When not in bloom, the heart-shaped, dark green leaves with purplish undersides make an attractive deer and rabbit resistant ground cover. The leaves are fairly small, about one inch in diameter. Ground cover plants play an important role in the forest garden, protecting the soil, providing refuge for wildlife at ground layer, preventing unwanted plants from establishing and can provide some food such as berries or leaves. Spotted dead nettles have few problems in the north; among other good features is the fact that they are deer-resistant plants. FYI: Full sun means an area gets 6+ hours of direct sunlight per day, part sun is anywhere from 3 to 6 hours of direct sunlight, and full shade is up to 3 hours of sun. Lamium, or dead nettle, is a perennial ground cover, often with variegation. It detests hot, humid weather, but thrives where temperatures drop at night. But this plant with prettyfoliageand funny namerarely becomes a problem for those who grow it in areas where it is already native. Album has white flowers and white marked leaves. MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Hiker takes 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo at Brazos Bend State Park, This is what Houston looks like from space, Oops! Botanical Name: Cotoneaster horizontalis This tall ground cover has a horizontal growing habit, give it plenty of water and afternoon shade until it is fully grown. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. It will happily soak up the excess moisture, especially if its a sunny spot. How to Care for Creeping Lamium | Home Guides | SF Gate Planted along sloped pieces of land, it can neaten up the area while providing ground covering. Please keep reading to learn about this plant with a cautionary tale. Most of my dl have been in the ground at least 6 months, so I'm guessing they are well established enough for a ground cover. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Lamium Ground Cover Seeds - ground cover good 15 Best Ground Cover Plants For Shade | Hausette This perennial creeper is a great ground cover that will quickly carpet your landscape with pretty and small flowers. This plant can be invasive, depending on where you live. I've never tried that one. The low-lying, flowering ground coverit grows no more than 4 inches tallcan endure being stepped and stomped on, making it a smart choice for planting between pavers or for replacing grass entirely. Try growing it as a green carpet laid at the feet of your big leaf hydrangeas or Lenten roses. NC State University Cooperative Extension. Water it during dry spells and give it a haircut at the end of its blossoming period. It also doesn't die back in the winter. If your garlic outgrows its space, thin it out and divide the old clumps every few years for a consistent ground cover. 20 Ground Cover Plants to Fill out Your Garden, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. While it may be one of the toughest (er, tolerant) plants out there, Lily of the Valley looks as sweet as can be with darling white bells dangling from strappy green leaves. You could first try it in a small area container to see how it does in your garden. 16 Best Flowering Ground Covers for Shade - Finding Sea Turtles Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. Spread: Slow to medium growth rate; spreads via stolons to a height of 10 inches. I still like the stuff It is really a pretty ground cover. There are so many reasons to grow golden groundsel (Packera aurea). Charismatic Planet 2022. Want to lure hummingbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife to your garden? If you are looking for a tenacious ground cover that will stare in the face of drought while living in dry, sandy soil in a shady area, either shadara's violets or yellow archangel or bishop's weed should work. In addition to white flowers, you can find colors like moonshine yellow, paprika, or vintage violet. Clover Unless you want it as your lawn or have a horse to feed, don't plant it. Both have tiny needle-like foliage that spreads along the ground or down rock walls. No special soil is needed for it to flourish and reseed. Ferns come in an array of shapes, sizes, and colors. If you want this to be a fast-growing ground cover plant, make sure it receives 4-6 hours of sun each day. There are almost endless varieties of hostas that will fit your needs, many with variegated leaves and spikey short-lived and unremarkable flowers. `Katie' ruellia is a good ground cover for sun or shade. The lower the zone, the hardier the plant. Lamium maculatum (Dead Nettle, Lamium, Spotted Dead Nettle) | North Lamium maculatum 'Purple Dragon' (Spotted Dead Nettle) - Gardenia.net See this plant in the following landscapes: Wild Side- A Shady Garden Cultivars / Varieties: 'Album' Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. Cut them to the height you prefer them to be and thin them out if they're getting too thick by cutting some of the branches throughout the plant back to the ground. And lasting from late spring to midsummer, and can be reddish-purple, pink, or white depending on the variety. Lamium is undemanding and easy to grow in partial to fully shaded locations. Replant them in a suitable location, and water. wide. Pollinating bees and butterflies delight in its bright golden yellow, daisy-like flowers that appear from late spring into early summer. You might be more familiar with the short, colorful asters commonly sold along with potted mums in the fall. It has a stripe down the middle that can be white, yellow, red, or silver. Use it to highlight other plants with darker foliage, such as boxwoods and conifers. If those conditions describe your landscape, then you may want to check out this wonderful little relative of the dogwood trees. The following could be some of the best choices, depending on your own unique landscaping needs: Their stems root where they touch the soil, allowing the plants to spread. 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. Creeping thyme (also known as mother of thyme or wild thyme) is a creeping, woody-stemmed perennial that is a favorite plant to use for a low-maintenance ground cover serving as a filler between garden stepping stones. You might not think of oregano as a ground cover, but this herb forms dense clumps of scented foliage. Note that Lenten rose is toxic to animals. True blue flowers are rare, especially late in the season. Plant liriope any time for quick growth and spreading. If you have bare acreage behind your home that does not lead to another property, Chinese lantern can be a great ground cover and filler. Ajuga spreads rapidly in varying conditions, tolerating shade or sun. This sun-lover grows to a maximum height of about 12 inches with a 24-inch spread, and it blooms with lavender to pink flowers in July. Lamium Ground Cover Evergreen - ground cover good One difference, though, is that it is more aggressive. Creeping phlox is a short plant often seen covering the side of a hill or retaining wall with colorful spring flowers. They have silver foliage and produce showy pink, purple or white flowers in late spring. Being creepersand having a tendency to spread, these classic cottage-garden plants are popular flowering ground covers. RELATED: How to Grow Zinnias in Your Home Garden. Despite its vigorous growth, it's not considered invasive. Can be invasive in moist, fertile soils. RELATED: Bad Neighbors: 11 Plant Pairs Never to Grow Side by Side. It prefers shade, but will tolerate some sun. There may be restrictions on planting it in these areas. In early spring, flowers that look like fairy wings appear on this perennial. Mature plants that have gotten "leggy" should be cut down to just above the ground, which then will grow back into a bushy, compact plant. Bishop's Goutweed While it works great for ground cover in a shaded area, you will never, ever get rid of it. Keep it in a shady spot, especially under trees and shrubs. Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, 25 Plants That Survive With or Without You, 14 of the Best Plants for Your Drought-Tolerant Garden, 10 Grass-Free Alternatives to a Traditional Lawn, Bad Neighbors: 11 Plant Pairs Never to Grow Side by Side. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. The Best Low-Maintenance Ground Cover Plants for Your Property :) Thanks much guys. Going to google creeping jenny. Hostas are definitely not deer-resistant but they are toxic to other animals. However, it will grow out of its boundaries so trimming it back can help if you want to keep the yard neat. The ground has only recently thawed and most are waiting for just the right amount of consistent warmth and moisture before coming up. Honeysuckle grows best with full sun and moist soil, and its resistant to heat. Plant it in full sun during the spring in cooler climates and in shadier areas during the fall in warmer regions. The versatile strawberry begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera) is neither a strawberry nor a begonia. 25 Best Types of Ground Cover Plants and Flowers You Can Grow - Florgeous There are also several cultivars (all cold-hardy to at least zone 4, most 3 to 12 inches tall, and all wanting the sun/soil conditions of the species plant) of L.maculatum, including: While dead nettle plants areflowering perennials,stinging nettles, by contrast,arenoxious weeds(but edible when properly prepared). She is married to photographer John Everett and they have one son. When planted in groups, heuchera works well as a ground cover or along garden edging. The attractive foliage has a silvery cast and shows well . It needs full sun to bloom best. It's cold hardy and prefers part shade. This is a deer- and rabbit-resistant ground cover that is ideal for large swaths of landscape. This deer-resistant succulent ground cover has needle-shaped leaves and small but bright daisy-like flowers that carpet the plants from late spring through early fall. Place lamium where you won't be smashing it underfoot, though, because its stems are somewhat fragile. 20 Best Ground Cover Plants and Flowers - Good Housekeeping Flowering Plants for Bare Garden Spots - Ground Cover Dogwood. Sweet woodruff foliage can be dried and used in wreaths, potpourri, and other craft creations. #9. It is evergreen, but some of the leaves may turn brown during winter.