Great Groundcovers

  Sun & Shade

Ivy - (English Ivy) - prefers acid soil - Lustrous evergreen leaves grow on long, trailing stems. Sun or shade.  'Thorndale' has slightly smaller leaves. Can be invasive.

Purple Leaf  Wintercreeper - Euonymus - Vigorous evergreen plant with dark green pointed leaves on trailing stems.  Best with some trimming.

Ajuga - Carpet Bugle - All varieties make excellent groundcovers -pink or blue flowers

Houttynia 'Chameleon' - Striking, variegated foliage of red, cream and green. Sun or part shade Spreads by underground creeping stems.

Persicaria 'Border Jewel' - Groundcover for part sun to shade.  Rust-red flowers all summer.

Moneywort or Creeping Jenny - Flat growing groundcover with small, round leaves and tiny yellow flowers in spring. Spreads to form a mat.

Barren Strawberry - Vigorous grower with luscious green foliage and yellow flowers.

Persicaria - (Fleece Plant) - Two other varieties worth mentioning –

'Lance Corporal'  has large chartreuse leaves with interesting cream and chocolate markings.  Small red flowers in May/June.  Grows 18 to 24" tall.  For sun or shade.

'Red Dragon' has bold red and green foliage with a silver chevron.  Clusters of tiny creamy-white florets on 24" stems in late spring.  A vigorous grower!

Epimedium - (Fairy Wings or Barrenwort) - Tough, long lived, low-maintenance groundcover.  It  is great for dry shade once established.  Will compete with tree roots.  'Rubrum' has red flowers and 'Sulphreum' has yellow flowers in spring. 

Silver Lace Vine - One of the fastest growing vines.  Blooms in late August/September with tiny clusters of fragrant greenish white flowers.  Not fussy about soil.  Don't plant it where it can intermingle with other plants - it will take them over.  Prune to ground in early spring.

Soapwort - Tufted and compact in growth pink flowers from late spring to summer.  Likes sun and attains full size of 15" tall quickly.  Very effective over rocks and stone walls. Vigorous, mat forming grower.

Geranium macrorrhizum -Bigroot Geranium-Good low-maintenance, easy to grow. Drought and heat tolerant.  Has pink or white flowers in May and June.  Leaves are scarlet in fall 

Shade Groundcovers        

Lamium Family                      

Pachysandra -Acid soil            

Lily-of-the-Valley                            

Myrtle, Periwinkle-Acid soil              

Lilyturf                                                         

Sweet Woodruff                               

Epimedium - (Barrenwort)     

European/ Canadian Ginger                      

Golden Creeping Jenny          

Climbing Hydrangea                        

Geranium macrorrhizum (Bigroot)  

Hosta                                      

Silver Lace Vine  

Sun Groundcovers     

Sedum Family

Plumbago

Missouri Primrose 'Siskiyou'

Ice Plant

Soapwort

Creeping Phlox

Yarrow

Thyme

Lamb's Ear

St. John's Wort

Snow-in-Summer

Rockcress

Veronica 'Waterperry'

Hardy Geranium Family

Descriptions of Some of the Groundcovers

Lamium - Mats of foliage with variegated leaves. Great contrast plants to brighten up shady areas. Flowers vary from white to pink. Good with Hostas.

Plumbago - Clear gentian blue flowers in late summer and early fall. 8-12".  Red fall leaf color. Excellent with spring bulbs since it emerges late.

Lilyturf -  8-10" grass-like leaves. 'Big Blue' has violet flowers late in season.  'Monroe White' is 18" high with white panicles. 

Golden Creeping Jenny - Flat growing yellow groundcover that needs some shade.