Ground covers are known for being both decorative and garden problem solvers. Some thrive in the shade of trees or where lawns won’t grow, while others are ideal for preventing soil erosion on banks. All have good foliage, some are evergreen and many have attractive flowers. Many plants used elsewhere in the garden as components of the shrub or perennial border, as single specimens or as foundation plantings, become ground covers when mass planted. An important part of any garden, ground covers link a house with its surroundings and ensure the success of the design by unifying the other elements; trees, shrubs, walkways, patios and lawns. * Click name of ground cover to link to more information from Wikipedia.org.
| GOUTWEED Aegopodium podograria ‘Variegatum’ * Full Sun to Full Shade Creeper, silver variegated leaves, excellent for brightening a shady location. Sometimes calledGround Elder and Bishop’s Weed. | LAMIUM (DEAD NETTLE) Lamium maculatum ‘White Nancy’ * Full Sun to Full Shade Very hardy. Spacing 30-45 cm. Pure white flowers from May to July with a repeat in fall. A vigorous groundcover with silvery foliage. Stunning in shade or partial shade. |
| BUGLE FLOWER Ajuga Reptans * Full Sun to Full Shade Plant 30 cm apart. Excellent plant for rock gardens or ground cover, flowers blue in May-June, sun or shade. | YELLOW ARCHANGEL Lamiastrum galeabdolen * Full Sun to Part Shade Plant 45 cm apart. Yellow flowers and leaves marked with silver, spreads quickly. |
| BEARBERRY Arctostaphylos ‘Uva-ursi’ * Full Sun to Part Shade Plant 30-45 cm apart. One of Canada’s native plants especially Pacific Northwest. Bright, glossy green leaves, pink flowers in spring and bright red berries in fall and winter. Thrives on neglect and poor soil. | MAZUS REPTANS ‘ALBA’ * Full Sun to Part Shade Plant 30 cm apart. Pure white flowers in summer, moist soils |
| WORMWOOD Artemisia ‘Stelleriana’ * Full Sun Plant 60 cm apart. Also known as Old Woman and Beach Wormwood. With silvery-white woolly foliage | JAPANESE SPURGE Pachysandra terminalis * Full Sun to Part Shade Ideal evergreen groundcover for that bare ground under trees. Makes a solid permanent mat in which no weeds have a chance to grow. |
| BUNCHBERRY Cornus Canadensis * Part Shade to Full Shade Plant 30 cm apart Native. Snowy white bracts in late spring followed by red berries, green foliage becoming purple in fall. | CREEPING POTENTILLA Potentilla reptans peniflora * Full Sun to Part Shade Plant 60 cm apart. Double yellow bloom. Fast growing. |
| LILY OF THE VALLEY Convallaria majalis * Full Sun to Full Shade Plant 30 cm apart. Excellent plant for massing in sun or shade. Fragrant white flowers, ideal for cutting May-June. | CANBY’S PACHISTIMA Paxistima canbyi * Part Shade to Full Shade Dark green foliage all year. Good for rock garden, ground cover or low hedge. Native. |
| CROWN VETCH Coronilla varia ‘Penngift’ * Full Sun to Full Shade Ideal for erosion control on steep banks and for choking out weeds on other areas in sun or shade. Foliage is finely dissected and bright green. Flowers pink from June until frost. Plant 60 cm apart. | IRISH MOSS AND SCOTCH MOSS (GOLDEN) Sagina subulata * Full Sun to Full Shade (5 cm) Plant 15 – 30 cm apart Bright green mossy foliage and tiny white flowers. |
| BEARBERRY COTONEASTER Cotoneaster "Dammen" * Full Sun to Part Shade Spreading semi-evergreen shrub with pink/white flowers in spring and bright red berries in winter. Choose from ‘‘Lowfast’, ‘Bearberry’ or ‘Coral Beauty’ | DRAGON’S BLOOD STONECROP Sedum spurium * Full Sun Plant 30 cm apart. Crimson red flowers, stems red, excellent colour. |
| PURPLE WINTER CREEPER Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’ * Full Sun to Full Shade Plant 60 cm apart. Green leaves, red in fall, excellent ground cover for mass plantings. Also climbs if near a wall.. | SEDUM – IN VARIETY * Full Sun (10-15 cm) ‘Acre’ – Golden Carpet – Yellow flowers June/July, dry soil ‘Kamschaticum Variegata – Variegated foliage, yellow flowers touched with red in July/August |
| WINTERGREEN Gaultheria procumbens * Full Sun to Full Shade Plant 45 cm apart. Native ground cover with edible aromatic foliage and small red fruit. Needs acid soil. | PURPLE CARPET THYME Thymus praecox ‘Purple Carpet’ * Full Sun to Part Shade Spacing 30 cm apart. Masses of salmon-pink flowers from June to August. Mat-forming evergreen. Good as groundcover or between stepping stones. Very hardy. |
| SWEET WOODRUFF Galium oderatum (Asperula o.) * Full Shade Plant 30 cm apart. Shiny green leaves small, white flowers. | WOOLLY THYME Thymus pseudo-lanuginosus * Full Sun to Part Shade Plant 30 cm apart. Grey-woolly foliage all winter, rock garden plant. |
| ENGLISH IVY Hedera helix * Full Sun to Full Shade Plant 30 cm apart. Hardy evergreen vine or groundcover, excellent in shade | PERIWINKLE Vinca minor * Full Sun to Full Shade Plant 30 cm apart. Also called Myrtle, blue flowers June to September, most popular ground cover for use in shaded areas. |