Lamium is a fast-growing, perennial ground cover that deer and rabbits avoid. Ice plant is a perennial succulent ground cover with fleshy leaves and colorful flowers. MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Hiker takes 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo at Brazos Bend State Park, This is what Houston looks like from space, Oops! Lamium Excellent Ground Cover for Shade. Ajuga spreads rapidly in varying conditions, tolerating shade or sun. But this plant with prettyfoliageand funny namerarely becomes a problem for those who grow it in areas where it is already native. Creeping Raspberry is a part of the Rosaceae family. They may be plain green, but they are usually spotted or banded in silver-gray. She writes a weekly garden Q&A and feature stories. A member of the mint family, Lamium spreads quickly, is self-seeding, and will rapidly create a ground cover wherever it is planted. Care requirements for creeping phlox are few. Some of these ground covers will grow in sun and others in shade; all will put on growth quickly. Spotted deadnettle. This shrub flowers from May to July with white flowers, and grows to a maximum height of about 9 inches. Height is a foot or so. Ground covers that develop flowers and fruit often require more maintenance to keep them attractive. Swallowtail butterflies, hummingbird moths and hummingbirds are all fans. Water the seedlings and apply a mulch layer on top of the soil. While this super spreader is a great ground cover to prevent weeds, if you want your vinca minor to play nice with other plantings, youll need to cut it back on a regular basis. They're also popular ground covers used to stop soil erosion. It likes part to full sun. Deer are usually not interested, leaving more for you to enjoy for your garden and fresh bouquets. Sometimes called Pinks because the petals look like they've been trimmed with pinking shears, this pretty ground cover comes in a range of heights, anywhere from low-growing to 2 feet tall. One way to cut back on the energy and resources you put into your yard is to incorporate ground covers into the landscape. In the right climate, brass buttons remain an evergreen ground cover year round. Here's how: While they can self-seed themselves, spotted dead nettles do not do well if you try to grow them from seed. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Plant them with an assortment of other flowering plants in a container garden to have sitting on your porch and lanai, or they trail beautifully from a hanging basket. It is much less noticeable at other times of the year, but that doesn't detract from its role as a spring superstar. 5. The petite white star-shaped flowers provide a nice contrast to the deciduous green foliage. Don't site near small plants which may be overtaken. Firecracker Sedum ( Sedum) Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. .css-lwn4i5{display:block;font-family:Neutra,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:-0.01rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;text-align:center;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-lwn4i5:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}9 Best Gardening Subscription Boxes 2023, 20 Best Tall Indoor Plants to Shop Online, 85 Surprising Flower Meanings With Pictures. Grow Canadian wild ginger in humus-rich, moist soil in light shade to deep shade conditions in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 8. This tuberous perennial has long, thin, chive-like foliage you can enjoy in the kitchen; the greenery is topped by tiny purple flowers in the summer, and its also available in a variegated type. Cut them to the height you prefer them to be and thin them out if they're getting too thick by cutting some of the branches throughout the plant back to the ground. In summer months, little spikes of blue, purple, pink or white flowers will appear. Spotted dead nettles are generally grown more for their silvery leaves than for their flowers, but the latter can be quite pretty, as well. Lamium plants are a perfect deer resistant groundcover to brighten a partly sunny to semi-shady spot. This easy-care ground cover provides colors of purple, white pink and shades of light red. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Select a branch and cut it off the plant. Lamium, or dead nettle, is a perennial ground cover, often with variegation. A. In either case, cut back shabby foliage after the first frost to make way for new growth in the spring. It needs full sun to bloom best. Lamium is evergreen from Zone 6 south. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. nettles (Lamium maculatum) constitute the majority of commercially available varieties. Can be invasive in moist, fertile soils. But in regions where spotted dead nettle is not invasive, it acts as an effective ground cover for deeply shaded areas. If it grows outside its pounds, trim it off or transplant a branch. Reaches 3 to 9 inches tall with a spread of 6 to 12 inches. It spreadsby reseeding, but it never will spread enough to become a problem. Thats the beauty of this native spring ephemeral that goes by several names including woodland phlox, wild sweet William and Phlox divaricata. If you live in USDA Zones 3 through 9 and have a low spot where grass struggles because its too wet, try planting golden groundsel there instead. Fast growing and a good all round plant for beneath trees you get a ground cover with good foliage and the added attraction of flowers. Equally at home hanging from a planter or covering a hillside, Lysimachia (more commonly known as creeping Jenny) is a plant admired for its trailing branches. It also produces lovely purple, white, blue, or pink flowers in the summer. They save their energy for the surprisingly large flowers, white on desert zinnia and yellow on prairie zinnia. You will have a Lamium carpet by fall, and the following year you will perhaps be able to pen your own lamium nursery with which to supply all your friends. World of Flowering Plants. Bright pink, purple or white flowers are a bonus that draws in bumblebees from mid-spring to early summer. If the hill is big, remove the grass in stages so as not to take unnecessary chances with erosion. Place lamium where you won't be smashing it underfoot, though, because its stems are somewhat fragile. Creeping thyme ground cover is not invasive, helps prevent weeds from growing, and is a natural deer repellent. Because the common name is often given as "spotted dead nettle". 20 Ground Cover Plants to Fill out Your Garden, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. It has a stripe down the middle that can be white, yellow, red, or silver. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. LAY-mee-um mak-yoo-LAH-tum Description Fast growing; Spotted dead nettle is a good ground cover for moist, shady areas. Plant this deer- and rabbit-resistant herb in the spring and its fuzzy leaves will cover large areas by autumn. Ground Cover Dogwood. In fact, they are one of the best perennials for shade. Lamium is undemanding and easy to grow in partial to fully shaded locations. spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum L.) is a perennial flowering ornamental commonly grown as a landscape plant for an adequate ground cover.. It can climb walls and grow across landscapes as unstoppable ground cover. 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. Spotted Dead Nettle is an excellent ground cover plant because of its flowers and its spreading growth habit. It offers similar value and requires similar conditions. 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. Curious reddish brown flowers bloom in spring at ground level under the foliage. It is also ideal for rock gardens, border edges, and even containers besides being an excellent choice for an ornamental ground cover. Snip some for cooking, or keep it trimmed back to manage its height. Commonly used as a ground cover in the shade garden, spotted dead nettle is short- It should be pinched back frequently to keep the plants bushy and "shrubby.". Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Clover Unless you want it as your lawn or have a horse to feed, don't plant it. Aronia is a pretty low-growing native shrub that has tiny white flowers amid glossy green foliage. 25 Low-Maintenance Ground Cover Plants for Sun and Shade, 10 Best Plants for Erosion Control in Your Yard, How to Grow and Care for Canadian Hemlock Trees, How to Grow and Care for Emerald Gaiety Wintercreeper, 35 Common Weeds in Lawns and Gardens: Identification & Control, How to Grow and Care for Dusty Miller (Silver Dust), Forget-Me-Not: Plant Care, Growing Tips, and Symbolism, 30 Best Plants With Purple Flowers to Grow Outdoors, Purple Dragon: Purplish flowers and silver foliage, White Nancy: White flowers, silvery leaves, Beedham's White: White flowers, leaves chartreuse and white, Cannon's Gold: Pink flowers, chartreuse foliage, Orchid Frost: Pink-purple flowers; leaves silver in the center andgreen at the edge; known for its disease-resistance, Anne Greenway: Mauve flowers; green,chartreuse, and silver leaves, Aureum: Pink flowers; leaves golden on the edge, white in the center, Ghost: Light-purple flowers; leaves almost wholly silver; taller (up to 14 inches) than the typical. Alyssum is an annual ground cover that grows very well from direct sow seeding once temperatures have reached 65 to 70 degrees. She's been a frequent speaker at various garden events. This groundcover plant stays under a foot tall but slowly spreads outward. Although taller than a typical ground cover, yarrow ranks among the most attractive ground cover flowering plants. Mow it down once in late winter and watch the fresh green growth fill right back in. A ground hugging creeper with silvered variegated foliage and some really pretty colored flowers Dead Nettles are an ideal choice for gardeners who want a tough plant with a variety of . Lamium. These creeping ground cover plants will reward you with easy care and bright colors. RELATED: 14 of the Best Plants for Your Drought-Tolerant Garden. Lamium is rarely troubled by disease and is generally pest-free. Candytuft is a ground-hugging, clumping, and flowering perennial that dies back each winter and rebounds each spring and early summer. This easy-care mat-forming ground cover provides pops of purple blooms from mid-spring to early summer. RELATED: The 15 Best Plants for Rookie Gardeners. If those conditions describe your landscape, then you may want to check out this wonderful little relative of the dogwood trees. Planted in groupings, which spread rapidly, they make an elegant groundcover for moist, shady areas. Overall, the plant is shaggy and short. Because the leaves are scented when crushed, deer and rabbits may take one bite and then move on to something more palatable. Pink or white flowers bloom in spring and summer. Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. 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. Getting Started Lamium is grown for both its pretty foliage and beautiful flowers. This plant grows vibrant purple flowers that grow against grey-green foliage from early spring through early summer. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Slugs and snails are attracted to the liquid, fall in and drown. It prefers shade, but . This plant works as a ground cover, a border plant or even a houseplant in a hanging basket. The success of many invasive plants is due to this means of spreading. Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. While grass is typically the best way to fill out empty space, sometimes low-growing plants are a better and prettier option. Subscribe now and be up to date with our latest news and updates.