Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

groundcovers

Groundcovers Part III: Low Growers Under Six Inches

Low-growing groundcovers—those reaching no more than 6 inches in height—are ideal for difficult areas such as sunny slopes or shade, particularly under trees, where grass will not grow. Shorter groundcovers are especially useful in rock gardens, along pathways, and at the front of borders. Most low-growing groundcovers spread by rhizomes (rootlike structures under the ground) or stolons (above-ground runners). 

Sedums beneath conifers_JDeutsch_EMGV
Sedums beneath conifers

Planting and maintenance
In growing groundcovers, follow a few simple steps to ensure success:

  • Clear the area of weeds and grass before planting. Groundcovers are tough, once established, but competitors can easily overrun them when first planted.
  • Test your soil to determine if you need to add fertilizer or lime.
  • Weed regularly to keep gaps clear in the several years it takes most groundcovers to fill a space.
  • Water your new plantings regularly for the first year.
  • Divide your groundcovers to fill in any remaining gaps.

 Groundcover varieties
Choose groundcovers that fit your site. Pay attention to the plant species and growing requirements—light, moisture, frost hardiness—as well as other characteristics—evergreen or deciduous.  If flowering, consider the flower season, size, and color of the specific cultivars or varieties you pick.

Here are some native plants that provide attractive groundcovers for our area—including suggested spacing between individual plants to give some idea of the number of plants needed to fill a space:

  • Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) is a shade-loving pachysandra that will not become invasive. It has fragrant, bottle-brush type blooms in the spring and attractive mottling on its leaves. It is semi-evergreen in Western North Carolina and will tolerate drought and dense shade. Allegheny spurge does well under trees and on slopes if they are not too sunny. Plant 6 to 12 inches apart in moist, rich, acidic soil.
  • Appalachian barren strawberry (Waldsteinia fragarioides) prefers partial shade. It has yellow flowers in the spring, grown mainly for its foliage—evergreen leaves that turn an attractive dark red or bronze in winter. It is a good choice for slopes that are not in full sun. It spreads by rhizomes and is easy to divide once established. Plant 16 inches apart; it will spread about 18 inches per plant.
  • Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) thrives in part-sun, part-shade settings. It has pretty yellow flowers in the spring and bright green, evergreen foliage. It makes an attractive border. Green-and-gold prefers moist, acidic, rich soils and appreciates consistent moisture with good drainage. Plant 18 inches apart.
  • Phloxes: Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) tolerates shade and moss phlox (Phlox subulata) loves sun. Many people call them both creeping phlox, in contrast to the tall garden phloxes. Phlox stolonifera is a woodland plant and prefers rich, moist, shady locations with good drainage. It can do well under trees, shady rock gardens, or in other shady, moist areas. Phlox subulata likes sun and good drainage, making it an excellent choice for sunny slopes. Its foliage is needle-like, distinguishing it from its cousin which has oval leaves. Both phloxes come in a variety of pastel colors as well as white. The recommended spacing between plants is 12 to 18 inches.
  • Sedums: There are many stonecrops (Sedums) that are useful as groundcovers. Low-growing sedums thrive in thin, poor soils and will grow on and around rocks. They are a good choice for rock gardens and walkways, planted in gaps or cracks, and in borders. Most readily available varieties are not native to our area, love sun, are drought tolerant, and do well on dry, hot slopes. Our native Sedum ternatum, known as wild or woodland stonecrop, prefers some shade, and has unusual white flowers in late spring to early summer. Space 8 inches apart.

Article written by Judy Deutsch, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

Learn more
Groundcovers: Planting and Care
by Home & Garden Information Center
Clemson Cooperative Extension

Groundcovers Part II: Pollinator-Friendly Choices

If bees could speak, they would strongly suggest that instead of mulching our landscapes, we should plant flowering groundcovers. Expanses of mulch, to most of North Carolina’s 400 native bees, are food deserts offering little or no housing. Bees rely entirely on flowers for food and raising young, and most flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce seed. No flowers, no bees!

Green and gold groundcover (Chrysogonum virginianum)
Green and gold

Groundcovers for pollinators
A wealth of options let you choose height, color, and bloom time to suit most any site—and no need to choose just one! 

Perennials.

  • Green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)—Almost nothing beats our native green and gold for beauty and ease of growing. Bright green with abundant yellow flowers, it thrives in most well-drained soils in part-shade to part-sun, though it tolerates deeper shade and full sun.
  • Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) produces a beautiful bee-friendly carpet that suppresses most weeds yet allows access to the many ground-nesting pollinators. Both green and gold and bugleweed bloom in mid- to late- May, spread readily but are easy to contain. They benefit from dividing or thinning every year or two, yielding more plants for your garden or to pass along.
  • Pachysandras—Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) is a common groundcover for part to deep shade, especially under trees; but the native pachysandra, also called Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens), is a taller, slower-spreading, interesting alternative that blooms in very early spring when so many pollinators are in need of nectar and pollen.
  • Phloxes—Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) and moss phlox (Phlox subulata), both of which are native plants, are useful for sunny slopes.

Herbs. Many herbs are wonderful flowering groundcovers for sunny, dry sites.

  • Thymes—Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) produces fewer flowers but quickly makes a thick mat that stops all weeds. Creeping or red thyme (Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’) is shorter, semi-evergreen, and tolerates a bit of foot traffic. From a distance when in bloom, its cloud of reddish lavender flowers gives an effect similar to that of the phloxes.
  • Prostrate forms of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) are fine groundcovers, though not always winter hardy and must have well-drained soil.
  • Mints (Mentha)—Although not as easy to control or contain as other groundcovers, mints are a favorite source of nectar and pollen for many bees and certainly do a great job of covering bare soil and suppressing unwanted weeds. Some people choose (or try) to control mints’ aggressive tendencies by planting them in a deep pot or other container, then putting the container into the ground.

Shrubs. Several suckering shrubs provide excellent groundcover, particularly on slopes.

  • Cotoneaster’s tiny white spring flowers feed bees and the resulting red berries feed birds through the winter. Several species, including willowleaf (Cotoneaster salicifolius), keep their rich deep green color through the winter. The rockspray species (Cotoneaster horizontalis) is an excellent option for places needing a much shorter plant.
  • Winter-blooming heathers (Erica) are another excellent groundcover, tough and drought tolerant once established, they need loose, amended, well-drained soil. ‘Springwood White’ and ‘Springwood Pink,’ are widely available; but you can find many other colors and heights. These plants bring a special dynamic to the winter garden—there’s nothing quite like watching honeybees gather nectar on a mild January day to warm a gardener’s heart!
  • Creeping evergreens (such as (Juniperus ) do not offer floral resources but provide excellent erosion control on slopes and allow access to underground nesting pollinators. Honeybees will also harvest resins from many conifers to use as caulk and an immune system ingredient.

Article written by Diane Almond, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

Groundcovers Part I: Beauty and Function for the Garden

“Bare soil never remains bare for long. It will always sprout weeds,
so why not cover the ground with plants of your own choice?”
Rosemary Verey, Making of a Garden

Variety of groundcovers, interplanted with shrubs and trees, manage erosion on steep slope.
Groundcovers on steep slope

Most gardens offer us sensory treats: a profusion of flowering perennials and annuals; the rustle and movement of wind in the trees; splashing water features; whimsical or formal statuary; pathways and benches—all vying for attention. Some are divas in the garden, insisting on attention.  Groundcovers are garden understudies, bringing unity and a sense of order to the landscape in an understated way. They can provide a carpet of color linking ornamental plants, or create different moods as plant choices shift throughout the garden.

What are groundcovers?
Groundcovers are perennial plants intended to cover an area for many years. Groundcovers can be evergreen or deciduous, blooming or not, woody or herbaceous. Generally, groundcovers are short plants, growing 18 inches or less. Turf grass is a common groundcover, but lawns are costly, requiring fertilizer, lime, water, and time-consuming maintenance. They are unsuitable for steep slopes and shady areas. There are many attractive alternatives!

Consider how much more interesting fragrant groundcovers such as Sarcococca spp. (sweet box) and Gallium odoratum (sweet woodruff) would be than turf grass! Or how much more practical edible groundcovers such as culinary thyme, oregano, and strawberries would be than inedible lawn!

Groundcover functions
Groundcovers provide many useful services in the garden—similar to mulch, but without the need for frequent replacement! Among these are:

  • Controlling weeds
  • Filtering rainwater—reducing runoff and preventing erosion
  • Reducing heat, glare, noise, and dust

What do groundcovers need?
It’s always smart to assess your growing conditions before planting—remember the gardener’s mantra: “Right plant. Right place.”

Some groundcovers love full sun—Phlox subulata (creeping phlox) and low growing juniper (Juniperus spp.), among others. Other groundcovers prefer shade—Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold) and Tiarella (foam flower). Moss will thrive in the dense shade that defeats other plants.

How to use groundcovers
Groundcovers have so many excellent properties that it’s amazing they are often an afterthought in garden design. They are a useful, lovely answer to the question of what to plant on a steep slope.

Visualize a garden with an underlaying grand sweep of a green groundcover. Then picture the same garden with bare earth or mulch. The garden with groundcover will seem fuller and more complete as compared with the starkness of the garden without. Groundcovers are indeed a quiet delight in the garden.

Article written by Sally Wheeler, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

Stay tuned
Over the next several weeks, our blogs will highlight a variety of groundcovers—those that attract pollinators, very low-growers, sun-lovers, and those that thrive in shade. There’s a groundcover to fit any landscape.

More information
From the Ground Up: Groundcovers to Know and Use
University of Illinois Extension

Selecting Landscape Plants: Groundcovers
by Alex X. Niemiera, Associate Professor Horticulture, Virginia Tech
Virginia Cooperative Extension
NOTE:  BEWARE of INVASIVES and very aggressive plants listed in this article, such as English ivy, nandina, and periwinkle.

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Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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