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What are the best ground cover plants?
The best ones will:-
You can also plant them on a steep slope to help the soil stay put.
You can use the best ground cover plants as border plants along the front of your garden, under large shrubs and trees, along steep slopes or banks, and also to replace your grass.
I have listed some below that should fill in big and small areas nicely.
Some of these ground cover plant ideas are considered rabbit and deer resistant ground cover but if the animals are hungry enough they may just munch on them a little.
Ground cover plants that I currently offer.
Evergreen Ground Cover
Bugleweed (Ajuga) – full sun to part shade, deer resistant, 3-6” tall and 1-2’ wide, evergreen
Creeping Raspberry (Rubus calycinoides) - full sun to part shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 12” tall and 5’ wide, evergreen
Bearberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri) – full sun to part shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 12” tall and 6’ wide, evergreen
Dragon’s Blood Sedum (Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood') – full sun, deer and rabbit resistant, 6” tall and 24” wide, evergreen,
Grace Ward Lithodora (Lithodora diffusa 'Grace Ward') – full sun to part shade, deer resistant, 12” tall and 4’ wide, evergreen
Wintercreeper Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei) – full sun to part shade, ^’ – 5’ tall and 6’ wide, evergreen
Scarletta fetterbush (Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Zeblid') - part shade, deer resistant 2’ tall and 4’ wide, evergreen
Perennial Ground Cover
Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans) - full sun to part shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 2” tall and 12” wide, semi-evergreen perennial
Knotweed Darjeeling Red (Persicaria affinis 'Darjeeling Red') - full sun to part shade, 2’ tall and wide, semi-evergreen perennial
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum calycinum) – sun but mid afternoon shade, deer resistant, 3’ tall and wide, deciduous perennial
Leadwort (Plumbago) – full sun, deer and rabbit resistant, 8” tall and 18” wide, deciduous perennial
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) - full sun to part shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 4” tall and 12” wide, deciduous perennial
Flower Carpet Amber – (Rosa ‘Flower Carpet Amber’) – full sun, 30” tall and 3’ wide, deciduous perennial
Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) - full sun, 15+’ tall and 6’ wide, deciduous perennial
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata) – full sun, 6” tall and 2’ wide, Herbaceous perennial
Creeping Thyme (Thymus) – full sun, deer and rabbit resistant, 4” tall and 12” wide, Herbaceous perennial
Bigroot Geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum) – full sun to full shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 12” tall and 24” wide, Herbaceous perennial
Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) – full shade to partial shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 12” tall and 18” wide, Herbaceous perennial
Sunrose (Helianthemum) – full sun, deer and rabbit resistant, 12” tall and 24” wide, herbaceous perennial
Liriope (Liriope spp.) – full sun to part shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 18” tall and wide, Herbaceous perennial
Ice Plant (Delosperma cooperi) – full sun, deer and rabbit resistant, 6” tall and 24” wide, Herbaceous perennial
Deadnettle (Lamium) – full sun to part shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 4-8” tall and 3’ wide, Herbaceous perennial
Canadian Anemone (Anemone Canadensis) – full sun to part shade, up to 2’ tall and 3’ wide, Herbaceous perennial
Hostas (Plantain lilies) – full sun to full shade, range in size from a couple inches to a couple feet tall and wide, Herbaceous perennial
Horned Violet (Viola cornuta) – full sun to part shade, deer resistant, 10” tall and 12” wide, Herbaceous perennial
Spike Speedwell (Veronica spicata) – full sun to part shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 18” tall and wide, Herbaceous perennial
Ground cover Clematis (Heracleifolia) – full sun, 3’ tall and wide, Herbaceous perennial
Snow in summer (Cerastium tomentosum) – full sun, deer resistant 12” tall and wide, herbaceous perennial
Brass buttons (Leptinella squalid) – part shade, 2” tall and 18” wide, herbaceous perennial
Vince minor (common periwinkle) – full sun to part shade, deer resistant, 6” tall and 18” wide, herbaceous perennial
Candyturf (Iberis sempervirens) – full sun, deer and rabbit resistant, 12” tall and 18” wide, both annual and perennial varieties
Annual for the Best Ground Cover Plants
Wishbone Flower (Torenia Fournieri) – part to full shade, deer resistant, 12” tall and 9” wide, annual
Moss Rose (Portulaca) – full sun, deer resistant, 8” tall and 18” wide, annual
Candyturf (Iberis sempervirens) – full sun, deer and rabbit resistant, 12” tall and 18” wide, both annual and perennial varieties
Shade Ground Cover
Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) – shade to part shade, deer resistant, 4” tall and 12” wide, evergreen
Bergenias (Bergenia) – full shade to dappled shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 18” tall and wide, evergreen
Christmas rose (Helleborus Niger) – partial to full shade, deer and rabbit resistant, 3’ tall and wide, herbaceous perennial
Creeping wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) – full to partial shade, 12” tall and 36” wide, evergreen
Coral bells (Heuchera) – prefers shade but will grow in full sun with sufficient water, 18” tall and wide, herbaceous perennial
Wishbone Flower (Torenia Fournieri) – part to full shade, deer resistant, 12” tall and 9” wide, annual
If you want to cover a slope, ground cover you can use are:
These are the best ground cover plants that shouldn’t have any problems growing on a slope or steep bank. While they are getting established it might be best to use a drip line or soaker hose. It will let the water slowly seep into the ground and not run off.
You can always use 2-3’ retaining wall and layer them up the slope for a tiered look. Having the best ground cover plants at different levels would give a stylish look.
Planting edible ground cover is a great way to have fresh herbs and control the weeds in your garden. They are great for filling in borders and they add a nice scent to your yard.
Some great edible ground covers are:
There are more edibles you can use as the best ground cover plants but these are the more popular ones. Picking fresh herbs and berries when you need them beats having to go out and buy whatever is available.
Watch out for invasive ground cover. These would be anything that grows out of control and is hard to manage.
Once they get their roots in the ground they could be hard to get rid of. It’s best to know the size of the plant you want to use and use boundaries to control them. Stones or garden edging work great to make sure the plants don’t wonder into area you don’t want them to be.
You need to be mindful of the plants you are putting in the ground. If you plant the wrong plants for your area, they can:
Here are a few tips for when you want to plant the best ground cover plants.
If done right with the best ground cover plants you will have a beautiful garden to enjoy for a very long time.
Before you do any planting it’s best to make sure the area is weed free and stays that way until the plant spreads enough to keep the weeds out.
Having a nice garden finished off with the best ground cover plants will pull it all together. It gives life to dull and boring gardens.
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