| areas may prove to be a waste of time, energy and money. Your best bet may be to avoid the disappointment by planting an alternative.
Here are some easy to grow ground covers that are recommended for the southeast that tolerate partial to full shade:
Ajuga (bugleweed) has 3-4 inch oval shaped leaves in tight rosettes and is 6-9 inches tall in full bloom. Depending on variety, foliage color ranges from green to bronze to purple. Blooms vary in color but the most common is a purplish blue. Blooming period ranges from early spring until mid July. Rapid stolen growth will create a compact, dense mat that can become invasive. Drought resistant.
Asiatic jasmine - has small, evergreen leaves, one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch long. Technically a vine, it usually does not climb. Once established, it will send out runners that creep along the ground and form a dense, evergreen mat. Can grow to 20 feet and 6-24 inches tall. Can become aggressive, but with maintenance can be kept confined to a desired area or shape. Will also tolerate full sun and most soil types. The flowers arent particularly showy. But the shiny, pest-free foliage is worth the investment. Drought and deer-resistant.
Liriope
(lilyturf or monkey grass) has grass-like evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage in shiny dark green or variegated. Grows from 8 to 12 inches tall. Flowers vary in color depending on variety and bloom from July to August. Drought resistant and some varieties are full sun tolerant. Also used for slopes and banks. Very hardy in most soils. Two types on the market: Liriope
muscari, the clumping form, spreads outward from the parent clump about 12-18 inches. Easy to maintain and can also be used as low edging plants. Liriope
spicata, a spreading form with smaller leaves, moves by rhizomes (underground creeping stems) and seeds. Flowers are smaller and lighter in color. More aggressive and harder to confine to a bed. Good for erosion control.
Mondo grass (true monkey grass) evergreen perennial with dark green smooth, grass-like leaves are half-inch wide, fine to medium in texture with white or white-tinged with lavender flowers from July to September. Grows in clumps that require very little care once established. Spreads by underground stolons and tuberous roots. Heat and drought tolerant. Full sun tolerant. Generally disease and insect resistant. Tolerates most soils and is ideal for prevention of erosion. Regular grows 6 to 16 inches high. Dwarf grows 2 inches tall, never needs mowing.
Pachysandra a trailing vine-type, dense, lustrous evergreen with
attractive, dark green, tooth-edged, spoon-shaped leaves arranged in
whorls and occasional clusters of off-white flowers in the spring. Makes a
thick ground cover, with stems beneath the surface sending out runners.
Very hardy and can grow up to a foot tall in any soil with liberal
watering. One of the few that will grow under evergreens and in dense
shade. Deer-resistant. This is said of pachysandra: the first year it
sleeps, the second year it creeps and the third year it leaps. |
