Groundcovers are a pleasing
alternative to grass
Do you
have areas of your lawn where grass has
difficulty growing? Too much shade, poorly drained soils, steep slopes, and
other conditions can present a challenge to having an attractive lawn. If parts of your landscape are not suited
to grass, or if you would prefer something else, consider planting ground
covers, which are small growing
ornamental plants.
Shade
can inhibit the ability of grass to grow. Bermuda grass is the most sensitive
to shade because it requires six to eight hours of sunlight a day in order to
grow successfully. Tall fescue, zoysiagrass,
and St. Augustinegrass can tolerate filtered sunlight, such as under trees.
However, they cannot survive in deep
shade.
Several groundcovers
thrive in the shade. Liriope, sometimes
referred to as monkey grass or lilyturf,
is a perennial evergreen that thrives in sites that receive minimal sunlight as
well as full sun. It can tolerate drought conditions and both intense heat and
cold but will suffer in soils that have poor drainage. Several varieties exist, and they grow 12 to 18 inches in height
and form a dense groundcover. Mondograss is similar to liriope, but it is
smaller and grows at a slower rate. The plant is tufted and has fine-textured
dark green leaves with a grass-like appearance. In full sun, the foliage is light
green, while in the shade it is dark green.
Other
groundcovers can be used as alternatives
to lawn grasses. Japanese pachysandra is a
low-growing broadleaf plant that thrives in areas of limited sunlight.
It does well under trees and tolerates deep shade. However, too much sun causes
it to suffer. Ajuga or bugleweed is a small-growing
mat-forming evergreen with dark green foliage that comes in many varieties. It
produces small blue flowers on spikes that are four to five inches in height.
Ajuga can tolerate partial
sun, but if planted in full sun, the
plants deteriorate.
Several vines can be used as groundcovers.
Confederate jasmine is an evergreen with leaves that are three inches long with
a lustrous dark green color. As a spreading groundcover, it grows up to 18
inches in height. The vine produces fragrant small white flowers in the spring.
Closely related is the Asiatic star jasmine,
which has smaller leaves than the Confederate jasmine, and light yellow
flowers. Both types require moist, well-drained soil and do best in full
sun to partial shade.
Some species of junipers can be planted
instead of grass, especially on slopes. Shore juniper has bright green foliage and grows up to 12 to 18 inches high and
spreads six to eight feet. It tolerates heat and dry conditions once
established. Creeping juniper is similar to shore juniper and can grow up to
two feet. Bar Harbor juniper is a
low- spreading, fast-growing groundcover with feathery, blue-gray
feathery foliage that turns a purplish color in winter. Blue rug juniper has
silver blue foliage, a low creeping
growing pattern, and grows up to four inches tall. Junipers do not tolerate
shade and poorly drained soils.
A few groundcovers should not be planted because they have invasive
tendencies. English ivy has an aggressive growth pattern that, if not
controlled, can spread rapidly. The vine
can grow up trees and completely engulf them. In time, the tree will die and be
at greater risk of being blown over in windstorms. Vinca, not to be confused
with the annual flowering plant with the same name, is a perennial evergreen
with oval shaped leaves that can grow up to two feet in height. It has a light
blue flower during the summer months. Though attractive, vinca can spread and
overtake an area. Both plants prefer partial shade and will decline in full
sun.
Groundcovers are an excellent alternative to lawns if you have areas where grass is hard to grow or if you would like
something different. Once established and if they have proper growing
conditions, groundcovers are attractive and durable plants in the landscape.
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| Confederate jasmine is used as a fine but also as a groundcover. It produces fragrant white flowers in the spring. It thrives in both sun and shade. (Photograph by Timothy Daly) |
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| Liriope is an alternative to lawns. It thrives in sun and shade and is tough and durable for the home landscape. (Photograph by Timothy Daly) |
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