Type above and press Enter to search. Lamium groundcovers are the right choice for High Mountain, shady gardens. This plant grows vibrant purple flowers that grow against grey-green foliage from early spring through early summer. 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. English ivy is considered an evergreen perennial covering, period. Lamium is one of the choices for ground-cover especially if you are looking for ground-cover that is tough yet showy. She did graduate work through the University of Georgia system. 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. Susan Martin is a lifelong gardener who enjoys sharing her passion for plants, gardening and the business of horticulture with fellow plant enthusiasts across North America. Many are perennials, some are annuals, and some make good ground covers, though they can be overly aggressive in favorable locations. Creeping thyme ground cover is not invasive, helps prevent weeds from growing, and is a natural deer repellent. In fact it thrives on summer drought in dry shade. They save their energy for the surprisingly large flowers, white on desert zinnia and yellow on prairie zinnia. Advertisement Lamium maculatum 'Beacon Silver' is a shade-loving perennial, highly valued for its drought tolerance and ability to form a bright carpet of silver foliage, with rich pink blooms . PDF A Comparative Study of Ground Cover Lamium - Chicago Botanic Garden We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Fun bonus: The flowers, either fresh or dried, can be used in salads or steeped in teas. This native ground cover is as useful as it is pretty, acting as the larval host of the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and as a weed suppressing ground cover. But they are not grasses, and are instead herbaceous floweringperennial plantsin the asparagus family. Instead, it keeps its leathery dark green leaves in nearly the same condition year round. But purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) takes advantage of the open expanses of soil and lack of competition. 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. This is not the form of thyme used in cooking, but its fragrance will attract bees and other pollinators. Most perennial ground coverings fall into these categories. Liverleaf's spring floral display makes this small perennial special. Though bugleweed's deer-resistant flower spikes can't be missed (they can grow 6 to 9 inches tall) this fast-growing perennial is a ground cover that has an aggressive creeping habit. Will ruellia make a good ground cover? It needs full sun to survive. You might not think of oregano as a ground cover, but this herb forms dense clumps of scented foliage. Lamium maculatum 'Orchid Frost' - Perennials When planted in full sun it usually needs extra watering, at least until the plant is well established. Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-10 SHOP DEAD NETTLE SEEDS skymoon13 // Getty Images Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 10 Creeping Phlox The soft moss-like foliage of this plant forms a dense mat underfoot. No special soil is needed for it to flourish and reseed. 20 Best Lamium Varieties | Best Types of Dead Nettle - Balcony Garden Web It is native to New Zealand and invasive in some areas, though its spread has not been out of control. Spotted dead nettles are generally grown more for their silvery leaves than for their flowers, but the latter can be quite pretty, as well. Lamium is evergreen from Zone 6 south. The plant's multicolored leaves and tiny pastel flowers look attractive by themselves along a walkway or mingled. Plant it with an assortment of flowering plants, including paperwhites, cyclamen, and coral bells. The versatile strawberry begonia (Saxifraga stolonifera) is neither a strawberry nor a begonia. It even takes on the terribly invasive Garlic Mustard. Despite its vigorous growth, it's not considered invasive. Ajuga ground cover doing very well in low light. 25 Best Types of Ground Cover Plants and Flowers You Can Grow - Florgeous Turf lawn grasses are by far the most popular ground cover plant in residential landscapes, but some places aren't really suitable for grass growth (like arid desert yards) and some people simply prefer more diverse or unique "lawnscaping.". Native to Europe and western Asia, Lamium is frequently found naturalized along woodland trails and paths and colonized along the banks of streams. The Ground Cover Dogwood blooms then produces edible berries. Yellow archangel identification and control - King County, Washington We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. One of the most popular is Carex pensylvanica, commonly known as oak sedge, and it can be found across the eastern half of North America. Care requirements for creeping phlox are few. Blooms are cream colored. Plant bugleweed in the late spring or early summer and it will quickly spread runners (stolons) that can form a dense mat to fill large and shady areas, especially where you need erosion control. 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! This native ground cover is as useful as it is pretty, acting as the larval host of the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and as a weed suppressing ground cover. Yarrow can grow in full sun in nearly any soil and can tolerate drought once established. But this plant with prettyfoliageand funny namerarely becomes a problem for those who grow it in areas where it is already native. The opposite leaves are silvery green with large silver blotches on the upper surface, lightening up a dark shady area. Cutting the stems or pinching back to a joint will stimulate new growth for the plant. Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. 30. Hailing all the way from Siberia, this cold-hardy evergreen has fern-like foliage that turns a pretty bronzy color in colder climates. Sweet woodruff foliage can be dried and used in wreaths, potpourri, and other craft creations. Though Chinese lantern is also considered invasive, it is a novel and colorful perennial ground cover with autumn interest because of its bright orange-red shaped seed pods that turn into papery husks. To encourage new growth in the springtime cut spotted dead nettles back after the first frost or in the late autumn, depending on where you live. . In ideal sunny conditions, Amethyst in Snow will spread quite quickly, but you can control it easily by pulling out stray shoots. A particularly vigorous variety, Walkers Low, was The Perennial Plant Associations plant of the year in 2007. If it grows outside its pounds, trim it off or transplant a branch. This one is a horticultural hybrid developed by crossing Nepata racemosawithN. nepetella. Curious reddish brown flowers bloom in spring at ground level under the foliage. It grows to a maximum height of about 12 inches with an 18-inch spread, and it flowers with white blossoms in spring. Install the plants in an acidic, well-drained, loamy soil. USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 7 Spotted deadnettle. Spotted dead nettles are a great plant to put in containers or hanging baskets. Its not often that a plant is classified as an evergreen ground cover, a trailing plant for containers and a houseplant. 44 Best Flowering Ground Cover Plants | Balcony Garden Web 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. This native, weed-suppressing ground cover spreads quickly by seed and offshoots to fill challenging spaces under tall trees, along the waters edge, or in that tough strip between the street and sidewalk. The foliage is evergreen and the 3-inch-high plant trails or spreads, favoring gravel and other sunny, dry conditions in zones 5 through 9. This is a deer- and rabbit-resistant ground cover that is ideal for large swaths of landscape. And Beacon Silver has pink flowers and silvery leaves. The best ground cover plants for shade in your yard - Lawnstarter Firecracker Sedum ( Sedum) 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. Lamium is a fast-growing perennial ground cover that deer and rabbits avoid. Providing extra spacing between plants can lessen leaf-spotting, but this somewhat defeats the purpose of growing spotted dead nettles, as one of their best features is that they spread and fill in an area, thereby crowding out weeds. Wherever its branches make contact with the soil, it will put down roots, creating new plants. This quickly spreading ground cover forms a tight, six- to 10-inch tall mass of shiny green foliage that blushes bright red and bronze beginning in early fall. evergreen groundcovers for shade | CAROLYN'S SHADE GARDENS Susan has received visitors from around the world in her home garden which has been featured in numerous gardening publications. 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. With society garlic, you can have your ground cover and eat it too! One difference, though, is that it is more aggressive. Height is a foot or so. Stinging nettles also grow quite tall. But its attractive variegated foliage spreads out to two or three times its height. Its also heat tolerant through USDA Zone 9. Creeping liriope plants make low-maintenance, tough, and drought-tolerant ground covers with spikey flowers and grass-like foliage. While lamium looks great, it's not the best at dealing with high amounts of traffic, so make sure it's somewhere with less foot traffic. There is also a pink flowering form. In summer months, little spikes of blue, purple, pink or white flowers will appear. However, it will grow out of its boundaries so trimming it back can help if you want to keep the yard neat. Nepeta x faassenia, commonly called nepeta, nepeta catmint, or Faassen's catmint, is one of several perennial catmint plants. With a long bloom period and colorful foliage, most varieties are eye-catching plants throughout the year. "Lamium maculatum" is a lovely ground cover, you can use them to decorate the hostas' edges. Overview: Spotted Dead Nettle - Lamium maculatum is a herbaceous perennial growing to 0.2 -0.9m at a fast . While it prefers full sun, it needs regular moisture, especially during hot months. 10 Ground Covers for Shade - FineGardening Full Shade Ground Cover Zone 3 - ground cover good Use it to highlight other plants with darker foliage, such as boxwoods and conifers. Flowering: Yes. Choose native common yarrow. Gardening 101: Dead Nettles - Gardenista In addition to making your garden look good, lithodora is a useful ally: The plant works as a natural deer repellent (the animals dislike the taste of the flowers) and helps control erosion. Planted in groupings, it makes a lovely ground cover. The unusual common name of "dead nettles" alludes to the fact that, while it resembles stinging nettles, the stingers are dead on L. maculatum, rendering it harmless. Spotted dead nettles should be pruned in the summer after the first blooming period. In the South or West, the ground cover may lose its leaves or die back in the cold months. It does best in cooler summer weather and prefers full sun to part shade. The large, veined, heart-shaped leaves have a spread of 18 to 24 inches, and most varieties bloom in late spring with small pink flowers. The success of many invasive plants is due to this means of spreading. 16 inches apart for coverage in two seasons. The ground has only recently thawed and most are waiting for just the right amount of consistent warmth and moisture before coming up. Plant in full shade or partial shade. It's also a beautiful ground cover to consider for moon gardens, but just beware the flowers are less than fragrant. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. Yet, it quickly covers the ground and produces clusters of white flowers. Plant them with an assortment of other flowering plants in a container garden to have sitting on your porch and lanai, or they trail beautifully from a hanging basket. The plant prefers partial shade or full sun and well-draining moist soil. She is married to photographer John Everett and they have one son. See this plant in the following landscapes: Wild Side- A Shady Garden Cultivars / Varieties: 'Album' Groundcover plants are helpful for weed suppression, while also adding texture and color to your garden with low maintenance needs. It prefers full shade, but can handle some morning sun. 10 Easy-Care Groundcovers That Thrive in the Toughest Spots The name "Dead Nettle" refers to the fact that Lamium does not have the stinging hair characteristic of other nettles. Pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees love this plant in the spring when they are blooming.