A l a b a m a A & M a n d A u b u r n U niversities Ground Covers ANR-181 Planting To prepare the soil, simply till up round cover is the name the entire area you expect to cover gardeners have given to G and work in 2 inches of peat moss or that are low growing and that may shredded pine bark. Apply fertilizer cover a large area, usually giving a according to soil test recommendations carpeted effect. Grass is the most and work it in well. Water the area widely used ground cover, but grass thoroughly after planting. Once they will not be included in this discussion. become established, ground covers Other ground covers give variety to usually maintain themselves with a garden or yard and are extremely minimum care. useful for covering bare areas where grass will not grow. They are excellent for preventing soil erosion and are especially adapted to areas of high rainfall and humidity. Many kinds of annuals or peren- nials may serve as ground covers. They may be as short as grass or as tall as shrubs up to 3 feet high or more.

Available Plants A wide variety of plants is suitable for ground covers. Select those that fit your site and that will grow well in your environment. Here is a list of several good choices. It is far from being a complete list. For more information, contact your county Extension agent or your local garden center.

Landscape Uses Ground covers used as edging for pathways help regulate foot trafficARCHIVE in the yard or garden.T hey also tie unrelated shrubs and flowerbeds to the landscape. Many can be used for accent areas under trees and around patios. For banks where mowing is difficult, ground covers may be your answer. A gardener trying to create an interesting landscape design will find the use of ground covers rewarding.

www.aces.edu Name Type Height Sun or Shade Asiatic Jasmine Evergreen; trailing vine. up to 15 inches Part sun to shade trachelospermum asiaticum Bugleweed Creeping perennial; bears 4 to 8 inches Part sun to shade Ajuga reptans blue or purple flowers. Cotoneaster Flat, horizontal-growing 18 to 24 inches Full sun C. dammeri ; bears red berries. Daylily Perennial; dies back in 24 to 36 inches Sun to part shade Hemerocallis species winter. Dwarf Lilyturf Grasslike, evergreen Up to 10 inches Part sun to shade Ophiopogon japonicus perennial. Golden Stonecrop Perennial evergreen. Use in up to 4 inches Full sun Sedum acre a well-drained site. Junipers Shore—Blue Pacific and others Evergreen. Up to 24 inches Full sun Juniperus conferta Blue Rug and others J. horizontalis Up to 12 inches Lilyturf Grasslike, evergreen Most selections Full sun to full shade Liriope muscari perennial. up to 12 inches Periwinkle Evergreen trailing plant; up to 8 inches Part shade Vinca minor purple, blue, or white flowers. St. Johnswort Semievergreen; turns red 12 to 18 inches Sun to part shade Hypericum calycinum in fall; yellow flowers in summer. Well-drained sites only. Perennial. For site with moist up to 12 inches Part shade to shade stolonifera well-drained soil with acidic pH. Trailing Lantana Deciduous, trailing shrub; 18 to 24 inches Full sun Lantana montevidensis variety of colors available. Shrub Lantana Variable hardiness Lantana camara

ARCHIVEKerry Smith, Extension Home Grounds Program Coordinator. Originally prepared by J. David Williams, Extension Horticulturist, Associate Professor, Horticulture, Auburn University. For more information, call your county Extension office.L ook in your tele- phone directory under your county’s name to find the number. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, reli- ANR-181 gion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. 10M, Revised Feb 2008, ANR-181