Transform Uninviting Areas with These Attractive Ground-dwelling Vegetation Options
Transforming those shady spots in your garden into thriving oasis? Look no further than these badass ground covers, 'cause they're not just pretty, they work hard!
From living mulch to weed suppressors, these babies help keep your soil rich and moist. And while options may seem scarce for shade-loving plants, you might be pleasantly surprised by the selection of incredible types out there. With their velvety foliage and delicate blooms, these ground covers are living proof that shade can be a garden's golden ticket.
1. Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
A short but mighty shrub, bunchberry is actually a type of dogwood. It sports glossy, elliptic leaves and showy spring flowers with white bracts and vivid red berries. Native to Canadian forests and down to Appalachia, it thrives in zones 2-6, loving part shade and moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
2. Southern Lady Fern (Athyrium asplenioides)
Originating from the central and eastern United States, this two to three-foot-tall fern with lush, feathery fronds and yellow-green to red-brown stems spreads via rhizomes to form a densely-packed ground cover. It's all about moist to wet soil with dappled to full shade in zones 5-9.
3. Hosta (Hosta spp.)
A classic in the shade-garden world, hosta features eye-catching foliage and pretty flowers. Known for large leaves in various shapes and colors (depending on variety), they all grow in a basal rosette with distinctive parallel veins radiating from the base. Depending on the variety, hostas can be found in zones 3-9, preferring part to deep shade and moist, organically rich, well-drained soil.
4. Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)
Despite the name, this plant ain't a common weed, but quite pretty with opposite, silvery-green leaves bearing large silver blotches down the middle, along with white to purple, two-lipped flowers blooming in whorls. It grows six to nine inches high and quickly spreads in zones 3-8, appreciating well-drained soil and part shade.
5. Bishop's Hat (Epimedium spp.)
With a name like Bishop's Hat, it's no wonder this plant has dainty, four-parted flowers that resemble little hats. It's a low-growing plant with a mounding to spreading habit and compound leaves with heart- or arrow-shaped leaflets. Native to China and the Mediterranean region, the bishop's hat grows best in zones 5-8, adapting to deep shade and drought but preferring part to full shade and moist, fertile, well-drained soil.
Insights:
- Apart from the ones listed, other shade-loving ground covers with beautiful foliage and flowers include Helleborus, Green-and-Gold, Foamflower, Lungwort, Bugleweed, Ligularia, 'Orange Queen' Epimedium, Brunnera, Coral Bells, 'Brilliance' Autumn Fern, and Periwinkle.
- Some species, like Helleborus and Green-and-Gold, are great for specified light conditions, providing color and texture in filtered light.
6. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)
Native American ground cover, wild ginger grows six to twelve inches high with attractive, heart-shaped leaves. It spreads slowly but eventually forms a thick carpet of deeply veined foliage, perfect for zones 4-7. This plant is a survivor, thriving in deep shade, wet soil, drought, and even deer.
7. Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
This low-growing, evergreen ground cover is native to the eastern United States and thrives in zones 5-9. It works well in average, moist, well-drained soil in part to full shade, growing just one to two inches high and spreading moderately quickly via rhizomes to form mats of foliage. Delight yourself with spring and summer flowers, which brighten the shaded beds.
Insights:
- Many of the ground covers listed, like Wild Ginger and Green and Gold, are native to North America, providing biodiversity and catering to the region's ecosystem.
8. American Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Native to North American woodlands, this low-growing plant has attractive, dark green, elliptical foliage that turns purple in fall. Small, waxy, pinkish-white flowers dangle from the stem in summer, followed by scarlet berry-like seed capsules. Ideal growing conditions include moist, organically rich soil with good drainage in part to deep shade.
9. Allegheny Spurge (Pachysandra procumbens)
Allegheny spurge, or mountain pachysandra, forms a dense mat of semi-evergreen to evergreen foliage reaching six inches to a foot above the ground. In early spring, tiny, fragrant, white flowers bloom in showy spikes, growing best in zones 5-9 in part to full shade and rich, moist soil.
Insights:
- Allegheny spurge is not invasive and required little maintenance, making it a good choice for busy gardeners.
10. Wood Violet (Viola sororia)
Known as the common blue violet, this herbaceous perennial forms clumps of heart-shaped leaves and spreads readily via rhizomes and self-sowing. Blooming with white to deep purple flowers in spring, it thrives in zones 3-7, tolerating a range of soil and light conditions but favoring rich, moist soil in dappled shade.
11. Netted Chain Fern (Woodwardia areolata)
Native to North America, netted chain fern first emerges in spring as pink-hued fiddleheads, unfurling to glossy, green fronds with alternate, lance-shaped pinnae. Its name comes from the netted veins and chain-like rows of spores on its leaves. Spreading via creeping, branching rhizomes, it naturalizes into large colonies in ideal growing conditions. Netted chain fern thrives in moist to wet, organically rich soil in part to full shade, growing well in zones 3-9.
Insights:
- Many of the ground covers listed are native to woodland swamps and bogs, providing habitat for wildlife and purifying runoff.
Author
Serena Manickam, a freelance editor and writer as well as a sustainable market gardener from rural Virginia, runs Fairydiddle Farm, a small market garden where she grows no-spray produce and herbs to sell at a local farmer's market. With a BA in environmental science, she is passionate about creating sustainable, low-maintenance gardens.
- The collection of shade-loving ground covers includes not only the listed ones, but also Helleborus, Green-and-Gold, Foamflower, Lungwort, Bugleweed, Ligularia, 'Orange Queen' Epimedium, Brunnera, Coral Bells, 'Brilliance' Autumn Fern, and Periwinkle.
- Some of these ground covers, like Helleborus and Green-and-Gold, are tailored for specific light conditions, contributing color and texture in filtered light.
- Apart from living mulch and weed suppressors, these ground covers play an important role in attracting pollinators to the garden, contributing to a healthier and more diverse ecosystem.
- When it comes to decor and landscaping, the inclusion of these ground covers can enhance both the home-and-garden lifestyle and the overall look of a garden, creating a thriving oasis.
- Embracing an organic lifestyle in the garden means choosing plants that can enrich the soil, benefit wildlife, and require minimal maintenance, such as the ground covers featured in the list.
