Extension > Garden > Yard and garden > Landscaping > Ground covers for rough sites
Ground covers for rough sites
Plants for rough sites are important to prevent erosion and stabilize soil. Plants for these difficult sites need to establish readily, grow in poor soils, and require little or no care once established. Plants listed below are good choices for Minnesota and are hardy throughout the state unless otherwise noted.
Grasses
Grasses are one of the best ground covers on most sunny sites. The following grasses can be used in poor sites and in low maintenance situations. They need not be mowed.
Fine fescues tolerate poor soils, dry conditions and can be grown in sun or light shade. A mixture of several species is a good choice. Sheep fescue (Festuca ovina) is commonly found in sandy soils and is quite drought and shade tolerant. It is bunchy, but it can be seeded with other fescues such as red fescue (F. rubra), Chewings fescue, (F. rubra var. commutata), and hard fescue (Festuca longifolia).
The following native grasses can also be used for permanent cover. You can mix them with other native flowering plants for a more pleasing effect. Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) covers the ground rapidly, spreading from underground stems, and has attractive nodding heads. It is fairly shade-tolerant. Side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) is a common dry prairie grass that will form sods and does well on steep slopes. It prefers full sun and will only grow in very light shade. Sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), another dry prairie grass, can be planted either in sand or on heavier soils. It is a pioneer on disturbed areas and is deep-rooted and very drought-tolerant. A nonnative, smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis) is used commonly by highway departments on poor sites because it covers slopes rapidly. Bromegrass is very invasive and will replace native vegetation, it is not recommended where native material is available.
Table 1. Ground covers for low maintenance sites
Herbaceous plants
| Plant (N indicates that the plant is native to Minnesota.) |
Height | Tolerances ++ = excellent; + = good; - = intolerant. |
Site Preferences (pH is an expression of soil acidity or alkalinity.) |
Outstanding Features | Propagation Space herbaceous plants 1' apart (1,000 plants/1,000 sq. ft.). Space woody plants 2' apart (250 plants/1,000 sq. ft.). |
Comments | |
| Shade | Drought | ||||||
| Barrenstrawberry (N) (Waldsteinia fragarioides) |
6" | ++ | ++ | Dry sandy soils. Indifferent to pH. | Spreads from rhizomes. Can be grown in sun. | Transplants | Strawberry-like plants with inedible fruit. |
| Wineleaf Cinquefoil (N) (Potentilla tridentata) |
6 - 12" | - | ++ | Poor acidic soils, rocky or sandy soils. | Almost prostrate. Turns wine-red in fall. | Transplants | Available. |
| Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) |
4" | ++ | + | Fairly moist woods soils. | Fragrant leaves, purple flowers. | Transplants | Very invasive in shade; will spread into lawns. |
| Crownvetch Coronilla varia) |
1 - 3' | + | + | Can withstand dry, infertile soils. Nearly neutral in pH. Can grow on clay. | One plant can cover 6' in 2-3 years. Attractive flowers. Long-lasting. | Seed (with inoculant), seedlings, or crowns | Slow to establish. Can be seeded with ryegrass, fescue, or bird's-foot trefoil. Available. Can't be mowed. May show winter injury. |
| Daylily, Tawny (Hemerocallis fulva) |
3' | + | + | Adapted to wide range of well-drained soils. Quite salt-tolerant. | Attractive flowers. Long leaves produce heavy ground cover. Excellent erosion control. | Division of root stock, crowns | Commonly available. |
| Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria) |
6 - 12" | ++ | ++ | Good or poor soil, sun or shade. | Vigorous. Variety with white-edged leaves available. | Transplants | Invasive. Complete dieback in winter. Available. |
| Hosta (Hosta spp.) |
6 - 24" | ++ | - | Rich, moist, well-drained soils. Will burn in sun. | Lush growth with large, often variegated leaves. Rather formal. | Transplants | Foliage appears late in spring. Available. |
| Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis) |
6" | ++ | + | Grows in poor soil & under trees & shrubs. | Attractive flowers. Rapid spreader. | Transplants | Dies back in winter. Available. |
| Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia) |
3"-6" | + | - | Needs moisture in drought. | Attractive yellow flowers. | seed, cuttings | Long, trailing stems. |
| Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galobdolon) 'Variegatum' |
1-1 1/2' | ++ (sun also) |
+ | Very shade tolerant. | Grows rapidly. Yellow flowers. | Cuttings, division | Can be aggressive. |
| Strawberry (N) (Fragaria virginiana) |
4" | + (sun also) |
+ | Found in dry upland fields & woods. | Low & compact. Edible fruit. | Transplants | Smaller than commercial varieties. |
| Trefoil, Bird's-foot (Lotus corniculatus) |
1' | + | ++ (moist also) |
Tolerates very poor soils & wide pH range. Heat-resistant. Salt-tolerant. | One plant covers 21/2' first year. Attractive yellow flowers. | Seed (with inoculant), crown division, or cuttings | Can seed with ryegrass or oats. May be mowed; can winter kill; huge seedbank; can be invasive; Available. |
| Violets (N) (Viola spp.) |
6" | ++ (sun also) |
+ | Fairly rich, well-drained soils. | Spreads rapidly. Attractive flowers. Semi-evergreen. | Transplants | Certain varieties may be invasive. Available. |
Table 2. Ground covers for low maintenance sites
Woody plants
| Plant (N indicates that the plant is native to Minnesota.) |
Height | Tolerances ++ = excellent; + = good; - = intolerant. |
Site Preferences (pH is an expression of soil acidity or alkalinity.) |
Outstanding Features | Propagation Space herbaceous plants 1' apart (1,000 plants/1,000 sq. ft.). Space woody plants 2' apart (250 plants/1,000 sq. ft.). |
Comments | |
| Shade | Drought | ||||||
| Barberry, Korean (Berberis koreana) |
6 - 8' | + | + | Tolerates most soils. | Yellow flowers, red fruits persist over winter. | Transplants, suckers, seed | Good coarse woody bank cover. |
| Bush-honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera (N), D. rivularis & D. sessilifolia) |
3 - 4' | + (sun also) |
+ | Dry banks in open woods or in full sun. Acid to around neutral pH. | Inconspicuous flowers. Can be planted with smaller native flowers. | Transplants | Available. |
| Chokeberry (N) (Aronia melanocarpa) |
1 - 2' | ++ | ++ | Tolerates most soils. Use on steep dry banks. Tolerates acid soils. | Attractive foliage, flowers, & fruits. | Transplants | Readily available. |
| Creepers, Virginia & Thicket (N) (Parthenocissus quinquefolia & P. inserta) |
1' | ++ | + | Shaded dry banks. | Large handsome leaves. Virginia more vigorous vine & will climb. | Transplants | Engelmann variety commonly available. |
| Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) |
3' | + | + | Broadly adapted to soil & pH. Steep dry banks. | Inconspicuous flower. | Transplants, cuttings, & division | Available. |
| Spirea, Ural False (Sorbaria sorbifolia) |
4 - 6' | + | + | Good or poor soil, sun or shade. | Heavy foliage, attractive flowers. | Transplants, suckers | Coarse bank cover for shade or sun. |
| Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica) |
2 - 6' | + | ++ | Tolerates most soils. | Attractive foliage, fall colors. | Transplants, seed | Good for sunny, dry banks. |
| Skunkbush Sumac (Rhus trilobata) |
4 - 6' | + | ++ | Tolerates most soils. | Attractive foliage. | Transplants, seed | Tolerates dry sites. |
| Sumacs (N), smooth & staghorn (Rhus glabra & R. typhina) |
10' | + | + | Poor soils & sandy gravelly knolls. Can be used in most soils. | Suckers & spreads but needs grass or herbs beneath. Good fall color. | Seeds or root cuttings | Readily available. Split-leaf forms also available. |
| Sweetfern (N) (Comptonia peregrina) |
2' | + | ++ | Acidic, sandy soils. Most poor soils but will grow on good soils too. Salt-tolerant. | Aromatic fern-like leaves. Spreads from underground stems. | Transplants | Available. |
