Ground Covers
by Dr. Robert Black, Consumer Horticultural Specialist

Interesting contrasts in texture and color may be brought into your landscape by the use of ground covers. Not only are these materials an asset to the beauty of your grounds but also can reduce maintenance problems.

Ground covers may be divided into two categories. Living materials would include such plants as vinca, English and Algerian ivies, liriope, daylilies, confederate jasmine and honey suckle to name just a few. Non-living materials usually are types of gravel or rocks although in a broader sense we include such materials as leaves and pine needles.

Ground covers are an asset to easy maintenance because we often use them in areas that are difficult to maintain in lawn or other plantings. Such areas may be strips of ground between sidewalks and driveways or walls. Steep slopes associated with ditches and areas of dense shade where grasses will not perform adequately may be planted with ground covers to reduce maintenance as well as making these areas more attractive.

The difficult time of ground cover culture is the first year. During this time the area must be kept reasonably free of weeds and well watered. Once the plants have become established only occasional maintenance is necessary.

Some of the most adaptable ground covers are native Florida plants---artillery plant, Carolina yellow jessamine, coontie or zamia, several ferns, selaginella and wedelia.

If your home is in a location where salt is a problem and grass is difficult to grow, include salt-tolerant ground covers in your landscape. Some of the best are coontie, climbing fig, fig-marigold, algerian and English ivy, shore-juniper, lantana, lily-turf, lippia, liriope, and wedelia.

Many ground covers are excellent for shaded areas---artillery plant, bugle-weed, coontie, ferns, ivies, mondo grass, liriope, pepperomia, selaginella, wandering jew, and wedelia.

Several ground covers can be used as effectively as flowering annuals for spring, summer and fall colors and they have the advantage that most are perennials. For spring and summer flowering consider bugle-weed, caltrops, yellow jessamine, daylilies, confederate jasmine, lantana, periwinkle, purple setcreasea and wedelia. Cuphea, lantana, lippia and wedelia provide fall and winter color.

South Florida is especially rich in exotic ground covers. Some of the most popular are wedelia, peperonia, blood leaf, rhoeo, ferns, kalanchoes, bromeliads, aloes, ajuga and dwarf varieties of carissa. Bulbous plants like crinums, spider lilies, amaryllis and daylilies are also popular.

Some of the exotic ground covers can be damaged or killed by low temperatures and thus are not permanent in central or north Florida. Check with your local county extension agent for those ground covers most adaptable for your area.

Make your landscape more attractive by using ground covers effectively and enjoy your bonus of reduced maintenance.