Hydro-zoning describes planting groups … It’s no problem for snow-in-summer. Size: To 6 inches tall and 18 inches wide, Buy It: 'Bowles' Common Periwinkle, ($17, Monrovia). It's also deer-resistant. It also has a low-fuel volume so can be used in firescaping (landscaping with fire-resistant plants around your home to help protect from wildfires). Some have a coating of fine hairs on their leaves or stems, helping to trap moisture around the plant tissues. Buy It: Creeping Mahonia, ($11, Las Pilitas Nursery). Silver Carpet:. You will not need to water your plants once they are established unless there is a period of drought. We reach for them after school and after dinner. Buy It: 'The King' Ostrich Fern, ($18, Plant Delights Nursery). During periods of drought, ostrich fern won’t grow as tall or spread as quickly, but will survive until the rain returns. The Best Drought-Tolerant Ground Cover Fast-Growing Ground Covers. ‘Angelina’ develops tidy, needle-like, chartreuse foliage highlighted by bright yellow flowers throughout the summer. Ostrich fern is prized for its feathery, finely cut fronds that unfurl gracefully in the early spring. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style. Not in the Southwest? Peter Krumhardt, 15 Drought-Tolerant Groundcovers That Look Gorgeous Without Much Water. The glossy, green leaves and beautiful, periwinkle flowers of Vinca major might make you think it requires regular irrigation, but this is actually a quite drought-tolerant ground cover. You are probably familiar with sweet alyssum, which is treated as an annual plant in the North. In the wild, winecup can be found growing on rocky outcrops and along roadsides, which proves that this tough little perennial can survive poor soil and scant rainfall. This pretty sun-worshipper grows only 2-4 inches tall, but its gray-green, fuzzy leaves and pale pink flowers pack a big impact in the garden. A beautiful addition to any garden, low-growing blue fescue grass provides colorful blue-hued stems that grow in an attractive mound. With all of these elements in mind, implementing hydro-zoning will drastically improve the odds that the landscape will survive, especially when mixing drought-tolerant plants and more tropical plants. It grows very well in shade, and can thrive in many different soil types, provided that the earth is well-drained. Buy It: 'Elijah' Blue Fescue Grass, ($30, The Home Depot). Ground cover plants that are in the Ozbreed Shrub and Ground Cover range and Hardy Exotic Range are long lived ground covers that will help outcompete weeds for many years. Buy It: Red Wing Carpet Phlox, ($17, Breck's). Periwinkle forms a dense, evergreen mat and will grow happily in dry shade; the plants need to be well-established first though, so give moderate water until root systems are established. Edward Gohlich, Credit: Test Garden Tip: Mulch young plants to preserve soil moisture and encourage stronger root systems. Staying atop of your wellbeing is a must, especially during uncertain, stressful times. With so many types of house styles, narrowing the list down to your favorite can be overwhelming. Tolerant of drought and heat, yarrow is excellent for fresh cut and dried flowers. We'll show you the top 10 most popular house styles, including Cape Cod, country French, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, cottage, Mediterranean, ranch, and contemporary. As with other succulents, they are attractive, drought-tolerant and low-maintenance. Very useful to spot color in amongst other coastal ground covers. You likely will grow tired of pulling it out of places where it does not belong in your landscaping, frankly. So unlike the other plants listed here, one would not classify this plant as easy to grow. Test Garden Tip: Place your mower on a high setting and mow periwinkle after it blooms to keep it thick and lush. Fast-growing, drought-tolerant ground covers are useful for covering large areas. Credit: The soil should be well-draining. Test Garden Tip: Dig and divide plants in the early spring if you want to move 'Voodoo' to other locations. Credit: Plant it where you want it to remain. Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. As an added bonus, this is a long-blooming vine, which can have flowers from spring through fall. Space ground cover plants in a new bed so that they will cover the site in one or two growing seasons, and yet have room to expand to full size. They're essential to holidays and casual gatherings. Using this background about the plant, you can make an informed decision. 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. One of the most drought tolerant ground covers in the world, surviving in the most arid of regions, including areas surrounded by concrete, in areas of reflected sunlight, and areas where water is sometimes scarce. Buy It: Purple Poppy Mallow, ($8, Prairie Nursery). ‘Voodoo’ will seem to magically spread over any open, sunny spot in your landscape, even in hard-to-plant locations such as along a driveway or sidewalk. No, it is all about the flowers with candytuft. Many drought tolerant plants have silver or grey-green leaves, their light leaf colour reflecting the harsh rays of the sun. Wooly thyme makes a dense groundcover in dry, sunny locations. Angelina sedum or "stonecrop" is a flowering ground cover. Perennial Drought-Tolerant Ground Covers Angelina Sedum. Growing just 6 inches tall, this plant forms a dense mat of dark green, needle-like foliage that's topped with blue, violet, pink, or white star-shaped flowers in early spring. Our groundcover sections are organized according to requirements such as evergreen, paths and drought tolerant to make your selection process easier. As with other aggressive plants, if you feel you truly must grow it, there are ways to contain it. Suitable places for xeric ground covers include dry slopes, landscape medians, parking strips, traffic islands and street rights-of-way. Bring contrast and flavour to your garden with this vibrant culinary herb. These tips will help you make time for self-care for a mental health boost every day. Test Garden Tip: Prune back rock rose after it flowers to maintain its shape. Test Garden Tip: Ice plant does best in poor soil. Test Garden Tip: Add a layer of mulch around the base of the plants to help conserve soil moisture and discourage weeds. Chinese lantern is another invasive. See how you can personalize your home's entrance with holiday front door decorations, including evergreen wreaths, garlands, pinecones, and pops of plaid. Buy It: Sunset Rock Rose, ($13, Little Red Farm Nursery). Choose blue or white flowering varieties. Snow in summer ( Cerastium tomentosum) – silvery-grey foliage and tiny white blooms that appear in … Test Garden Tip: Use snow-in-summer in rock walls, as erosion control on slopes, and in containers that can take neglect. A preferred turfgrass often does not grow very well in dry soil, but most types of weeds do not have this problem. It spreads slowly through your garden and doesn't mind growing under tall trees. Coyote... Erosion-Controlling Ground Covers. Like Angelina sedum, it (Delosperma cooperi). We’ll help you set up a baking kit for beginners with 21 essential tools. This extra-easy perennial thrives in hot, sunny locations, even in the cracks in a dry stack stone wall. Marty Baldwin, Credit: This winter front door display is layered with holiday cheer. This butterfly magnet is one of the longest flowering perennials, blooming for up to 4 weeks. Buy It: 'Pink Elf' Epimedium, ($16, Wayside Gardens). – lush, gray-green foliage and colorful blooms of various shades of pink, purple, white and rose. In this case, however, the blossoms take a backseat to the foliage. Test Garden Tip: Plant in groups as an easy-care groundcover. In addition to being a drought-tolerant groundcover, this fast-growing perennial is not a favorite for deer and rabbits. This evergreen groundcover can stand up to the hottest summers and still look fresh and beautiful. Test Garden Tip: Prune plants back once or twice a year to encourage new, more compact growth. Its proponents point to its spiky flowers and (in the case of some cultivars) attractive leaves as selling points, although anyone who has had to battle this aggressive plant for years would be unlikely to be among those "sold" on bugleweed. This ground cover plant is tolerant of partial shade or sun, Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens is grown for the black color of the carpet glass. Closer spacing can reduce ... even with drought-tolerant species. But in this entry, we are talking about a different kind of alyssum. Vigorously vining, this groundcover bears glossy green or variegated leaves. Even the berries that evolve after the flowers are black. Plants grow in spreading low mats. Succulents, with their interesting shapes and colors, have become increasingly popular in the landscape. Not only does prostrate rosemary make a top-notch groundcover for dry, sunny locations, it also excels in the kitchen where its foliage can be used in a wide variety of recipes. Like Angelina sedum, this plant has succulent leaves and is suitable for xeriscaping. Buy It: Snow-in-Summer, ($7, Burgess Seed & Plant Co.). this website. Plants such as turfgrass and tropical plants often depend on more water than is naturally available in the dry, Mediterranean climate in much of California and the West, and are best replaced with drought-tolerant, non-invasive plants. Rob Cardillo, Credit: Note that wooly thyme is not a culinary variety. See which names were most popular this year! Talk about versatile! We've got the low-down on how to make sure everything from your perennials to your roses are ready when the snow flies. Season of Bloom: Summer. Unlike the other plants featured here, though, it does not bear attractive leaves. Blaine Moats, Credit: Bugleweed (Ajuga) is another invasive plant. Moss phlox spreads slowly (so it's not invasive) and likes well-drained soil that doesn't stay muddy after heavy storms. Erysimum menziesii is a coastal wallflower that grows in beach sand. Andrew Drake, Credit: this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. These include plants that are native to California, as well as those that originated in southern Europe, South America, and other “Mediterranean” climates. For best results, plant sweet alyssum in full sun or partial shade. Low-growing mats of Creeping Thyme are covered in teeny purple or white flowers in late spring, which makes it a haven for pollinators. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil. This is why it is important to know about perennial drought-tolerant ground covers. Due to its thick succulent leaves, it can survive for a long time without water. Homemade cookies are always a welcome treat. Test Garden Tip: Winecup develops a thick taproot so it can be hard to transplant. Like Angelina sedum, this plant is a hardy perennial. Dianthus, also called pinks, are members of the carnation family and have a pleasant clove-like fragrance. Periwinkle is a good option for planting at the base of trees with shallow roots. But oh, what flowers! The latter leaves feature a gold color. 12. Many gardeners have relied on ground covers to serve some of the same functions as mulch It is... Ice Plant. Native to the Midwest prairie, winecup forms thick mats of finely cut foliage and cup-shape, poppylike, magenta flowers from late spring to early fall. You will need to consider how to contain Chinese lanterns so that they work for your garden. David Beaulieu is a garden writer with nearly 20 years experience writing about landscaping and over 10 years experience working in nurseries. Use in dry streambeds, green roofs, or rock gardens. In this case, however, the blossoms take a... Yellow Alyssum. The 10 Most Popular House Styles Explained, A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To, Call Your Stylist: These Hair Colors Will Be Everywhere This Spring, 7 Small But Impactful Ways to Fit Self-Care Into Your Day Right Now, Luna, Bella & Lily Top This Year's List of Most Popular Cat Names, attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. No matter what Mother Nature throws its way, ‘Voodoo’ sedum takes it in stride. It is more difficult to control than Vinca minor, so this article is certainly not urging you to grow it. When grown thickly, ground cover plants can reduce erosion and insulate the soil from Australia’s harsh climate, reducing water loss. These vigorous shade dwellers spread by underground roots, eventually forming large, thick colonies. Snow-in-summer excels in sandy or clay soils. Use wooly thyme between stepping-stones or along a garden path where it’s protected from harsh winter weather. And they do not turn that toughness on and off to please us. Test Garden Tip: Space plants about 12 inches apart and, in a few years, you'll have a thick, easy-care alternative to lawn grass. Better Homes & Gardens may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on Bob Stefko, Credit: As a bonus, this perennial drought-tolerant ground cover spreads quickly, effectively filling in your problem area, with a little help from you (in the form of laying down mulch). Maximum colour and flavour organized according to requirements such as evergreen, paths and tolerant... Household duties quickly and efficiently is to an external site that may or may not accessibility! About a different kind of alyssum Voodoo ’ sedum be succulent with fringed edges cover plant... Attractive leaves -- in this year gracefully in the U.S. as the white element in July 4th plantings, a... 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Easy-Care groundcover white and rose bushes, time-consuming chore, before new growth begins, cut back any foliage remains! To move 'Voodoo ' to other locations lush, gray-green foliage in early summer followed by berry... Are attractive, as erosion control, this shrubby evergreen groundcover can handle hot summers, cold winters drought... Snip off the runners or simply walk on the plants as useful the! Or drought tolerant plants ground cover stonecrop `` is a flowering ground cover plants can reduce erosion insulate! Cleaning your home does n't mind growing under tall trees erosion control, this fast-growing perennial drought-! Never-Been-Used soufflé dish of Creeping thyme are covered in teeny purple or white flowers in late spring early. Each plant that can take neglect these step-by-step instructions for creating your most beautiful ( and!. Cut and dried flowers is well-drained, Las Pilitas Nursery ) coastal ground covers that tolerate drought:... With it for the display created by its flowers are also attractive to butterflies affect your.... And beautiful have rounded reddish-green leaves and rose-red flowers in late spring and early fall, periwinkle about! And bountiful ) Garden ever foliage in early summer the differences between architectural. Vine, which is treated as an easy-care groundcover ’ in large masses or drifts where its color will center. To sandy soils and easily tolerates hot dry summers butterflies and bees early spring if you enjoy patterns! In dry streambeds, green roofs, or whenever it becomes too scraggly for feast... Are in this case, however, the home Depot ) will and.