Shade Tolerant Ground Cover to Stop Stormwater Erosion
bettywiener
10 years ago
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agardenstateof_mind
10 years agoedlincoln
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Ground Cover - South Facing Steep Slope
Comments (8)You definitely have a problem. The only thing that will completely stabilize your slope is clump forming grasses - they have roots that go at least 15 feet down, virtually everything else has surface roots. And many clumping grasses will tolerate clay soil and full sun. But they don't give a groomed garden look. They can look neat and tidy but that involves a lot of work on your part, and slopes are hard to work on. If this was my problem I would aim for a wildflower meadow look with plenty of tall grasses to try to keep things stable and I would add in the daylilies, black eyed susans and such to keep something blooming all summer long. I have seen slopes covered in Verbena so some people make that work. It always dies out after a few years in my yard. Some forms of it are amazingly winter hardy and pretty much bloom year round. I have seen slopes covered in blue rug junipers also. I love the easy maintenance but you have to remove every speck of grass or weeds because they can overpower the shrubs and weeding on a steep slope is difficult. Also, any shrub is going to need a lot of watering to get it established and if this summer is a dry one, that will be hard to do. If the clay is holding up and not washing downhill you may not need to worry about erosion control at first. It all depends on just how steep your slope is. If you live in a neighborhood where a wildflower meadow out front won't go over well you could choose one type of plant and cover the entire slope with it. That mass of uniformity will look managed and planned and hopefully solve your problem and depending on what you grow could be virtually maintenance free....See MoreGround cover for erosion control in zone 7
Comments (1)If you live in the greater Seattle area or anywhere close to Puget Sound, you are zone 8. Zone 7 is not until you are up in the Cascade foothills. Woody groundcovers are the best for erosion control and these are never available by seed. A 75 degree slope is extremely steep and I would suggest using geotextiles to secure the slope before planting. Plants that could work for you are kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), bearberry (Cotoneaster dammeri), creeping raspberry (Rubus calycinoides), salal (Gaultheria shallon) and low Oregon grape (Mahonia repens). All will tolerate partial shade, all are evergreen and the kinnikinnick, salal and Oregon grape are native plants so minimal maintenance required once established. Another excellent plant for slope stabilization that is not a groundcover is our native western sword fern, Polystichum munitum....See Morewhich ground cover for erosion control
Comments (1)Erosion control is best accomplished by something that has a deep root system and a wide spreading habit, so any herbaceous groundcover (one that dies back in winter) is not going to work well. Ferns are an excellent choice. You could also consider Pachysandra or creeping lirope. Their root system is not all that deep but they spread well to form a mat-like surface that will deflect rainwater. And although I hate to suggest it, in your area, English ivy might even be appropriate....See MoreHillside erosion protection / ground cover
Comments (15)Hi everyone, thanks for the responses. The area is definitely in full sun. The photo shows the most shade and that was 8-9 am. As the day progresses, the sun is more direct and covers more. @laceyvail 6A, WV @emmarene9 I did not think about pachysandra not doing well in the sun. I guess that's out then. I am really not a huge fan of Juniper, to be honest. I have always looked at this as woody and just not my cup of tea. Regarding the tired approach. I had not really given that any thought. I think this point I am gone too far to redo it. I have 2 other projects on the run on the property also. @Yardvaark @Christopher CNC Thanks for your feedback. I am chipping all the branches hopefully this sat. If it appears too steep, I will get some shredded mulch also to tie it together. I Seeded the top and loads of Straw yesterday. hopefully, we will get away with no thunderstorms for a few weeks. @Yardvaark I had never see this bush clover before. Is it a low growing clover that roots everywhere or a single root bush? How is vinca minor as ground cover to protect and spread? Any other options that would line full sun? thanks for your input everyone. Much appreciate it...See Morejcalhoun
10 years agokelp
10 years agoCarrie B
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10 years agoIanW Zone 5 Ont. Can.
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8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
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8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
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8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
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8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
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8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agotexasranger2
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
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8 years agoedlincoln
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ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado