Ground Cover For Michigan

Transcription

1 OC0250 $0.70 Michigan State University Extension- Oakland County Ground Cover For Michigan Ground covers are plants that can serve you in many ways when all other plants have failed. They are adapted to steep sloped, dense shade, dryness, poor drainage, salty or acid soils, wind exposure and odd areas. For about every site problem, there is an adapted ground cover, a plant that will thrive, cover and protect the problem site, adding variety and harmony to the entire landscape. They may be used to cover bare area, to prevent erosion of the soil, to regulate foot traffic and to tie together unrelated features in the landscape. spring; to avoid burning the foliage, broadcast a pelleted or granular form of a commercial fertilizer over the planting when the foliage is dry. Watering may be necessary to remove the fertilizer from the leaves and to bring it in contact with the soil. A mulch of wood chips, straw or other organic material, at planting time, will control most weeds and conserve moisture. Water thoroughly during the growing season, especially during dry weather. Plantings may be made at any time during the growing season, but are best made in the early spring or fall. Once established, little maintenance is required. The most important maintenance requirements are fertilizing, mulching, watering and occasional weeding. Fertilize in the late winter or early

2 Andorra juniper Juniperus horizontalis plumosa 3-9 ES 10 2,7 Blue berries, Light green foliage turning purple in fall Baltic ivy Hedera helix baltica 5-9 EC 8 1,3,8 Leaves 3-5 lobed to 4 long Barrenwort Epimedium spp. Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursa Bigleaf wintercreeper Euonymus fortunei Vegetus 4-8 EU ES 10 4,6,7 4-9 ES 24 1,9 Tolerates almost any soil. White, yellow or lavender flowers Bright red berries. Bronze leaves fall. Does best on poor soil. Hardy. Excellent on sandy banks. Hard to transplant. Rounded, thick leathery leaves. Orange fruit. Clinging vine. Bugleweed Ajuga reptans 5 HC 8 8,9 Tolerates most soil conditions. Hardy. Bronze foliage. Blue or purple flowers.

3 Cowberry Vaccinium vitus-iadea 5-9 EU 12 1,6,8 Small pink flowers. Dark red berries. Creeping cotoneaster Cotoneaster adpressa Creeping lilyturf Liriope spicata 5-9 DS 10 2, ES 12 1,9 Hardy. Bright red berries. Small pinkish flowers. Reddish fall color. Excellent for banks and rough areas. Fireblight, red spider, lacebug. Purple flowers Withstands salt spray without injury. Tolerates most soils. Adapted to wet lands. Daylily Hemercocallis spp HU 24 1,2,9 Excellent on banks. Blooms throughout season. Brownish orange or yellow flowers. Seldom attacked by insects or diseases.

4 Evergreen candytuft Iberis sempervirens 5-8 ES 12 2,5,9 Small, white flowers. Suitable for rock gardens. Gibraltar candytuft Iberis gibraltarica Goldmoss stonecrop Sedum acre Goutweed Aegopodium podargraia 5-8 ES 15 2,5,9 4 EC 4 2,5,9 4-8 H 10 1,9 Small, lilac pink flowers. Suitable for rock gardens. Mats of tiny foliage. Useful in rocky places. Silver leaves white flowers. Hall s Japanese honesuckle Lonicera japonica halliana 5-9 ES 12 1,7,8 White, trumpetshaped, fragrant flowers. Black berries. Bronze fall color. Hardy. Heather Calluna vulgaris prostrate 5-6(7) EU 8 1,3,6,8 Many varieties. Leaves minute. Green to bronze fall color. Hardy. Honttuynia corrdata Chamelon 5 EC 8 1,8 Leaves are variegated yellow, green, bronze, and red. Striking I full sun. Potential to be very sensitive.

5 Japanese spurge Pachysandra terminais Mother-of- Thyme Thymus Serpyllum 5-8 EU 8 1, H 3 2,7 Hardy. Excellent under trees. Should not be planted in sun. Scale insects. Rosy-purple flower heady. Aromatic leaves. Well-suited to rock gardens. Excellent grass substitute. Moss phlox Phlox subulata 4 H 4 2,7 Matting. Hardy. Periwinkle Vinca minor, Vinca major Purple wintercreeper Euonymus forrtunei Coloratus 5-10 EC 6-8 1,7,8 5-9 ES 24 1,8 Hardy. Blue, purple, or white flowers. Excellent for banks. Requires good drainage. Purple leaves, very susceptible to scale. Rock cotoneaster Cotoneaster horizontalis 4 ES 15 1,7 Hardy. Red fruit.

6 St. Johnsworth Hypericum calycinum 6-10 DC 12 2,8 Requires winter protection. Yellow flowers. Sargent s juniper Juniperus chinesis sargentii Waukegan juniper Juniperus horizontalis Douglasi 3-9 ES ,7 4-9 ES 12 2,4,7 Gray-Green leaves. Hardy. Dense steel-blue foliage. Turns grayish purple in winter. Wintergreen Gaultheria procumbens 3 EC 6 1,3,6,8 Easily propagated by division. Code Description E Evergreen 1 Moist D Deciduous 2 Dry; Well-drained C Creeping 3 Organic U Upright-spreading 4 Sandy H Herbaceous 5 Rocky S Spreading 6 Acid 7 Sun 8 Shade 9 Partial shade

7 Would you like additional information? Additional information is available on-line. Please see MSU Extension-Oakland County s publications as well as the MSU Extension Bookstore on campus. Please contact our office (248/ ) for assistance. Distributed by MSU Extension-Oakland County, 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341, 248/ , Reviewed by Charlene Molnar, Horticulture Advisor, May MSU is an affirmative-action equal opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status.