Ground covers

Ells Marugg
Hypericum calycinum

• Evergreen shrubby ground cover
• Zones 3-24, 31-34
• Full sun, partial shade, or full shade
• Moderate water

Good looking and indestructible, Aaron's beard forms a dense, even cover to 1 foot high. The arching stems bear pairs of 4-inch, oval leaves that are rich green in sun, yellow green in shade. Showy, 3-inch-wide yellow flowers that look rather like single roses bloom from late spring to early summer.

The plant spreads aggressively by underground stems and may invade other plantings unless confined by a barrier. It takes poor soil, competes well with tree roots, and helps prevent erosion on sloping ground. To renew growth and maintain an even surface, mow or shear plantings about every 3 years in late winter or early spring. Space 1 1/2 feet apart.

Charles Mann
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

• Evergreen shrubby ground cover
• Zones 1-9, 14-24, 34, 36-45
• Full sun or partial shade
• Growth rate moderate

Good looking all year, bearberry spreads widely at a moderate rate to form a dense, foot-tall mat; stems root as they spread. Small white or pink spring flowers are followed by red berries in fall. Does best in well-drained soil. Establishes slowly; mulch heavily between plants to keep down weeds until branches provide cover. Many named selections are available. Space 2 feet apart.

David Cavagnaro
Ajuga reptans

• Evergreen perennial
• Zones 1-24, 26-45
• Full sun or partial shade
• Regular water

Spreading quickly by runners, carpet bugle makes a mat to 4 inches high of dark green (or, in some kinds, purple or variegated) leaves that grow 2 to 4 inches wide, depending on exposure and on the particular variety. Six-inch-tall spikes of blue flowers appear in spring. Mow or trim off old spikes after flowering. Carpet bugle may escape into lawns or other plantings if not confined by an edging or path. It is subject to root rot and fungus in heavy soils. Space 6 to 12 inches apart.

Jerry Pavia
Cotoneaster

• Deciduous or evergreen shrubby ground cover
• Zones vary
• Full sun or partial shade
• Moderate watering

Rugged and undemanding, cotoneasters provide clusters of small white or pale pink flowers in spring and bright red fruits (enjoyed by birds) in fall and winter. They grow well in good soil with regular moisture, but also tolerate poor soil and moderate water. Give them room to spread, since frequent pruning spoils their shape. The species listed below have small (1/2- to 1-inch) oval leaves. Space all three 3 to 5 feet apart.

Creeping cotoneaster (C. adpressus). Zones 1-24, 29-43. Deciduous. Good as a bank cover, this species hugs the ground, spreading slowly to 4 to 6 feet and remaining under 1 foot tall.

Evergreen bearberry cotoneaster (C. dammeri). Zones 2-24, 29-41. Fast growing, forming a prostrate mat 3 to 6 inches tall and 10 feet wide.

Rock cotoneaster (C. horizontalis). Zones 2-11, 14-24, 31-41. Deciduous. A moderately fast grower, reaching 2 to 3 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Its stiff, horizontal branches form a flat herringbone pattern.

Susan A. Roth
Lamium maculatum

• Deciduous or evergreen perennial
• Zones 1-24, 32-43
• Partial to full shade
• Regular water

A nice choice for lighting up shady areas, the variegated varieties of dead nettle have grayish green leaves with silvery markings; they're evergreen where winters are mild, deciduous elsewhere. Plants reach 6 inches tall and spread 2 to 3 feet wide. Short spikes of small, hooded flowers bloom in late spring or early summer. Among available varieties, 'Beacon Silver' has pink flowers; 'White Nancy' has clear white blossoms. Space 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart.

Jerry Pavia
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

• Deciduous perennial
• Zones 2-10, 14-24, 29-41
• Full sun or partial shade
• Moderate water

Vivid blue flowers bloom from midsummer to midautumn, carried at the ends of wiry 6- to 12-inch stems. Bronzy green, 3-inch-long leaves turn reddish brown in fall. Dwarf plumbago spreads by underground stems; it grows best in areas where the growing season is long. It takes a wide range of soils, from claylike to sandy. Stems die back after bloom; shear or mow plantings before new growth starts in spring. Space about 1 1/2 feet apart.

David McDonald
Teucrium chamaedrys

• Evergreen shrubby ground cover
• Zones 3-24, 28-34, 39
• Full sun or partial shade
• Moderate to little water

Even in poor soil and with little water, germander forms a dark green carpet that grows 1 foot high and spreads at a slow to moderate rate to about 2 feet. The many upright, woody-based stems are densely clothed in toothed, 3/4-inch leaves. Spikes of small pinkish purple or white flowers appear in summer. A lower-growing variety is 'Prostratum', which reaches just 4 to 6 inches tall.

If plants become straggly, shear them back to encourage new branching growth. Space 1 1/2 feet apart.

Charles Mann
Ice plant (Delosperma cooperi)

• Evergreen perennial
• Zones vary
• Full sun
• Moderate to little water

Included under the common name "ice plant" are a number of succulent perennials. All have thick, juicy foliage, often with a powdery gray surface; most produce showy, daisylike flowers, often in brilliant colors. These plants aren't particular about soil and require only enough water to keep the leaves from wilting. Three of the many available ice plants are described here.

Carpobrotus edulis. Zones 12-27. Grows 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall, with curved, 4- to 5-inch-long leaves and pale yellow to rose flowers in summer. Space 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart.

Delosperma. Two species are especially adaptable; space 1 to 1 1/2 feet apart. D. cooperi succeeds in Zones 3-24, 28-31, and warmer parts of 32; it grows 5 inches high, bearing glistening purple flowers all summer. D. nubigenum, hardiest of cultivated ice plants, grows in Zones 2-24, 28-41. Barely 1 inch high, it has fleshy cylindrical leaves and bright golden late spring flowers.

Michael S. Thompson
Duchesnea indica

• Evergreen perennial
• Zones 1-24, 29-43
• Full sun, partial shade, or full shade
• Moderate water

It looks like a strawberry plant: the stems are trailing and rooting, the leaves bright green, with three leaflets. But unlike true strawberry, Indian mock strawberry has yellow flowers rather than white ones, and its red fruits — edible but insipid — are carried above the foliage rather than under the leaves. It is best used among open shrubs or small trees, since it can be invasive in well-watered gardens. Tidy up plantings by mowing them in early spring. Space 1 to 1 1/2 feet apart.

Jerry Pavia
Hedera

• Evergreen woody vine
• Zones vary
• Full sun; some shade in hot areas
• Regular to moderate water

Spreading at a moderate to fast rate, rugged, adaptable ivy makes a ground cover that always looks neat and uniform. Its deep roots hold the soil, discouraging erosion on banks; its branches root as they grow, further knitting the soil. When the branches reach a vertical surface, they will ascend it, clinging with aerial rootlets.

Trim around the edges of ground cover plantings to keep them tidy and in bounds. Plantings may build up a thick thatch of stems after several years; shear or mow them back in early spring. Set plants about 1 1/2 feet apart.

Algerian ivy (H. canariensis). Zones 8, 9, 12-28. Glossy, shallowly lobed leaves are especially large — up to 8 inches across.

English ivy (H. helix). Zones 3-34, 39; hardiest varieties in 35, 37, and warmer parts of 38 and 41. 3- to 5-lobed leaves up to 4 inches across are a matte dark green with paler veins. Many named varieties are sold, varying widely in foliage shape, color, and size.

Michael S. Thompson
Pachysandra terminalis

• Evergreen shrubby ground cover
• Zones 1-10, 14-21, 31-43
• Full shade
• Regular water

Widely used as an elegant ground cover under trees, Japanese spurge forms an even, 10-inch-high carpet of shiny dark green leaves. Spikes of small white flowers appear in late spring or early summer. To add extra sparkle to heavily shaded spots, try the variety 'Variegata', with white leaf margins. Plants spread at a moderate rate by underground stems and grow best in good, somewhat acid soil. Fertilize in early spring. Space 1 foot apart.

Jerry Pavia
Juniperus

• Evergreen shrubby ground cover
• Zones vary
• Full sun; most tolerate light shade
• Regular to moderate water

So many juniper species and varieties are available that you'll find ground cover choices for almost any climate. These adaptable plants vary in height from a few inches to 2 to 3 feet; their foliage color ranges from silvery blue through many shades of green to nearly yellow, and there are variegated kinds as well. They thrive in most soils — from light to heavy, acid to alkaline — but they won't tolerate waterlogged soil, which can lead to root rot.

Most junipers grow at a slow to moderate rate, but it's best to space them 5 to 6 feet apart to avoid future overcrowding. Mulching will help keep weeds under control while the plants are filling in. A few of the most widely sold junipers are described below; check with local nurseries for other species and varieties.

Japanese garden juniper (J. chinensis procumbens). Zones 1-24, 28-43. Blue-green, feathery foliage comes on a plant that reaches 3 feet high and spreads 12 to 20 feet.

Shore juniper (J. conferta). Zones 3-9, 14-24, 26-28, 31-34, 39. A trailing plant to 8 feet across and 1 1/2 feet high; soft, bright green foliage. 'Blue Pacific' has blue-green leaves.

J. horizontalis 'Bar Harbor'. Zones 1-24, 28, 31-45. Spreads quickly to 10 feet, but grows no more than a foot high; feathery blue-gray foliage turns plum purple in winter. Foliage of J. h. 'Wiltonii', blue carpet juniper, is a striking silver blue; the plant is a very flat grower (just 4 inches tall), creeping to 8 to 10 feet across.

J. sabina 'Calgary Carpet'. Zones 1-24, 31-45. Extremely cold hardy, with soft green foliage. Grows 6 to 9 inches tall, 10 feet wide.

Charles Mann
Vinca minor

• Evergreen perennial
• Zones vary
• Full sun, partial shade, or full shade
• Moderate watering

These useful ground covers have trailing, arching stems, shiny oval leaves, and phloxlike spring blossoms; they'll grow in any soil, even competing well with surface tree roots. If plantings mound too high or become layered with old stems, shear or mow in late winter or early spring to encourage fresh new growth.

V. major. Zones 5-24, 28-31, warmer parts of 32 and 33. This species mounds 1 to 2 feet high and bears lavender blue blooms; it spreads rapidly and can be extremely invasive in sheltered, wooded areas. Space 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart.

V. minor. Zones 1-24, 28-43. Known as dwarf periwinkle, V. minor has smaller leaves and flowers than V. major; it reaches just 6 inches high and is less likely to invade adjacent plantings. There are sorts with flowers in white and various blue shades, as well as some with variegated leaves. Space 1 1/2 feet apart.

Anthony Tesselaar
Rosa 'Flower Carpet'

• Evergreen, semideciduous, or deciduous shrubby ground cover
• Zones vary
• Full sun
• Regular water

In recent years, breeders have developed low-growing shrub roses (usually to about 2 feet tall) that are vigorous, disease resistant, and long blooming, perfect for covering slopes or forming a trafficproof cover on level ground.

Four good choices are 'Flower Carpet' (with clusters of semidouble dark pink flowers); 'White Flower Carpet' (with white blooms); 'Magic Carpet' (profuse clusters of small, semidouble lilac pink blossoms); and 'Red Ribbons' (clustered semidouble flowers in lipstick red). Beyond these, many other varieties are available; for more complete listings, consult a specialty catalog. These can be grown in all zones, but they'll need winter protection in the coldest areas. Space 8 feet apart.

Among species ground cover roses is Rosa wichuraiana, known as memorial rose. It's deciduous in Zones 3, 34, 35, and 39, evergreen or semievergreen in Zones 4-32. Trailing, prostrate stems root when they contact moist soil, spreading 10 to 12 feet in a single season. Single white flowers bloom only in late spring. Several hybrids between this species and various garden roses are also useful ground covers; among them are 'Alberic Barbier', with creamy white flowers, and 'Max Graf', with large pink blooms. Plant R. wichuraiana and its hybrids 10 feet apart.

Charles Mann
Cerastium tomentosum

• Evergreen perennial
• Zones 1-24, 32-45
• Full sun; partial shade in hot climates
• Regular water for fastest growth

Reliable everywhere except in the hot, humid South, snow-in-summer grows 6 to 8 inches high, bearing silvery gray foliage and masses of small, snow white flowers from late spring into early summer. It takes any soil as long as drainage is good; it tolerates drought once established, but spreads fastest with regular water. It is not long-lived. When plantings start to look shabby after several seasons, replant with divisions or cutting-grown plants. Space 1 to 1 1/2 feet apart.

David McDonald
Galium odoratum

• Evergreen perennial
• Zones 1-6, 15-17, 31-43
• Partial to full shade
• Regular water

Spreading to form a mat of 6- to 12-inch stems bearing whorls of dark green leaves, sweet woodruff is a good choice for covering the ground under trees and tall shrubs. Clusters of tiny white flowers appear from spring into summer. May spread too rapidly in rich soil; dig or cut back excess growth. Space plants 1 foot apart.

David McDonald
Euonymus fortunei

• Evergreen woody vine
• Zones 3-17, 28-41
• Full sun, partial shade, or full shade
• Moderate water

Some forms of winter creeper are compact shrubs — but the ground cover sorts are trailing and vinelike, rooting as they spread and climbing upward when they encounter a vertical surface. Common winter creeper, E. f. radicans, has thick, oval dark green leaves up to an inch long. Foliage of purple-leaf winter creeper, E. f. 'Coloratus', turns dark purple in fall and winter. Numerous other varieties are available, some with variegated leaves.

These plants are tolerant of a wide range of soils. Scale can be a problem. Space 3 to 5 feet apart, depending on the plant's ultimate size and on how fast you want the planting to fill in. When plantings begin to look rangy or untidy, mow or shear in late winter or early spring.