Some ornamental grasses are also well suited for shade … While it prefers moist soil when young, it’s fairly drought-tolerant when mature. The Texas Redbud will liven up any garden with magenta flowers in the early spring and thrives just fine in low-sunlight conditions. Ajuga are low-growing groundcovers with glossy leaves and spiked flowers, perfect for morning sun afternoon shade areas. You can find hardy shade ground cover for those areas in your yard that are somewhat blank and shady. Ground Covers. I know it grows great around here. Yarrow is a plant that produces very tinny blooms that are red, pink, yellow, or white. Choose from the plants listed below to start you on your way. A well-grown bed is absolutely luxurious. The Most Hardy Ground Covers for Houston. Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis): Native ground cover that tolerates mowing and light foot traffic, full sun or shade. Periwinkle is a great hardy shade ground cover and actually has pretty light blue or lilac colored flowers. One beauty to try for zone 8 ground cover is ‘Blue Rug,’ with charming silver-blue foliage that grows to about 5 inches (13 cm.). to 2 feet (61cm.) Your best choices of groundcovers to grow in the shade include regular mondograss (monkeygrass), liriope, English ivy, purple wintercreeper euonymus, Asian jasmine, ferns and, in South Texas, Algerian ivy and ardisia. Sign up for our newsletter. Artificial Grass: You may want to use a little water to spray the dust off of your synthetic turf … Ground cover plants should be vigorous, with dense foliage and a spreading habit so as to adequately cover soil areas. Week 5 with Neil Sperry: Look for dependable ground cover varieties Purple wintercreeper euonymus is assertive and easy, says Neil Sperry. Many Fern varieties Lily of the Nile, also called Agapanthus, are ground covers with tall, gorgeous, blue flower spikes. In winter, the plant turns from a … Being only 1” to 2” (2 – 3 cm) tall, this is a perfect plant to give you a green cushion of foliage in large sunny areas. Lily-of-the-valley – Known for its fragrant white flowers, lily-of-the-valley brightens up shady areas of the landscape. What are good ground cover plants in zone 8? Evg/Dec. While some ground covers can be a substitute for grass, sometimes gardeners wish to keep foot traffic off the areas with ground coverage. The Texas Redbud will liven up any garden with magenta flowers in the early spring and thrives just fine in low-sunlight conditions. SHADE LOVING PLANTS HOUSTON GROUND COVERS. Periwinkle is a great hardy shade ground cover and actually has pretty light blue or lilac colored flowers. SHADE LOVING PLANTS HOUSTON GROUND COVERS. Ground Covers. Add these ground cover plants and flowers to your garden to fix your yard's trouble spots, whether it's grass that won't grow, erosion problems, or boring beds. The Texas ash is a handsome shade tree that is very drought tolerant once established. Whatever your shade setting might be from partial shade to full shade or … It can even thrive in the acidic conditions under large pine trees. You’ll have to pick plants that work in the area you have to offer. Be careful with periwinkle, however, as it tends to take over the area it is in quite rapidly. Soil Condition: Well-drained, loamy, pH 5.1 to 6.5. 4. The Most Hardy Ground Covers for Houston. You need to plant what you can where you can. 8/01. For smaller areas of coverage in full sun we've had success with Verbena peruviana (Red Devil Verbena - 4"H, semi-evergreen, blooms March - hard freeze) and Verbena tenera 'Sissinghurst' (evergreen, 5-6"H, blooms 12 months). What are good ground cover plants in zone 8? Stretching from parts of the Pacific Northwest, down to Texas and through the middle of the southeast up to North Carolina, this zone covers a large area of the U.S. Landscaping Plants Yard Landscaping Planting Flowers Landscape Outdoor Plants Variegated Liriope Plants Ground Cover Plants Garden Plants. full to part sun, evergreen and perennial. Polystichum acrostichoides {10 Bare Root plants} Periwinkle, sweet woodruff, hosta and creeping thyme are perfect ground cover for your shaded areas, especially if there’s some morning sun or dappled sun throughout the day. There is no more elegant ground cover for shade than Japanese pachysandra. Groundcover Plants for Shade. liriope. Comments are closed. The native pigeonberry is a ground cover that produces tiny pink-and-white flowers and red berries on a 12- to 18-inch spreading perennial plant. Shade-loving ground covers can replace bare spots with a pretty palette of green. Small yellow flowers support beneficial insects and smaller … Grown outside in the landscape in extreme south Texas. Here, D. speciosum ‘Rosea’ covers a gentle slope. GROUND COVERS (space 1′ apart) Algerian Ivy * Plumbago (deciduous) Asiatic Jasmine ** Prostrate Rosemary (herb) ... *Shade **Sun & Shade . Ground cover can be an important element in your backyard and garden. Outstanding Vines and Groundcovers for Texas. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) Plant: fruit. Add to Cart. Wet or dry, sun or shade, this is a hardy plant. Good for erosion control. If you’re using ground cover in shady areas, remember most heat-tolerant plants need some shade. It seems happiest in very light shade or when it gets at least a couple hours in shade sometime during the day. Two other popular plants for zone 8 ground cover are English ivy (Hedera helix) and Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis). There are many different ground covers for shade areas in your yard. Shade-Tolerant Groundcovers Your sales reps at Calloway’s Nursery, talk to one of the Texas-certified nursery professionals. Okay to prune freeze-damaged perennials. Allegheny spurge is a common ground cover plant. In stock. Worms On Peppers: What Is Eating My Peppers? If you are looking for ground covers for zone 8, read on for a short list of great suggestions. Keep in mind that good ground covers for this region will reduce lawn maintenance, help control erosion, keep down weeds and work as a mulch to control soil temperatures. Outstanding Landscape Plants for South Texas. Mondo Grass Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata) Creeping phlox is a short plant often seen covering the side … Growing 6-12 inches tall and spreading by roots, it combines rosettes of glossy, deep green foliage topped in spring by spikes of white flowers. Ground Cover. If possible, leave as long as possible for wildlife shelter and food on seed-bearers ALS - 8'T x 8'W. Water Demand: Experienced horticulture and landscape experts evaluated the water needs of these plants and supplied a relative ranking for each plant, ranging from very low to high. The spotted foliage and purplish blooms will highlight shady areas, but be careful when planting spotted deadnettle, as it’s known to become invasive under good growing conditions. The mature height of this St. John’s wort is 16 inches (40 cm.) May be used as a lawn in deep shade. Ajuga (Ajuga reptans) — 3-6″, perennial ground cover with purple leaves, and blooms Cast Iron Plant ”,mesic, grows slowly, evergreen. Deadnettle – Spotted deadnettle ground cover prefers moist soil but can perform well in a dry shaded area too. Pachysandra – Another popular shade ground cover is pachysandra. But did you know it can be used in xeriscaping, too? Preferring moist conditions, you may need to keep an eye on it since the plant spreads quickly and can get out of hand. An evergreen, Horseherb is most useful in shade to part-shade Prostrate Juniper Juniperus horizontalis. Be sure to decide in advance if you intend your ground cover to be walked on or not, because you’ll want different plants for each option. Learn More: Allegheny Spurge Care 3. English ivy offers shiny dark green foliage and will grow in both shade and sun. But to answer your question, for a fast growing ground cover that can take the heat I would suggest Ivy. Many colors to choose from including white, red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 8 is not one of the warmest zones, but it’s not one of the coolest zones either. Asian Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) — can freeze, xeric; English Ivy (Hedera helix) — mesic, invasive, keep off of trees; Horseherb (Calyptocarpus vialis) — evergreen groundcover 6-8 in., yellow blooms. The flowers are great for attracting butterflies, and since these small plants can range from two to four feet … Reply. Chamomile (Chamaemelum spp.) Take care with it, however, as it can be invasive. For some other ideas, here's an excerpt from Rodale's Encyclodpedia of Perennials: "Some of the most delightful perennial groundcovers grow best where you need them most - in the shade under trees. There are some great ground covers for shade. Ground covers … Outstanding Vines and Groundcovers for Texas. Surface plants to cover ground area usually maintained at a height less than 18 inches. These unthirsty trees, succulents, flowers, ground covers and grasses will thrive with little water and care in Texas’ worst heat and drought. Mondo grasses … Mint is an excellent ground cover though it can take over a space so be careful of placement. (Hay-Scented Fern) People love this fern because it dramatically brightens shade gardens with vibrant chartreuse, medium sized foliage that emits the unique scent of fresh-cut hay when rubbed or crushed slightly. Drought-Tolerant Trees. Perennial Plants for South Texas Landscapes Perennial plants may be defined as those which endure or persist from the same root part year to year. Allegheny spurge is a common ground cover plant. Information On Storing Bulbs In Southern Climates, The Most Interesting Seed I’ve Been Given - Kaffir Lily, Tiny Seeds In Tiny Hands - A Memory Of Planting Seeds. However, sweet woodruff can be a good ground cover choice for dry shade, such as in areas under big trees. Finally, ground covers like Aspidistra, Monkey Grass, Ajuga or Liriope … For more information on this topic: The Bexar County Master Gardener Hotline Speak to one of our volunteer Master Gardeners on duty, 210-631-0400 or E-mail info@bexarmg.org; David Rodriguez – County Horticulture Agent-Bexar County, 210-631-0400 or E-mail dhrodriguez@ag.tamu.edu; Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of … Remove seeds to control spread. In zone 8, the average minimum winter temperatures dip into the range of 10 to 20 F. (-12 to -7 C.). That’s because you probably prefer a year-round covering for your backyard soil. It’s a shade … These are great as a filler for foundation gardens that include larger bushes. Good ground cover plants have a creeping or prostrate growth. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Pachysandra covers your soil with a dense carpet of lustrous green foliage. Probably the best ground cover for heavy shade, carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans) grows fast, spreading by underground stolons. Ground covers are excellent in areas where growing grass would pose a challenge. Dwarf nandina (Nandina domestica dwarf cultivars) plants grow to 3 feet (.9 m.) or less in zones 6b through 9.