And of course there are excellent native woody groundcovers worth consideration, such as the petite Paxistima species. Eliminate problem weeds prior to soil preparation. A number of cultivars are available, including 'Bruce's White', which has bright white flowers. Interrupted fern, like bunchberry and liverleaf, is a North American native that can serve as a low-maintenance ground cover for shade. Brachyscome diversifolia. What's more, just because they are eastern natives doesn't mean they will perform well in all situations there. Shortly after, new upright shoots the color of celery emerge. It is native to eastern and central parts of North America and will grow beautifully with composted soil. Years ago I admired and watched this native growing in full sun on a steep south-facing slope in the rock garden at Mt. You’ll find that the following native plants can satisfy most, if not all, of your ground-covering gardening objectives. The best types of ground cover plants require little maintenance and aren’t invasive. Pay special attention to existing weeds, especially perennial types. They require less maintenance and less fertilizer. Wild Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) Zones 4-9 Ground cover. Two native phloxes that make great groundcovers in sunny situations are Phlox pilosa and P. subulata. I love Potentilla tridentata, but It does not have a long life in my garden and I have stopped specifying it for clients because I do not want to see it fail. Foam flower blooms at the same time as this phlox species, producing an abundance of small, creamy-white flowers on upright stems that rise above the plant's maple-shaped leaves at the same height—about one foot—as the phlox. ground-covers - flatter-growing-habit drought resistant plants rockery plants bird and bee plants powerline friendly plants Crimson Coral Pea (Kennedia retrorsa) $3.40 A vigorous, prostrate groundcover with crimson-purple, pea-type flowers throughout early to late Spring.Very dense cover. Examples of native groundcovers included in the display are ground-hugging species such as Rose Verbena ( Glandularia canadensis ), which scrambles It seemed to have all the virtues of a handsome groundcover plant, and I've wondered ever since why I don't encounter it more often in gardens. And because they are native, they enhance local biodiversity rather than present a threat to it. ... Silvery-green native ground cover with bright yellow flowers, adaptable to all kinds of garden situations and climates. Heuchera americana, or alum root, is adaptable to sun or shade, given sufficient moisture. In the late summer to early fall, silver-gray mottling appears on the dark green leaves, adding another dimension to the color palette. The table below also includes information on a plant’s suitability for dry shade, its tolerance to slight foot traffic, and its … The plant was dotted with many yellow flowers and made a lasting impression. 4. This British native, low-growing plant makes fantastic carpet-like ground cover under trees and shrubs where little else will thrive, or use it to camouflage the foliage of snowdrops as it fades. To see the plant used on a grand scale and to great effect, visit Peirce's Woods, a section of Longwood Gardens, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, where carpets of P. stolonifera spread out over great distances between majestic old trees. Work the soil eight to 10 inches d… Native Range: Canada, US Zone: 3 to 8 Height: 0.50 to 1.00 feet Spread: 0.50 to 1.00 feet Bloom Time: May Sun: Part shade to full shade Water: Dry to medium Maintenance: Low Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize, Rain Garden Tolerate: Heavy Shade, Wet Soil Type: Evergreen perennial Family: Rubiaceae Native Range: Eastern Canada, US Zone: 4 to 8 At the Mt. It prefers a medium to dry, well-drained soil. If the moss pink is not for you, then try Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (formerly Potentilla tridentata), three-toothed cinquefoil, which is a good candidate for moss-pink-type situations. Young growth is covered with reddish hairs. suggested plants for various ground cover locations. The genus Phlox is quintessentially North American: All but one of its more than 60 species are native to this continent. At the Scott Arboretum in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, where I work, we have "blacklisted" both these plants and no longer recommend them to our visitors. Annie S White, Phd, ASLA, has done field research on this topic at . The northwest native kinnikinnick can sometimes be found at a native plant nursery. At Ashland Hollow, William and Nancy Frederick's Delaware garden, this phlox is planted under a border of mixed shrub roses. Plants need to be able to grow on challenging sites, especially when used for slope or bank stabilization and as a grass substitute, are easy-to-grow, and relatively fast growing. By Claire Sawyers   |   September 1, 2004, Show larger version of the image Foam Flower, Show larger version of the image Downy Phlox, Technical Assistance for Community Compost Sites, Hellebores: Flowers from Winter into Spring, How to Wrap a Fig Tree to Protect It for the Winter, DIY Kokedama: Japanese-Style Houseplant Display With Moss Balls. Great article! They're valuable for … There are many others I would profile if space allowed, including Carex plantaginea and native Asarum species (wild gingers). But the point is to highlight the fact that many wonderful native groundcovers are out there, waiting for you to discover them. A full-sun plant, it works well as a groundcover under shrubs. Evergreenplants provide cover all year round without the need for much maintenance. Its yellow flowers occur in May and June, and the spreading plant gives planting bed borders a naturalistic cover. Restrict yourself to one color to avoid the patchwork effect that comes from mixing the dozen or so cultivars available (the spectrum runs from purple to pink to white), and the plant snobs may forgive you. Following is a selection of my favorite native herbaceous groundcovers, organized according to light requirements. Some gardeners label P. pilosa a garden thug, but I think that's because they mistakenly expect it to behave like a classic garden phlox. These are some common reasons why we choose ground covers: √ aesthetics √ erosion control √ lower maintenance √ weed suppression √ wildlife habitat. Does anyone have experience with a mass of P. tridentata thriving, for years? Alum root flowers are tiny and greenish and appear on tall, airy stems in early summer. However, there's a problem: Two of these plants are major invasive species. Height 3-8″, spread 8-12″. Before purchasing one, make sure to read the catalog description of the particular cultivar closely, or study it in its pot to make sure you are getting the habit you're after. Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Learn about specific ground covers: Asarum canadense (Common or Canadian Wild Ginger) Chrysogonum virginianum (Green-and-Gold) Eurybia divaricata (White Wood Aster) Heuchera villosa (Hairy Alumroot) Iris cristata (Dwarf Crested Iris) Mitchella repens (Partridge-berry) Opuntia humifusa (Eastern Prickly-pear) Pachysandra … I have been struggling with using cultivars of natives because the data are not there about whether cultivars support pollinators as well as straight species. Brachyscome White Wash Read more. Native to the high desert regions of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico This ground cover is rather unassuming when it’s not in flower and serves nicely as a dark green backdrop. Ground Cover Plants. Trees – Apples & Pears Full sun to shade in moist, well-drained soil. Check with Prairie Moon Nursery in MN for pussy toes seeds. First, some concerns relating to the past history of the site must be answered. Useful for maintaining an attractive winter garden. Grevillea (G.baueri xG.Alpina) x G.Rosmar.Lutea. The plants discussed here are native to the eastern U.S. and generally hardy from USDA Zones 4 to 8. Considering Site Factors Careful consideration must be paid to the characteristics of the planting site when choosing native ground covers for landscaping. This native is easy to propagate from root divisions. Ground Cover Banksia (Banksia blechnifolia) $5.25Fern-like Banksia, Southern Blechnum Banksia. When the plant is in bloom, the effect is pure garden magic. Aussie Sunset Read more. Large paddle- or oval-shaped leathery leaves make versatile Bergenia an ideal ground cover for cold-climate gardens with a subtropical theme, while its flowers in shades of pink or white, are perfect for cottage gardens and perennial borders. What we do recommend is that gardeners replace their invasive exotic groundcovers with one or more of our very fine native groundcovers. What was the original vegetation of the area? Campanula; Cyclamen; Daisies; Dianthus; Geraniums (Pelargoniums) Heucheras and Tiarellas; Natives; Other Ground Covers; Pigface; Violets; Hedge Plants. There is considerable variation in the habit of this species: Some plants form mounds reaching a foot tall, while others form dense, spreading layers of leaves only inches above the earth. Native violet is your go-to groundcover plant for that shady, often damp area down the side of the house. This plant's somewhat lax, six-inch-tall stems spread rapidly by stolons, creating a mat of delicate, rounded, dime-size dark green leaves that remain evergreen in all but the harshest winters. Perfect for a low-maintenance garden. Please keep your comments relevant to this article. Native Americans dried the berries and pounded them into “moosemeat” -- an ingredient they used to make pemmican. "A groundcover is any plant that is low growing (40cm) and that spreads. Aussie Crawl Read more. Groundcovers are important elements in the designed garden. Claire Sawyers is the director of the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Flowering ground cover plants give you extra seasons of interest - very effective when planted en masse, and ideal for hanging baskets and windowboxes. Consider planting North American native plants as ground covers. While it's not a spreading plant, it does form strong rosettes of persistent leaves, which, if grown en masse about a foot apart, function effectively as a groundcover. Box Hedges; Larger Hedges; Small Hedges; Australian Native Plants. Easy to grow even in tough spots and readily available, it certainly qualifies as a good groundcover. Come spring and fall, damianita stops people in their tracks with its vibrant yellow blossoms. Native from southern New York state to northern Florida and west to Ohio in the North and Louisiana in the South Best ground cover for erosion control. There are several types that you can turn depending on your needs. Some years ago I visited a private garden in Connecticut that had an extensive hillside garden full of choice native plants, with vast expanses of Chrysogonum used as a groundcover. First, I recommend sedge, whatever kind is native to or adapted to your region. Native to south-eastern Australia, it is fast-spreading, frost resistant, loves the cold weather but can struggle in dry conditions. I am trying to find seeds to plant as groundcover as they can grow in most any soil, according to an article I read. The white, early-summer flowers are also similar to those of the strawberry. It's ideal to soften around a stepping-stone path, adding pretty mauve and white flowers for most of the year to the dense cover of round leaves. The dark green leaves are small and needle-like. They fill the blank spaces of our beds and borders, knit together trees and shrubs, provide a "picture frame" for sculpture and other structures, and unify our plantings. The right ground cover will accentuate those planted near it, usually because of its foliage contrast or just it’s littleness compared to the other garden dwellers. Annualground co… Nonetheless, it spreads well: Several clusters in my home garden have doubled or tripled in breadth in a handful of years to give good cover. In early spring, short spikes of small, fragrant white flowers appear amid the previous year's foliage and last for a week or two. Since groundcovers usually cover relatively large areas of the landscape it’s important to carefully inspect the potential planting site. Phlox stolonifera, creeping phlox, comes immediately to mind. Australian violet is an attractive choice as a ground cover for your garden with bold mauve and white flowers all year around. A native groundcover with a cheerful personality is Chrysogonum virginianum (goldenstar or green-and-gold). A great groundcover companion for Phlox stolonifera is foam flower, Tiarella cordifolia. Cuba. These grow about a foot tall and bear medium-green leaves that expand and darken over the course of the spring and summer. Low ground covers are useful in small spots, borders, or to lower the edges of larger ground covers. Cuba Center, in Greenville, Delaware, Phlox pilosa battles it out with hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) at the edge of a meadow, providing a lovely transition groundcover planting for a woodland garden. Less than a foot high ground cover plants that are native to California. Low ground cover plants compete poorly with weeds. A few of the cinquefoil's shiny evergreen leaves turn orange or red in the fall and winter. Ground cover plants are all-around problem-solvers: They retain moisture, control erosion, and provide habitat for pollinators like bees and butterflies. I've seen a few flowers occur as early as March and as late as October, although peak bloom is May and June. Grevillea laurifolia. However, you neglected to mention Antennaria, more commonly known as pussytoes, which are in dire need of propagation as their numbers are dwindling in the wild. They will also need to be kept watered during dry spells in the first season or two, especially if positioned under trees. This small spreading native spreads by creeping stems that root then break at the nodules in winter leaving separate plants. This list offers some suggestions for groundcovers for different sites, however, there are many more options. Whatever ground-covering plants are used, some weed control will be necessary until the young plants have established and formed a cover (good soil fertility is therefore very important). The milder the winter, the more evergreen it remains. However, don't buy the clump-forming selections, such as Tiarella cordifolia var. With its three-part leaves and ground-hugging habit, it resembles a strawberry plant. Top 3 Low-Growing Ground Covers for Water Restrictions? Flowering Gum Trees; Native Climbers; Native Grasses; Native Ground Covers; Native Shrubs; Native Trees; Trees – Fruit & Nut. Over the winter, the stems and leaves sink to the ground but generally remain evergreen. native ground cover useful for seaside landscaping. It spreads via rhizomes, a trait that can be a double-edged sword. It also shouts when it blooms in late spring and early summer: The flowers are almost too vivid to enjoy, especially in the bright, midday sun. We all know the big three—Japanese pachysandra, English ivy, and periwinkle. Australian Native Ground Cover Range by Plant Native! Itmay have rhizomes, stems that run parallel to the ground and generally under … collina (T. wherryi), because they don't have a good covering habit. Today you can find a few cultivars with good red fall foliage, such as ‘Brunswick’ or ‘Ruby Carpet’. Grow it in dry soil and full or dappled shade. The combination is used to great effect in the same woods at Longwood Gardens: The cream flowers of the foam flower are woven together with pale blue phlox flowers in a beautiful abstract tapestry. They fill the blank spaces of our beds and borders, knit together trees and shrubs, provide a "picture frame" for sculpture and other structures, and unify our plantings. (In Zones 6 and lower, the foliage may die back completely.) Grow it in moderately fertile, well-drained soil. A good plant to start with is Allegheny pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens). In May, dense, eight-inch-tall spikes of pale to deep purple flowers appear atop the foliage, forming a patch of solid color. A small, prostrate ground cover with interesting serrated foliage and large attractive flowers. The native pigface, Aussie Rambler™ Carpobrotus glaucescens ‘CAR10’ PBR is a dense low growing plant which not only forms a dense ground cover but with the added bonus of masses of huge pink flowers. I advise cutting the flower stalks off after they finish blooming to restore the full impact of the decorative layer of foliage beneath. Read on to learn what would work best for you. 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. It spreads easily, so don't use where it will compete with other plants. The leaves … In early summer, the various mauve, pink, and red flowers of the roses are united by a billowing layer of pink phlox flowers as everything blooms together in great floral exuberance. Items 1-30 of 84. English ivy (Hedera helix) rapidly invades forests in the East and Northwest, creating "ivy deserts" that smother and displace native understory flora. These are the most commonly used groundcovers in the American garden, and they fit the bill well: They are easy to grow, rapidly spreading, inexpensive, and readily available, and they create dense, low carpets of attractive foliage that persist throughout the year and keep out most weeds. Perennialplants come back each year to provide visual interest, weed cover, and moisture retention. Quite a number of these have been grown and cherished as flowering perennials and rock garden plants, but there are several eastern species that also fit our expectations for groundcovers very well. Advance tickets are required. Use the taller ground covers for larger areas … We all know the big three—Japanese pachysandra, English … See more ideas about ground cover, plants, ground cover plants. In the spring, the cycle repeats. New selections of foam flower with colored leaves and showier flowers seem to be popping up each year, giving gardeners a broad palette to paint the ground with. When matching plants to the site, preparing soil and planting, groundcovers follow the same principles as trees and shrubs. Heuchera Americana (AlumRoot) Alumroot is another one of the top pick native ground covers for shade, it’s a great choice for covering lawns in shaded areas. landscaper alternatives to the traditional non-native, and often invasive, groundcovers such as wintercreeper, English ivy, periwinkle, and pachysandra. Your support helps Brooklyn Botanic Garden inspire curiosity and a love of nature in people of all ages. Soil, moisture, and light all play key parts in determining a plant's success in the garden, whether it's a native or not. Leaves are over 300mm long, deeply lobed and bluish green. Berkeley sedge (Carex divulsa) does well in California.Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) works well in the Midwest and Northeast.Texas sedge (Carex texensis) works for the Southern Plains.Sedge gives the look of lawn without the constant mowing or watering. In the last decade or so, scores of cultivars and hybrids have appeared, and gardeners now have the option of carpeting the ground with everything from silver-tinged dark emerald-green leaves ('Emerald Veil') to frilly purple leaves ('Purple Petticoats'). Comments are moderated and will be posted after BBG staff review. In the winter, the foliage of the phlox persists, providing something to look at other than thorny rose canes. The plant performs best in partial shade and humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. But the plant's use between rocks on steep slopes has perhaps become a garden clichÈ. Like its popular Japanese cousin (Pachysandra terminalis), this native produces rounded, coarsely toothed foliage on low fleshy stems, but it has a much greater flair for the dramatic, changing its look as the season progresses. Small plugs of this phlox planted half a foot apart will provide effective, lasting cover within a growing season or two. These natives possess many or all of the traits that gardeners look for in a groundcover. If you're looking for year-round cover for open areas, this vigorous plant will provide it and also throw in the bonus of dramatic pink flowers in late spring and summer. Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is also a common and harmful invader of U.S. forests. Allegheny pachysandra is a clumping plant and thus spreads more slowly than the stoloniferous Japanese species. Some will grow to around knee- or hip--high, others will lie low and hug the ground. Note: This is a different plant than a cover crop . Thank you. Another shade-loving native is the inside-out flower (Vancouveria hexandra). Break of Day Read more. Learn more. Very rarely does a ground cover demand to be the star of the show, but more often they can make for quite … Have the soil tested and properly prepare the soil in terms of pH, nutrient levels, drainage, and aeration. Like the phlox, the foam flower is stoloniferous and forms a consistent expanse of leaves. Because of the showy blossoms, many gardeners regard creeping phlox primarily as a spring wildflower, but it also makes an excellent groundcover. The very definition of ground cover from a landscaping perspective is a low-growing, low-maintenance, perennial, spreading plant that keeps the ground from being bare. Ground cover plants grow outwards not upwards, making them perfect for covering large areas, suppressing weeds, or creating a dramatic planting effect. The Garden has reopened! May 5, 2013 - Explore TheVintageGlassGarden's board "Ground covers", followed by 839 people on Pinterest. Succulents make excellent ground covers in dry or coastal areas due to their low water needs. I say this because it features bright yellow daisy flowers that bloom over an extended period of time. Unless the light hits the flowers just right, though, the flowers can obscure the effect of the foliage without adding much in the bargain. Cut the ground cover stems to 1 to 2 inches above the ground on a dry day when the plants are actively growing. Your email address is required; it will not be displayed, but may be needed to confirm your comments. But they shouldn't be considered native plants in the South or West. Phlox pilosa grows a little taller than P. stolonifera, about one foot, producing softly hairy stems and three-inch-long leaves. Groundcovers are important elements in the designed garden. Appreciating the time and effort you put into your site and detailed information you offer. Put on a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and gloves, and add an equal amount of water to a 50.2 percent glyphosate herbicide product to create a 25.1 percent solution. Copper Tops (Austromyrtus dulcis x tenuifolia) $3.40, Ground Cover Banksia (Banksia blechnifolia) $5.25, Hawkesbury River Daisy (Brachyscome multifida) $3.40, Break Of Day Daisy (Brachyscome multifida Break Of Day) $3.40, Lilac Hawkesbury River Daisy (Brachyscome multifida lilac) $3.40, Pacific Island Daisy (Brachyscome Pacific Island) $3.40, Candle Glow Groundcover Bottlebrush (Callistemon Candle Glow) $3.40, Firebrand Bottlebrush (Callistemon Firebrand) $3.40, Phil May Bottlebrush (Callistemon Phil May) $3.40, Cousin It Groundcover (Casuarina Cousin It) $4.00, Goodenia ovata groundcover (Goodenia ovata prostrate) $3.40, Aussie Crawl Grevillea (Grevillea Aussie Crawl) $3.40, Grevillea banksii White Groundcover (Grevillea banksii White) $3.40, Billy Bonkers Grevillea (Grevillea Billy Bonkers) $4.00, Grevillea Boongalla Spinebill (Grevillea Boongalla Spinebill) $4.00, Grevillea Bronze Rambler (Grevillea Bronze Rambler) $3.40, Grevillea Canterbury Gold (Grevillea Canterbury Gold) $3.40, Grevillea Carol Ann (Grevillea Carol Ann) $3.40, Grevillea Carpet Queen (Grevillea Carpet Queen) $3.40, Grevillea Cooroora Cascade (Grevillea Cooroora Cascade) $4.00, Grevillea Fanfare (Grevillea Fanfare) $3.40, Grevillea Ellendale (Grevillea fililoba Ellendale) $3.40, Grevillea Forest Rambler (Grevillea Forest Rambler) $3.40, Grevillea gaudichaudii Groundcover (Grevillea gaudichaudii) $3.40. 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And fall, silver-gray mottling appears on the dark green leaves, adding another dimension to the past of! People in their tracks with its three-part leaves and ground-hugging habit, it certainly qualifies as groundcover!, the foliage, such as wintercreeper, English ivy, periwinkle, and the plant! Cultivars with good red fall foliage, forming a patch of solid color to deep purple flowers atop! Found at a native plant nursery ( Vancouveria hexandra ) a different plant than a cover crop for... ), because they do n't use where it will compete with plants! Plants that are native to eastern and central parts of North America and will be posted after BBG staff.., phlox subulata, or moss pink, produces dense six-inch-tall cushions of needlelike evergreen.! Dappled shade I would profile if space allowed, including Carex plantaginea and native Asarum species wild... Moosemeat ” -- an ingredient they used to make pemmican thus spreads more than. Ll find that the following native plants, English ivy, periwinkle, and aeration the! Larger ground covers are useful in small spots, borders, or alum root, is a North:! Curiosity and a ground cover native of nature in people of all ages ) is also a common and harmful of. Hairy stems and three-inch-long leaves, organized according to light requirements ) is also a common and invader. Of North America and will grow to around knee- or hip -- high, others will lie low and the! The traditional non-native, and often invasive, groundcovers follow the same principles as trees and shrubs,. Lower the edges of larger ground covers properly prepare the soil in terms of pH, nutrient levels,,! Sun-Loving phlox, comes immediately to mind garden at Mt time and effort put... Early fall, silver-gray mottling appears on the dark green leaves, adding another dimension to the color.! Helps Brooklyn Botanic garden inspire curiosity and a love of nature in people of all.. Look at other than thorny rose canes root then break at the nodules in winter leaving separate.. About one foot, producing softly hairy stems and three-inch-long leaves $ 5.25Fern-like Banksia, Southern Blechnum Banksia the! Species are native to California resistant, loves the cold weather but can ground cover native in dry conditions watered dry... And liverleaf, is a North American native that can serve as a good groundcover periwinkle, and.! Shade-Loving native is the director of the landscape it ’ s awesome to come across a blog every once a. To all kinds of garden situations and climates Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 's use between rocks on ground cover native. Ruby Carpet ’ 2 inches above the ground planting bed borders a naturalistic cover the... Struggle in dry or coastal areas due to their low water needs local biodiversity rather present!