Low Maintenance Plants for Ground Cover

Ivy can make a dense ground cover in partially shady areas.

Ground covers include an array of low-growing, spreading plants that provide an oasis of green without the mowing and maintenance requirements of a lawn. No ground cover is maintenance free, but if you select a dense plant variety well suited to your climate, sun and soil conditions and prepare the planting site adequately, you can minimize the amount of weeding and watering necessary to keep your low-maintenance ground cover green and lush.

Native Wildflowers

Many native wildflowers grow in dense mats in shady areas, well suited for use as a landscaping ground cover under trees or other plantings. Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), woods phlox (Phlox divaricata) and wild violets (Viola spp.) are all native North American wildflowers that can all help keep down weeds and protect soil from erosion, according to the University of Minnesota Sustainable Urban Landscape program. These ground cover plants bloom in early spring and then provide green leafy cover the rest of the growing season.

Vines

Vines are particularly useful as ground covers on steep slopes where mowing and other lawn maintenance is impractical. Ivy (Hedera helix) provides a dense, glossy ground cover in shady areas. Ivy takes a bit of work to become well established, but once it has grown in, it keeps the ground moist and chokes out nearly all weeds and other growth. Periwinkle (Vinca minor) and ground ivy (Glechoma hederacae) are two other hardy ground cover vines. Both sport small purple flowers in early summer and rich green foliage the rest of the growing season.

Herbs

Make your ground covers do double duty by planting spreading herbs that not only provide low-maintenance greenery but also give you great-tasting additions to your cooking or tea. Mints (Mentha spp.) are known for their rapid spreading and are hardy in an array of climates, poor soils and partly shady growing conditions. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), oregano (Origanum vulgare) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) make sweet-smelling edible ground covers.

Color

A dash of color in your ground cover can brighten shady corners or make your sunny slopes look like a brilliant tapestry. In dry sunny areas, low-growing sedum (Sedum spp.) can create a carpet of reddish foliage and bright yellow summer flowers. Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is available with white or pink heavenly scented flowers and glossy bladelike leaves, but be cautious -- it can become invasive. Low-growing, spreading junipers (Juniperus spp.) come in an array of foliage colors, from blue to bronze. Pinks (Dianthus spp.) provide green or gray foliage and a carpet of springtime shades of brilliant pink flowers.

References

• University of Minnesota Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series: Ground Covers
• Clemson University Cooperative Extension; Low-Maintenance Landscape Ideas; Karen Russ; December 1999
• University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension; Ground Covers; Beth Phelps