Creeping thyme ground cover is not invasive, helps prevent weeds from growing, and is a natural deer repellent. 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. Eventually, they will form a mat. . This elegant fern looks as dainty as a pearl necklace, but is tough enough to survive winter growing in the Himalayan Mountains, where it is native. It's also a beautiful ground cover to consider for moon gardens, but just beware the flowers are less than fragrant. It matures to a height of about 3 feet, and it, too, can be used as a taller ground cover. Reaches 3 to 9 inches tall with a spread of 6 to 12 inches. Lamium maculatum: Also called spotted deadnettle, forms a dense mat over. It spreads rapidly by above-ground runners and is hardy to Zone 4. Water the seedlings and apply a mulch layer on top of the soil. Whatever you decide to mix it with, remember to select plants that need partial to full shade. Early mornings and evenings and after periods of damp weather are the best times to hunt for these pests. #9. Plant in full shade or partial shade. It takes about 14 days until you see seedlings. Fast growing and a good all round plant for beneath trees you get a ground cover with good foliage and the added attraction of flowers. Its starry white flowers appear late in the season at a time when many other perennials are finished blooming, making it an important food source for pollinators. Some hybrids offer striking, flat flower clusters that bees and butterflies can use as a landing pad. They have silver foliage and produce showy pink, purple or white flowers in late spring. In either case, cut back shabby foliage after the first frost to make way for new growth in the spring. Though many annual flowers can be used for ground coverings, it can be laborious to replant large swaths of coverings yearly. Under even the most unforgiving of conditions, lamium prevails. You will have a Lamium carpet by fall, and the following year you will perhaps be able to pen your own lamium nursery with which to supply all your friends. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. Plant it in full sun during the spring in cooler climates and in shadier areas during the fall in warmer regions. In regions with cold winters, Lamium is deciduous. While some have small flowers, the main focal point is the colorful foliage, which ranges from chartreuse to bronze. And, of course, you can snip off the leaves for cooking. It prefers moist ground, drought-tolerant once established, and needs full shade. As with yellow alyssum, Angelina sedum can be regarded as a "Goldilocks" ground cover. I've never tried that one. And while deer might not like itspink flowers, they do attract butterflies and honeybeesits even believed that it enhances the flavor of the honey. They're also popular ground covers used to stop soil erosion. This groundcover plant stays under a foot tall but slowly spreads outward. Spotted dead nettles are generally grown more for their silvery leaves than for their flowers, but the latter can be quite pretty, as well. Select Delosperma floribundum'Starburst', a mat-forming cultivar with pink flowers and white centers for zones 6 to 8. Little Moonshine, for example, reaches about 10 inches high when in bloom; Greek yarrow has lower height and gray-green foliage. Grow spotted dead nettles in full to partial shade. Hostas are some of the happiest and hardiest perennial ground coverings you can grow. 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. Consult with your local extension office before growing spotted deadnettle because it is invasive in some areas. Spotted Dead Nettle ( Lamium maculatum) is a flowering type of low growing ground cover plant that thrives in the shade. In milder climates, it is semi-evergreen. Spotted dead nettle has a wide range, but does not do well in very warm, humid locations. Pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees love this plant in the spring when they are blooming. The only issue to watch for is rotting leaves. Planted in groupings, which spread rapidly, they make an elegant groundcover for moist, shady areas. Yellow archangel, also known as yellow Lamium, is very competitive and fast-growing in the forest habitats of western Washington and western British Columbia. It is a woodland plant that requires good drainage and shade. Lamium is grown for both its pretty foliage and beautiful flowers. Here are our top 15 ground covers for shaded areas. The leaves are fairly small, about one inch in diameter. Hmmm. Spotted deadnettle. Candytuft is a ground-hugging, clumping, and flowering perennial that dies back each winter and rebounds each spring and early summer. 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. Although not a U.S. native and with the potential to choke out nearby wildflowers, lithodora is not listed as an invasive concern. Aromatic enough for both kitties and their owners, catmint (Nepeta) is an easy-care, low growing ground cover. The success of many invasive plants is due to this means of spreading. Blooms late Spring to mid Summer. If you do not want to open a nursery, and it is crowding other plants, shear in midsummer to promote more compact growth. Dont worry if it doesnt reappear first thing in spring. 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. Leadwort begins blooming in late summer with beautiful, electric-blue flowers and continues until the first frost. Check with your local county extension for any warnings that they may issue for your own region. Divide this plant in the spring for additional and long-living ground cover that can last for a couple of decades. 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. Spotted deadnettle ground cover grows about 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) 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. This vining plant, also known as dead nettles, can tolerate cold, heat, and drought, and its deer resistant. It's low-maintenance because this drought-tolerant perennial grows beautifully in a xeriscape or rock garden. It prefers moderate climates but is able to withstand full sun and drought-like conditions. Though pruning is not necessary, hostas will yellow and die back so trimming dead foliage can look better, especially in a small area. Its also heat tolerant through USDA Zone 9. It's also toxic to humans and pets. The ground has only recently thawed and most are waiting for just the right amount of consistent warmth and moisture before coming up. Check your plants regularly and if slugs or snails are present, handpick and dispose of them as they appear. 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. English ivy is considered an evergreen perennial covering, period. The nepeta genus includes roughly 250 species. Cutting the stems or pinching back to a joint will stimulate new growth for the plant. 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. Our wide range of perennial groundcovers are ideal for those spots in the garden where grass isn't wantedon banks, under trees or across large areas of the border. 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. Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. This low-maintenance plant thrives year-round! Finely textured, semi-evergreen, bright green blades form a slowly spreading mass that tops out about six to eight inches tall. This easy-care mat-forming ground cover provides pops of purple blooms from mid-spring to early summer. Its aromatic grayish-green foliage spreads easily, and lavender-blue flowers rise on stalks from spring through fall. A Texas Master Gardener, she's the author of The Texas Flower Garden, published by Gibbs-Smith in 1996. Although it is most attractive, I have found it less vigorous in our garden, but perhaps you will have better luck. It needs full sun to bloom best. Add compost if you have clayey soil to improve drainage. Lamium is evergreen from Zone 6 south. LAY-mee-um mak-yoo-LAH-tum Description Fast growing; Spotted dead nettle is a good ground cover for moist, shady areas. Plus, each is interesting enough to enhance your surroundings more than an ordinary carpet of grass. Because the common name is often given as "spotted dead nettle". Put lamium next to other plants with darker foliage so this ground cover can bring out those colors. 5. Spotted dead nettles will naturalize in some areas. Epimedium, also called Bishops Cap, can tolerate dry conditions once established. If your garlic outgrows its space, thin it out and divide the old clumps every few years for a consistent ground cover. It likes full sun, and requires regular trimmings to keep it from taking over the yard. 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. It can cover large areas if you let it, so take care to find a place where its spreading tendency will be welcomed. 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. Choose native common yarrow. Once established, its drought tolerant. When grown as a ground cover, it is an easy-care plant that requires little maintenance. Album has white flowers and white marked leaves. Height is a foot or so. Lamium is undemanding and easy to grow in partial to fully shaded locations. Poke holes in the fabric and plant the junipers, then cover the fabric with mulch. Lamium A great solution for ground cover in a shaded area until it takes over in 5 years. In zones 6 through 8, it remains evergreen most of the year. 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. While many shrubs give you flowers, the prettiest thing aboutCotoneaster horizontalis is its colorful, red berries. The reality is that this hardy opportunist, if left unchecked, can become unsightly and sometimes invasive. Clusters of rose-pink flowers appear in spring, then continue off and on until fall, appearing more reliably through summer than other varieties. The 25 low-maintenance ground cover plants in this list are vigorous (some more than others) but manageable, so they will fill in empty spaces without growing out-of-control. Copyright 2023 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. The small leaves are speckled with spots, which earns the plant its name. Propagate by division in autumn or early spring After flowering, plants can be cut back to encourage fresh foliage cover. Growing as high as 36 inches, it blooms all summer long with purple flowers. Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum) grows as a spreading mat of herbaceous stems and leaves. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. In fact, they are one of the best perennials for shade. Copyright 2013-2023. The low-lying ground cover is a popular option as a filler for rock gardens or as an accent above retaining walls. It is a mat-forming perennial ground cover that typically grows 5-8" tall but spreads indefinitely over time by sprawling stems which root in the ground as they go. Creeping liriope plants make low-maintenance, tough, and drought-tolerant ground covers with spikey flowers and grass-like foliage. 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. Its not often that a plant is classified as an evergreen ground cover, a trailing plant for containers and a houseplant. 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. `Katie' produces petunialike, purple blooms for months. Any solid green leaves should be snipped out, otherwise, the plant will eventually lose the variegated leaves and become all green. Hortster. There are so many reasons to grow golden groundsel (Packera aurea). Plant this deer- and rabbit-resistant herb in the spring and its fuzzy leaves will cover large areas by autumn. This plant grows vibrant purple flowers that grow against grey-green foliage from early spring through early summer. Creeping Raspberry is a part of the Rosaceae family. Because the leaves are scented when crushed, deer and rabbits may take one bite and then move on to something more palatable. It is far too unattractive a little for this low-growing carpet of leaves. Noteworthy Characteristics Attractive foliage makes a good groundcover. In the right climate, brass buttons remain an evergreen ground cover year round. All that being said, ground covers are a terrific option for your situation. It offers similar value and requires similar conditions. There may be restrictions on planting it in these areas. Its brittle, fragile stems help keep it from becoming aggressively invasive and also allow bulbs and other perennials to penetrate its foliage. Its dense mats are threatening native plants on forest floors. A favorite type is 'Silver Carpet' as it spreads easily, rarely flowers, and stays short at 4 to 6 inches tall. Look for the distinctive crook at the top of the stem to identify this species. Ice plant is a fast and easy-growing ground covering, but pick the right species for your climate. 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. They save their energy for the surprisingly large flowers, white on desert zinnia and yellow on prairie zinnia. These waterwise plants are perfect rock garden ground covers in zones 4 through 9 for the hardier yellow prairie zinnia and 6 through 10 for desert zinnia with its pretty white flowers. Are rabbits attracted to spotted dead nettle? Lamium Anne Greenway Need a good ground cover in the shade or morning sun. Glechoma hederacea is not the same as henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) or Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum L.), AKA red deadnettle, red henbit. high and can spread out 2 feet (61 cm.) Bishop's Goutweed While it works great for ground cover in a shaded area, you will never, ever get rid of it. Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-10 SHOP DEAD NETTLE SEEDS skymoon13 // Getty Images Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 10 Creeping Phlox Even in Zone 5, where one lives, they persist well into the winter. This ground cover is a late riser, making it ideal for covering up the spent foliage of spring flowering bulbs. Native to Europe and western Asia, Lamium is frequently found naturalized along woodland trails and paths and colonized along the banks of streams. :) Thanks much guys. For a sun-loving, pollinator-friendly herb, creeping thyme ( Thymus praecox) will fill your lawn with a fine-leaved mat of dainty pink, white, or purple flowers. Aronia is a pretty low-growing native shrub that has tiny white flowers amid glossy green foliage. 11 Garden Fence Ideas That Will Complement Any La 10 Lush Landscaping Ideas for a Hilly Backyard. Replant them in a suitable location, and water. I simply pick the seedlings if they pop up where I don't want them. Look for varieties like Ghost that are heavily silvered and really brighten up lightly to densely shaded spaces. In addition to white flowers, you can find colors like moonshine yellow, paprika, or vintage violet. Grow Canadian wild ginger in humus-rich, moist soil in light shade to deep shade conditions in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 8. 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. Ground cover plants are the perfect solution for a variety of landscaping issues. This plant thrives in wet soils, which is why planting it in dry soil and denying it water helps keep it in check. It's cold hardy and prefers part shade. With a long bloom period and colorful foliage, most varieties are eye-catching plants throughout the year. 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. She did graduate work through the University of Georgia system. Lamium is a versatile plant, hardy in U.S.D.A. If you've seen the lavender fields in Provence, you know this sweetly-scented perennial with purple or blue flowers looks amazing planted en masse. In its native environment, it spreads slowly to cover the forest floor, where deer and rabbits typically leave it alone. Many plant species from the genus Sedum are native to North America. This sweetly-scented perennial spreads easily, so keep it in check by planting it in well-groomed areas like along walkways or close to the house's foundation. It should be pinched back frequently to keep the plants bushy and "shrubby.". Spotted dead nettles propagate easily by themselves from runners, by dividing, or from cuttings. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming. 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. Lamium? Keep weeds at bay with spreading plants in your garden. Aside from good exposure to sunlight, these leafy green clusters ask little of their gardener with no need to replant every season. This tuberous perennial has long, thin, chive-like foliage you can enjoy in the kitchen; the greenery is topped by tiny purple flowers in the summer, and its also available in a variegated type. Thus you need to be careful in choosing the right spot to grow this plant. It makes a dense mat of three-lobed leaves on lengthy, cane-like stems, which provide an interesting ground . There is also a pink flowering form. There are so many options to choose from, including old favorites like Pachysandra and Vinca, as well as small shrubs, perennials, and annuals. Leadwort is an excellent low-maintenance groundcover for putting on a late-season show. But purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) takes advantage of the open expanses of soil and lack of competition. Shown: 'Spotted deadnettle' (Lamium maculatum) Tall-Growing This one is a horticultural hybrid developed by crossing Nepata racemosawithN. nepetella. Its native habitat is wooded areas, so it is perfect for a shady woodland garden. No special soil is needed for it to flourish and reseed. Ajuga ground cover doing very well in low light. The plant dies back to the ground in the winter and comes out in the spring, but giving it a good shearing before winter will help keep the plants healthy. This species of plumbago is cold hardy to USDA Zone 5, but will survive winter better if you cover it with a light mulch, or if theres snow cover. Curious reddish brown flowers bloom in spring at ground level under the foliage. Spotted Nettle ( Lamium maculatum) is an excellent ground cover plant that has attractive foliage and pretty flowers that appear in profusion in mid-spring then sporadically over the course of the summer and fall. By Sarah Littleton and Teresa Odle Published Jan 10, 2023 4:50 PM. Fun bonus: The flowers, either fresh or dried, can be used in salads or steeped in teas. In fact, brass buttons share the same Achilles heel as ferns: Both succumb easily to drought. The leaves are fragrant, and deep pink flowers bloom from June through July. It needs full sun to flourish. Rock cotoneaster is considered a full-shun shrub but benefits from some afternoon shade. With very attractive foliage and either white or pink flowers, Lamium maculatum makes an excellent ground cover plant for a shaded position. "Lamium maculatum" is a lovely ground cover, you can use them to decorate the hostas' edges. Sometimes called Pinks because the petals look like they've been trimmed with pinking shears, this pretty ground cover comes in a range of heights, anywhere from low-growing to 2 feet tall. This type of evergreen comes in an array of shapes and sizes. Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in moist, well-drained soil Care Grow the quick-growing groundcovers in moist, but well-drained soil in partial or full shade. This perennial creeper is a great ground cover that will quickly carpet your landscape with pretty and small flowers. To plant creeping juniper on a grassy slope, get rid of the grass, then lay down landscape fabric along the slope. 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. This shrub also offers some fall-foliage value. In mid-summer, however, they're dotted with beautiful purple-pink flowers. However, keep a good supply of glyphosate on hand to keep these in check!