Shade Perennial that will hang over a brick retainer wall?

17 years ago

Any ideas on a few nice ones that will creep/ eventually drape over the wall? Must be shade lover, though, because there's hardly any sun underneath my crepe myrtles and loropetalums.

I had the wall planted with Mexican heather, creeping phlox, Grace Ward Lithodora and Giant White Abunda (LOVE those last two) but those full sun/ part sun choices are no longer good ones since my surrounding shrubs have gotten so large. I need some shade lovers now.

Will ajuga chocolate chip ever get big enough to hang over the edge? I like the look of it, but I think it's just a ground cover.

Will creeping raspberry take over my flower bed? I'm not crazy about the look of it, but it could work for my needs. I've heard it's a fast grower?

What else do you think? Here is a picture of the wall before my crepes got huge:

{{gwi:360782}}

Thanks for any ideas.

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Comments (4)

bcb77
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks to Google I might have answered my own question to an extent. Tell me what you think of these choices:

Lamium "Beacon Silver"

Lamium 'Aureum'

Sweet Woodruff

Campanula Poscharskyana

Creeping Jenny? or does she need full sun?

Thanks, and any other suggestions are welcomed!
tony_pman
17 years ago
Lamium Yellow Arkangel
terramadre
17 years ago
Ajuga wouldn't be my choice. Creeping Raspberry, Rubus calycinoides probably won't take over the bed but it suffers from brown-out = unattractive.
How about one of the hardy, non-aggressive, variegated ivies with white margins to compliment the white-flowering Crepe and add interest to all that green foliage?

Hedera helix 'no name' growing in the Stumpery.
{{gwi:360781}}
sugarhill
17 years ago
Any lamium should work. I have epimedium that trails over a stone wall in conditions similar to yours. Also creeping golden jenny (sorry - can't think of the Latin name). Geranium Roseanne will cascade over the wall and give you some blooms throughout the summer (not many in my heat).
As for woodruff, I love it. But it doesn't do for me in the height of summer heat. It tries it's best to die out. It revives in the spring, but I can count on it only for spring interest.
Another thing to consider is creeping tiarella. Some are meant to creep rather than bunch. I have one that cascades over my stone wall. Sorry, but I can't remember the cutivar. It should be easy to look up though.