patriot hosta and the similar 'Minuteman', should be given a little more light. It does well in considerable shade and tolerates tree-root competition. Native to Virginia, the Carolinas, northern Georgia, and Alabama, Shuttle-worth’s wild ginger requires acidic, well-drained soil. Bishop’s weed is a highly aggressive ground cover best contained with sturdy concrete curbs or pathways. Western bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) likes shade, dies back to the ground in the winter and by mid-spring grows about 18 inches with hanging clusters of pink flowers. In this list of 12 common ground cover plants, the first five are well-behaved species that generally can be used without fear, but the remaining seven have a reputation for unruliness and invasiveness in some regions; before using them, check with local experts to make sure they won't cause problems. To be more specific (quoting Doug Ladd, from p.178 of North Woods Wildflowers), its habitat is "moist woods, often under conifers, and in wooded swamps, shaded bogs and peaty areas." Light Sun to shade. They don’t need fertilizers or pesticides, and they don’t need to be mowed or watered once established (learn more from my previous posts here and here).). Dwarf Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum humile, Zones 5–8) creates a plush cover wonderful for prominent shady spots. Native violet is your go-to groundcover plant for that shady, often damp area down the side of the house. Not all ground cover will be able to grow in the hot, humid atmosphere that you get in the state of Florida, but there are some amazing options that will really make your garden pop. A small, prostrate ground cover with interesting serrated foliage and large attractive flowers. Suggested Use: Ground cover, shade garden, berries used as medicinal herb Tolerate: Very cold winters, some drought Easily grown in aver-age, dry to medium, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Lilyturf is barely hardy in Zone 6a. Sweet Woodruff ( Galium odoratum) is a hardy perennial ground cover for shade that flowers. Poisonous and take care when handling Euphorbia, as the latex in the sap can be an irritant to the skin. It turns golden in autumn, but, otherwise, offers only a green color. Botanical name: Brachyscome species. Moisture Moist to average, tolerates drought once established. Many experts caution against growing it. This is horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis), a native Texas plant that some gardeners use as a prolific ground cover in shade where little else, including grass, will grow. spreads in shade and best in coastal areas under redwoods. The result is an 18- to 24-inch-tall ground cover of grayish green, deeply lobed, deciduous leaves. We'll help you find the best hardy shade ground cover perennials for your zone. It can be a very good ground cover for a gardener able and willing to keep it under control, but it has escaped cultivation and naturalized in many areas of the northern U.S, thanks to its ability to adapt to almost any soil condition. This plant is considered slightly invasive in portions of the Northeast and Northwest U.S., but most gardeners will have no major problems with it. Medium well-drained soil. Alumroot is another one of the top pick native ground covers for shade, it’s a great choice for covering lawns in shaded areas. Such plants are usually evergreens or have densely twiggy growth. Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis, Zones 2–7), a low-growing member of the dogwood family, makes an outstanding emerald ground cover. This Eurasian species makes a dense, 15-inch-high ground cover with numerous clusters of fragrant, white, star-shaped flowers, which appear in early summer. On the positive side, it does form such a dense mat that weeds are generally choked out. George Schmid is the author of An Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials. Over 200 of the best shade plants for your garden - native, exotic, evergreen, flowering, frost and drought tolerant. It was one of the only trouble-free plants available in nurseries to get the job done. Initially, it can be a slow grower, but an application of slow-release fertilizers will provide a faster start. Australian Harebell (Isotoma) is a native ground cover that thickly grows like a dense mat and features purple flowers. —W. 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