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Perennial ground cover for shade.
Vegemight
Posts: 44
I've posted about my problem front lawn. I've oversown it but one corner is particularly shady and I'm not confident it will 'take'.
I may have to go to plan B so I'd be grateful for suggestions as to suitable ground cover. The frontage is open plan bounded by paths.No boundary walls.The 'patch' forms one corner and is about 10 sq. metres. Basically I'd like to cover it with something quick and easy to maintain and presentable all year round. It would need to be low-growing. Appreciate some suggestions
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Sweet woodruff grows in shade but it is a thug and needs to be given strict boundaries.
I just planted Leucothoe walteri 'zeblid' for shade groundcover in a tricky spot, I am loving it. It is evergreen but has wonderful bronze/red leaves in autumn and is a real beauty in all seasons, is a creeper and 50 cms max height according to the blurb on the label.
I'm in love with it. Needs acid soil though.
VIOLA labradorica 'Purpurea' is a good ground cover plant that loves shade.
http://www.perennials.com/plants/viola-labradorica.html
Gaulteria procumbens? I just planted loads I got from Morrisons in autumn for £1 each and they are already creeping everywhere, evergreen, flowers and berries, very pretty all year round.
Low growing ferns.
Pachysandra Terminalis and Cornus Canadensis. Both evergreen with white flowers, the first has glossy leaves, the Cornus has more interesting flowers and red berries in Autumn. Both like shade, some moisture, the Cornus prefers acid or neutral soil.
Thanks all, I'll google a few and have a look.
Long Acre Plants for Shade have a lovely, evergreen, low growing white geranium. Their website has plenty of choice. Plants arrive within 2 days and are fairly large and in excellent condition.
As said Gaultheria procumbens is nice, very low growing with nice red berries in spring. It tastes of root beer. It is surviving in my clay soil.
Gaultheria looks nice Leif. My frontage was ancient copseland reclaimed. The soil will be saturated with years of 'broken down' oak leaves so quite loamy. Would it thrive in this?
A cheap quick option appears to be Creeping Jenny? Looks as though I could grow that from seed. Would it form cover in a season and is it pernicious?