Ground Covers Surface plants to cover ground area usually maintained at a height less than 18 inches. Ground cover plants should be vigorous, with dense foliage and a spreading habit so as to adequately cover soil areas. Ground covers should be evergreen and winter hardy and may be a vine or low shrub. Ground covers are often used in tight leftover areas so as to reduce lawn maintenance in such areas. Plant selections for ground covers should require little or no maintenance.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Size | Exposure | Features | Problems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Ivy | Hedera helix | . | -shade -likes moisture | -fast growing -dense evergreen vine -propagated from runners or cuttings -harmless to trees -varieties have varying size and color of leaf | . |
| Ajuga | Ajuga reptans | 1-3 in. | -shade or partial sun -loamy well-drained soil | -fast growing evergreen -blue flower spikes in spring -good for rock gardens and recommended for small areas -green, bronze or purple variegated varieties | -will overcrowd itself -susceptible to crown rot and southern wilt |
| Confederate or Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides | . | sun or shade | -fast growing evergreen -twining vine | . |
| Dwarf Junipers | numerous varieties ex.: Juniperus procumbens and Juniperous horizontalis "Bar Harbor" | . | -sun -well-drained soil | -blue-green evergreen foliage -dense growth -good for rock gardens | -susceptible to red spider and bagworm |
| Trailing Lantana | Lantana sellowiana and other varieties | . | prefers sun | -tolerates poor soil -semi-evergreen -abundant lavender blooms all summer -trailing type | . |
| Liriope | Liriope muscari | . | sun or shade | -spike type foliage on plants which clump -lavender-blue spike flowers in summer -some varieties are variegated or have a double bloom | . |
| Monkey or Mondo Grass | Ophiopogon japonicum | . | sun or shade | -very hardy -easy culture | . |
| Plumbago | Plumbago capensis | 3 ft. | sun or semi-shade | -vining characteristic -blue flowers all summer into fall -easy culture | -not winter hardy but returns in spring |
| Strawberry Begonia | Saxifrage decipiens | -hugs ground -likes moisture | shade or filtered sun | -spreads by runners -good in rock gardens -rose colored foliage in winter -recommended for small areas | -tends to die back if exposed to too much summer heat |
| Cast Iron Plant | Aspidistra | 2 ft. | prefers shade | -large coarse textured leaves -evergreen -variegated variety | -dies back with severe cold to return in spring |
| Purple Japanese Honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica chinensis | . | . | -shrub with vining characteristics -dense evergreen -rugged -honeysuckle blooms in late spring or early summer -purple foliage in fall and winter -fast growing | . |
| Vinca, Periwinkle | Vinca major | up to 18 in. | shade or partial sun | -fast growing evergreen -twining vine -blue flowers in late spring -recommended for large areas, ditch banks, rock gardens, etc. -variegated variety | . |
| Verbena | various species | . | -demands sun -good drainage | -vivid blooms -various colors depending on variety | -not completely winter hardy -susceptible to red spider, leaf miner and aphids |
| Silvermound | Senecio | . | sun | -mounds of fine, textured silver or green depending on variety -small heads of yellow blooms in mid to late summer -fast growth | -may be damaged by cold but returns in spring |
| Dusty Miller | Senecio cineraria | up to 30 in. | full sun | -summer flowering -attractive silver-gray foliage -fast growth | -may be damaged by cold but returns in spring |
| Moss Phlox | Phlox subulata | . | sun or partial shade | -low massive evergreen which creeps across the ground -vivid pink blooms in early spring -fast growth -recommended for rock gardens, bed borders and small areas | . |
| Dwarf blue fescue | Festuca ovina glauca | . | -demands sun -well-drained soils | -rounded mounds of silver-gray grass -evergreen -fast growth -good for rock gardens or interplanted in a rock ground cover | . |
| Winter Creeper or Creeping Euonymus | Euonymus fortunei and varieties | . | . | -evergreen creeping character | -rather sparse, thus does not provide a solid cover -will often appear messy and unkempt |
| Daylilies | Hemerocallis | . | sun or semi-shade | -forms dense clumps which provide rich summer blooms -easy to culture numerous varieties -fast growth | -susceptible to aphids |