I love groundcovers. There’s just something
about them that makes me want to have every one I see.
Groundcovers can be an
important addition to our Southern gardens. They act as a living mulch, helping
to conserve moisture around trees and shrubs.
Many groundcovers are evergreen, so they add beauty to the garden in
every season. There are groundcovers that bloom, and even groundcovers that
make berries!
Groundcovers can be found that thrive in sun, shade, and even the
most difficult dry shade.
Whether your taste for plants leans toward the
exotic, like Hellebores and Rohdea, or if you prefer native plants, such as
native ferns, consider adding them beneath the shrubs in your garden.
There are
many native groundcovers that are evergreen, and some even produce berries,
like Mitchella (Partridgeberry). Groundcovers like creeping phlox can help
control erosion.
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| Ajuga Bronze Beauty |
Good groundcovers for sun include the sedums, ice plant, and
rudbeckia (Black eyed Susan.) Certain
rose varieties also make excellent groundcovers.
Ajuga is a great groundcover for crowding out weeds in shade or partial shade. It is not invasive.
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| English Ivy Overtakes the Garden |
Beware of groundcovers that
can take over the garden, seeming to eat other plants alive, crowding out
everything else. Instead of invasive English Ivy or the popular Japanese
pachysandra, try our native pachysandra, Allegheny Spurge. Or if it’s a vine
you’re after, plant Crossvine, Carolina Jasmine, or Red Trumpet Honeysuckle—all
native vines that will not overtake your garden.
