Stinging nettles also grow quite tall. At the time of this publication, there were 30 cultivars of L. maculatumlisted in the RHS Plant Finder, compared to 11 cultivars for all the other species combined. Blooms late Spring to mid Summer. 'Album', has white flowers, shown here blooming before the leaves on September 28, 2011, and spreads to form a ground cover that stays green through the winter . Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, 25 Plants That Survive With or Without You, 14 of the Best Plants for Your Drought-Tolerant Garden, 10 Grass-Free Alternatives to a Traditional Lawn, Bad Neighbors: 11 Plant Pairs Never to Grow Side by Side. which is great for using as a ground cover in large fields and gardens. Perennial Ground Covers for Shady Gardens - SDSU Extension It is a woodland plant that requires good drainage and shade. In fact, brass buttons share the same Achilles heel as ferns: Both succumb easily to drought. Most of my dl have been in the ground at least 6 months, so I'm guessing they are well established enough for a ground cover. manure tea is a good alternative. Dead-nettle is an ideal plant for ground cover which is much appreciated for its cute summer blooming and for its elegant evergreen leafage. This is a slow-growing and long-lasting ground cover that simply needs pruning every so often to prevent it from growing leggy. Shes passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves. There may be restrictions on planting it in these areas. Plant this deer- and rabbit-resistant herb in the spring and its fuzzy leaves will cover large areas by autumn. Hortster. Lamium - FineGardening It's also used for ground cover to stop erosion because its tough roots hold soil in place. Lamium is one of the choices for ground-cover especially if you are looking for ground-cover that is tough yet showy. Soft, aromatic creeping thyme seems to check off all the boxes for a gardener, plus more. If it grows outside its pounds, trim it off or transplant a branch. If you're planting a shrub or perennial that you want to last from one year to the next, make sure it's suited according to your USDA Hardiness Zone (find yours here). But beware: This hardy opportunist, if left unchecked, can become unsightly and sometimes invasive. :) Thanks much guys. It is an excellent choice as a perennial ground cover since it tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, although it grows most quickly in slightly moist, humus-rich soils. Plant it with an assortment of flowering plants, including paperwhites, cyclamen, and coral bells. Lamium Ground Cover Evergreen - ground cover good While it may be one of the toughest (er, tolerant) plants out there, Lily of the Valley looks as sweet as can be with darling white bells dangling from strappy green leaves. Spread: Slow to medium growth rate; spreads via stolons to a height of 10 inches. Plant in the late spring. Check out these favorite ground covers that will require little effort on your part once you plant them. It can climb walls and grow across landscapes as unstoppable ground cover. The leaves, bulblets and bulbs of the nodding onion plant are edible with a strong onion flavor, but its more common to grow Allium cernuum for its easily identifiable flowers. Ground Cover Dogwood. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. The low-lying, flowering ground coverit grows no more than 4 inches tallcan endure being stepped and stomped on, making it a smart choice for planting between pavers or for replacing grass. Plus, each is interesting enough to enhance your surroundings more than an ordinary carpet of grass. The following could be some of the best choices, depending on your own unique landscaping needs: Their stems root where they touch the soil, allowing the plants to spread. Perennial Farm Marketplace Lamium m. 'Beacon Silver' (Dead Nettle Will ruellia make a good ground cover? Though Lenten rose is not a rose (it's part of the buttercup family), its little buds are early season bloomers when it flowers at ground level in the late winter. You can plant this drought-tolerant, low-maintenance ground cover at the edge of a rock garden or other space and more or less forget about it (except for occasional watering) during the summertime. Cost: Buy 200 seeds for around $7 or a large, potted plant for around $20. Lamium. Dead Nettles Lamium - Gardenista Copyright 2013-2023. Growing and Harvesting a Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus). Fast Growing Ground Cover Plants (With Pictures) Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? Ruellia and lamium as ground covers - Chron Ground-huggers in the 1- to 3-inch range that tolerate foot traffic can be used between stepping stones. 14. Miniature hostas will grow less than 9 inches tall, small hostas grow to a foot or more, and giant hostas can grow over 30 inches tall. Dead nettle, also known as Lamium, is a low-growing perennial with silver-splashed leaves and bursts of purple, pink, or white flowers that pop up in spring and early summer. A tall border, such as a retaining wall or large rocks, will do a good job containing growth without the need to prune. It has basic requirements and is well worth cultivating in your garden. Yet, it quickly covers the ground and produces clusters of white flowers. Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. A member of the mint family, Lamium spreads quickly, is self-seeding, and will rapidly create a ground cover wherever it is planted. Available at Etsy; $10.99 per 1-quart plant. Straight from your grandma's garden, Dianthus is an old-fashioned perennial with a vanilla-like scent. Here in North American home gardens, it serves as a six- to 10-inch tall, slowly spreading ground cover for part shade to full shade. Planted in groupings, which spread rapidly, they make an elegant groundcover for moist, shady areas. This species of plumbago is cold hardy to USDA Zone 5, but will survive winter better if you cover it with a light mulch, or if theres snow cover. Although not a U.S. native and with the potential to choke out nearby wildflowers, lithodora is not listed as an invasive concern. This fact sheet primarily discusses non-native ground covers and rock garden plants for mountain areas above 7,500 feet as well as highlighting some native plants not covered in fact sheet 7.242, Native Herbaceous Perennials for Colorado Landscapes. With a long bloom period and colorful foliage, most varieties are eye-catching plants throughout the year. Spotted dead nettles are a great plant to put in containers or hanging baskets. And, of course, you can snip off the leaves for cooking. You might not think of oregano as a ground cover, but this herb forms dense clumps of scented foliage. It is native to New Zealand and invasive in some areas, though its spread has not been out of control. Getting Started But they are not grasses, and are instead herbaceous floweringperennial plantsin the asparagus family. Lamium maculatum - Nurseries Online Low-growing mats of Creeping Thyme are covered in teeny purple or white flowers in late spring, which makes it a haven for pollinators. .css-1byi7p4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#125C68;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#fff;-webkit-transition:background 0.3s ease-in-out,color 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:background 0.3s ease-in-out,color 0.3s ease-in-out;display:inline-block;background-color:#000000;border-radius:0.125rem;font-family:NeutraDisplay,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.79054rem;line-height:1;font-weight:bold;height:unset;letter-spacing:0.05rem;padding:0.6rem 1rem;text-transform:uppercase;width:auto;}.css-1byi7p4:hover{color:#000;text-decoration-color:#595959;background-color:#53c2be;}.css-1byi7p4:focus-visible{outline-color:body-cta-btn-link-focus;}SHOP LILY OF THE VALLEY. FYI: Full sun means an area gets 6+ hours of direct sunlight per day, part sun is anywhere from 3 to 6 hours of direct sunlight, and full shade is up to 3 hours of sun. If you do not want to open a nursery, and it is crowding other plants, shear in midsummer to promote more compact growth. And Beacon Silver has pink flowers and silvery leaves. Spotted dead nettles will naturalize in some areas. I think I'll try some . This is a highly invasive plant but it's also popular for growing on huge swaths of areas that need ground cover and won't encroach on another's property. In the right climate, brass buttons remain an evergreen ground cover year round. Fix your gardens trouble spots with these low-growing perennials, annuals, and shrubs. You might be more familiar with the short, colorful asters commonly sold along with potted mums in the fall. Lamb's Ear. Grow spotted dead nettles in full to partial shade. Most perennial ground coverings fall into these categories. Yellow archangel has colorful leaves and flowers. Aromatic enough for both kitties and their owners, catmint (Nepeta) is an easy-care, low growing ground cover. Under even the most unforgiving of conditions, lamium prevails. Infinitely touchable, the velvety, fuzzy foliage of this plant is aptly named (c'mon, just look at it). It will happily soak up the excess moisture, especially if its a sunny spot. She has spent over two decades working in the horticulture industry on new plant development, garden design, sales, marketing and consulting. This shrub also offers some fall-foliage value. It forms a dense, 8- to 12 . Flowering: Yes. Because the leaves are scented when crushed, deer and rabbits may take one bite and then move on to something more palatable. General description Fast-growing perennial ground cover that may be either trailing or upright depending on conditions. Lamium (Deadnettle) Wonderful as ground cover in a shady area, Spotted deadnettle ( Lamium maculatum) can cover large areas quickly, prevailing in the most unforgiving of conditions. Yellow Archangel Botanical Name: Lamium galeobdolon Ground covers are used to provide edgings to pathways, control erosion, and add interest to landscape design. Growing Conditions: Full to part shade in moist, well-drained soil Read our, Amethyst in Snow (Centaurea montana 'Amethyst in Snow'), 31 Best-Deer Resistant Flowers and Plants to Grow, 10 Best Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Landscaping, 18 Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Spring, Summer and Fall, 35 Types of Orange Flowers: Identification & Photos, 15 Best Plants for Drought-Tolerant Gardens, Angelina Sedum (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'), Rock Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis), Chinese lantern is also considered invasive. The ground has only recently thawed and most are waiting for just the right amount of consistent warmth and moisture before coming up. Put lamium next to other plants with darker foliage so this ground cover can bring out those colors. Care requirements for creeping phlox are few. Its ornamental value is twofold: it bears splendid blossoms in various colors (depending on the variety), and it displays eye-catching silver leaves, which provide color long after the flowers have faded.