Shade Tolerant Ground Cover to Stop Stormwater Erosion
bettywiener
10 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (59)
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 MoreQuick groundcover for large area to stop erosion
Comments (1)Have you considered the chameleon plant, Houttuynia Cordata? I have the same problem as you, only on a smaller scale. I'm in the process of buying and trading for it right now. Read up on it~there's a lot of info out there, a lot negative because it is so invasive. Good luck...See Moreground cover, tolerates shade and some foot traffic?
Comments (9)I agree that the dog and son will create more than just light traffic. Some parts of the yard will get little or no traffic, but other areas will be trampled bare. The best plant for a situation like yours is grass. Why not plan for grass with some compatible native plants in the grass? Lots of smaller wildflowers will grow well with grass, and you can add some non-natives as well to create a nice woodland meadow sort of effect. Natives that grow well with grass include violets of several species (violets also serve as larval food plants for several types of butterflies), spring beauties, perhaps trout lilies if you have a moist area, and many others. I am sure that the members of the list could add many plants to this list. I an thinking mainly of plants that are low enough that a mower won't damage them too much. For ideas you need only look in the grass at places like state parks, larger city or county parks, church camps, and similar places where there is grass under trees that is mowed but never treated with chemicals. You could also also add smaller bulbs like crocus, snowdrops, grape hyacinth, etc., as well as english daisies. These aren't native but won't spread outside your yard. With the spring bulbs and wildflowers you should delay cutting in the spring, or cut with a mower set as high as possible, to give the plants time to grow and store food for next year before they are cut down....See MoreGround Cover for Shade- Your Thoughts?
Comments (5)Hi Mo - wow...I've lived in several places that I had a LOT of shade....thanks goodness those days are over for me, but maybe I can throw out a few ideas. I had great success once with a "creeping thyme". I got it at Lowes in the spring. I planted it randomly in my courtyard area in the front of my house, which faced the west, but because of structure and large bushes was quite shady. Although I had tried to designate traffic areas, someone was always cutting across it and this really held up well. It was a perrinial so it came back every year and took winter quite well also. The added plus, I could step out my front door anytime I needed the herb (great around the fall and winter holidays) to snip off what I needed! The blooms were pretty, it could suffer thru me forgetting to water and was very low growing. I also had good luck with alyssium (sp?). Although you'll have to plant more often...it does look nice. There's also a spreading moss and I can't remember the name, but it resembles rose moss somewhat in the leaves and is a lighter green, only has yellow blooms. Dang it...my kid's dad's grandmother had it growing all over and I can't remember what she called it. I've seen it recently at my local garden center and since I'm stopping by there frequently, I'll see if I can come up with the name. We just always called it "Grandma Frieda's moss". It also came back every growing season. Good luck. If I had it to do over, I'd plant the creeping thyme again without reservation. Paula...See Morejcalhoun
10 years agokelp
10 years agoCarrie B
10 years agoprincessgrace79
10 years agoIanW Zone 5 Ont. Can.
10 years agoLiz
10 years agodocmom_gw
10 years agoDeborah lippitt
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoUser
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoUser
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoUser
8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agoUser
8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoUser
8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agoUser
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoUser
8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoUser
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agowisconsitom
8 years agoCampanula UK Z8
8 years agoedlincoln
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoUser
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoCampanula UK Z8
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
Related Stories
LANDSCAPE DESIGNHow Grading Shapes the Ground and Manages Stormwater
Understand how an overall grading plan provides a framework for a great landscape design
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNTo Manage Stormwater Sustainably, Understand Your Site
Follow this guide to learn how water moves through your landscape and how best to manage it
Full StoryLAWN ALTERNATIVESTry Adaptable, Shade-Tolerant Sedges for a Grasslike Look
These native ground covers from around the U.S. thrive in shady areas where lawns suffer — and you don’t have to mow them
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES6 Native Ground Covers for Tough, Dry Spots
Sun beating down on your sandy gravel? Thick shade darkening your clay soil? There’s a ground cover here for you
Full StoryFLOWERS AND PLANTS8 Essential Native Ground Cover Plants for the Southeast
These low-growing ferns, shrubs and palms blanket the ground to help with erosion and soil moisture
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Bugle Weed, a Quick Ground Cover
It’s highly adaptable, suppresses weeds, reduces erosion and provide weeks of bright flowers. Just watch for invasiveness
Full StoryGROUND COVERSGround Force: 10 Top Ground Covers for Your Garden
Protect your soil from weeds and drought this summer with a living mulch of ground covers
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN6 Great Ways With Garden Ground Covers
Use them as problem solvers, weed killers, color and texture providers ... ground cover plants have both practical and visual appeal
Full StoryGROUND COVERS10 Succulents That Make Pretty, Easy-Care Ground Covers
These low-growing succulents create interest in the drought-tolerant garden
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNLandscaping Tricks to Manage Stormwater Runoff
Help rainwater absorb slowly back into the earth with paving grids, gravel beds and other porous systems
Full StorySponsored
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado