Blooming Low-Lying Plants for a Beautiful Landscape
Transform your landscape with a splash of color and interest, as we delve into the world of flowering ground cover plants. These versatile plants not only add a pop of color to areas that may otherwise look dull, but they also serve as a low-maintenance barrier against weeds.
Let's begin with Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans), an evergreen that thrives in the shade of large trees. Its small spikes of pretty blue or pink flowers in spring are a delight, while its attractive foliage keeps the interest going all year long.
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata) is another ground cover flower that loves full sun. It provides a thick mass of carpet-like foliage and becomes completely covered in blooms in early spring.
For those seeking a perennial that provides season-long blooms and minty aromatic foliage, look no further than Catmint (Nepeta). It's not liked by deer and rabbits, making it a great choice for your garden.
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), a member of the Dogwood family, is best grown in colder regions in a shady, woodland setting. Its showy white dogwood-type flowers in late spring and rich green leaves make it a perfect choice to edge a shady garden or for naturalized areas.
Ice Plant (Delosperma) blooms so prolifically that they cover their foliage completely from late spring through early summer. The flower colors are bright and tropical, making it an excellent choice for rock gardens, slopes, or in landscaped areas that are extremely well-drained and dry. However, be aware that Delosperma is highly invasive in some parts of the US, so check with your local extension office before planting it.
Many varieties of flowering ground cover will grow and thrive in the shade under trees. Coral Bells (Heuchera) is an evergreen to semi-evergreen perennial that blooms for a long time during the summer months and is available in a wide array of foliage colors, shapes, and sizes.
Barrenwort (Epimedium) is a ground covering with flowers that can thrive under the shadiest of conditions. Its pretty heart-shaped flowers and superior growth under the canopy of large shade trees make it a superior choice to other ground covers.
Carnations/Pinks (Dianthus) are a vigorous, heat-tolerant, clump-forming plant with fragrant flowers available in an array of colors. The grass-like foliage is bluish-gray and also fragrant when brushed. It only needs a bit of morning sun and some well-draining fertile soil.
Lilyturf (Liriope muscari) is a short clumping ornamental grass with unique, wide, dark green strappy leaves that produces delightful purple flowers in late summer. It is perfect for paths and walkways and thrives in USDA zones 6-10.
Commonly sold, frequently used, and recommended ground cover plants for USDA zones 3-9 include Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), Dwarf Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), and certain hardy Hosta varieties such as Hosta lancifolia 'Red October'.
Lastly, Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a sun-loving perennial groundcover flower with tiny magenta to purple flowers that bloom in profusion early in the summer. It is aromatic and hardy in USDA zones 4-9.
Remember, while commonly used ground covers such as pachysandra and English ivy are beautiful, there are alternatives that are just as hardy and tough and provide additional color and pollinators. Happy gardening!
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