Archive for the groundcover tag

Can I grow ivy groundcover under trees?

February 16, 2022 • 1 Comment

We have a beautiful 32-year-old maple tree in our backyard and a city locust tree on the boulevard in the front yard. It is difficult to grow grass under both trees. If we planted ivy as a groundcover, would it hurt the trees if it climbed up them? My neighbor had some voracious vine grow up his mountain ash and the tree died.

The age of your maple tree suggests a large trunk and root flare with heavy shade. Turf grass needs sun and water, both of which the maple tree takes first with its mature canopy and characteristic surface root system. Give up on growing grass under it. Apply two inches of composted mulch between the root flares out to the canopy drip line. Keep the compost and mulch away from the trunk and off the root flares. You can then “pocket plant” shade-tolerant perennials like hosta and liriope, which will grow comfortably in those conditions, offer seasonal bloom, and give you an interesting, low maintenance groundcover.

One can grow grass under a locust although they too are shallow-rooted. If you thin out the canopy to allow more sunlight to reach the ground, a shade turf seed mix can work if the area is properly prepared. However, a boulevard takes heavy abuse from vehicles and weather. You may be better off applying the mulch method to the locust as well. The liriope is both sun- and shade-tolerant and will handle some road salt applied in winter. There are also creeping junipers that hug the ground and give you conifer presence all year. The key is to plant away from the tree trunk.

Any kind of climbing ivy is difficult to control. Their accelerated rise within a tree’s canopy crowds out the tree leaves. The tree loses its food production source that feeds its roots, which in turn feed the branch scaffold. The tree literally starves and dies, as witnessed in your neighbor’s yard.

Groundcover that handles foot traffic

January 28, 2019 • Leave a Comment

I would like to grow a fast-growing groundcover that is very short and can withstand being walked upon often and still look good. Are there any out there that survive in zone 4 and thrive in part sun to full shade?

First, you need to determine what “walked upon often” means in terms of frequency. Is it “light” (once or twice per day), “moderate” (about 6 times a day), or “heavy” (dozens of times per day)? The frequency of the daily traffic narrows the choices to those that can survive that impact. Second, you are limited in the number of hours of sun, and you want a fast grower. You may have to combine two or three species to satisfy all your criteria. Also remember that even though they are groundcovers, they will have tiny flowers that will call out to various insects and pollinators. An unwary bare foot could come away with an unpleasant sting.

Light traffic. Tiny creeping sedums make great groundcovers. They need little water and attention. They do grow moderately quickly if given the sunny section of your path. Sedum requieni will take the heaviest foot traffic in this group. Bugleweed (Ajuga) varieties do well in sun or shade. Ajuga “Chocolate Chip” is a small, tight groundcover whose leaves are a bronzy chocolate color.

Moderate traffic. Try creeping Jenny (Lysimachia) varieties. They prefer moist areas with partial shade. Their leaves are the size of dimes and they spread by runners. Wherever a leaf node lands, it will root. So it can rapidly fill in any given area. It can be considered invasive if not judiciously checked. L. nummularia ‘Aurea’ has chartreuse gold foliage and is often sold as a trailing plant for containers. L. japonica ‘Minutissima’ has super tight evergreen foliage. However, it is a slow grower. So combining two varieties of Lysimachia would give visual interest as well as quick coverage. Also take a look at Kew wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei ‘Kewensis’). It is evergreen all year, tolerates shade, harsh soil conditions, and averages 2 inches in height. This is a very durable groundcover, but coarser in texture than the lysimachias.

Heavy traffic. Thymes and Irish moss are the most durable choices. Thyme is a great survivor, tolerating being walked on many times a day. Look for creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) or woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus). Both will tolerate dry soil, are present spring through summer, and can handle zone 4 conditions. They tend to do better with more sun, but will tolerate partial shade. Irish moss (Sagina subulata) will form a very dense mat and is especially effective when combined with stepping stones. It likes moisture, prefers soil low in fertility, and enjoys dense shade. Homeowners often find it in their lawns when turf becomes thin and compacted.

Eliminating snow-on-the-mountain from the garden

July 31, 2015 • Leave a Comment

Snow-on-the-mountain (Aegopodium podagraria) was introduced in English gardens during the Middle Ages by the Romans, and was used as an herb. Due to its vigor, it escaped to the wild where it made itself at home on the edge of woodlands and in waste places. Historically it has been used medicinally as a treatment for gout, bee stings, burns, wounds, etc. In his book The Herbal, John Gerard made this comment in 1633: “… it groweth of it selfe in gardens without setting or sowing, and is so fruitful in his increase, that where it once hath taken root, it will be hardly got out againe, spoiling and getting every year more ground, to the annoying of better herbs.” (Nearly 400 years later, we are still battling this plant!)

A few people love it as a groundcover, but most people have grown to thoroughly dislike it, to say the least. It can take over a garden so aggressively that some people even consider bulldozing the entire garden. It spreads like wildfire, by rhizomes and by seed. Under the right conditions, 3 little starter plants can spread 30 feet in two years! This is a serious pest for any climate that gets regular rainfall or moisture. It smothers other plants up to 12 inches tall. Roots break off (especially in hard, packed soil) and sprout, even a year or more later.

There are several ways to try to get rid of it. In loose soil, you can pull/sift it out of the soil by hand, with lots coming back from parts you missed. Even the smallest piece of root left behind will start a new patch. You can try multiple applications of Roundup: spray, wait until new growth starts, then spray again. You’ll have to repeat this process multiple times, for several years. You can also try a combination of Roundup and covering the area with black plastic or carpet. You would have to leave that on for 2 years at least, and still monitor for any shoots coming up. A possible biological control: groundhogs. They love it. They, however, have their own downsides in the garden.

Choosing a groundcover

March 30, 2009 •

The only patch of grass which I have not replaced with flowers or evergreens is a 20 foot by 20 foot sunny plot in front of my house. Next year I want to remove that grass, plant a serviceberry tree, and surround it with some low groundcovers that would look presentable. Which groundcovers might serve?

With such a large area, a variety of groundcovers would be advisable to create plant diversity and interest. Keep in mind that as the serviceberry tree grows, the light conditions in that area will change. Therefore, plants that will adjust to increased shade should be placed closer to the tree. These include wintercreeper (Euonymus), plumbago (Ceratostigma), Ajuga, and bearberry.

Farther away from the tree where more sun is likely, even as the tree grows, try sedum as well as some of the low growing junipers like ‘Blue Rug’, ‘Blue Chip’, ‘Calgary Carpet’, or ‘Procumbens’ (dwarf).

Remember also that when spaced properly, several perennials and shrubs can cover the ground as a dense mass, while providing additional height and textural interest. Perennials in this group include: Astilbe, catmint (Nepeta), coral bells (Heuchera), daylilies, Geranium, Hosta, lamb’s ears (Stachys), lavender, ornamental grasses, Rudbeckia, and Salvia, just to name a few. Shrub varieties include: Cotoneaster, Deutzia ‘Nikko’, Forsythia ‘Gold Tide’, Meidiland roses, Potentilla, Spirea, and gro-low sumac. Again, don’t be afraid to mix your plantings to make them more interesting and enjoyable.

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