Do you have a difficult spot in your yard where it’s challenging to grow attractive plants? Perhaps a low to mid-height flowering groundcover will help! Read more here– Weed Suppressive Ground Covers (cornell.edu)
Tough weed suppressors require minimal maintenance but do require basic preparation for a successful outcome.
- Start in a clean, weed-free spot. Use a hoe to dig out any perennial weed roots. These plants can push out any weeds germinating from seed, but may not compete well with deeper weed roots.
- Till in some organic matter (compost is best) to help sandy or clay soils.
- Add 2-4 inches mulch between plants while they are young and getting established.
- Soak well at planting and keep moist until established in their new home.
- While groundcover is filling in, hand weed or gently hoe around the new plants.
- To discourage encroachment, mulch borders.
The following flowering low-growing ground covers thrive in part-sun to part-shade in our local Zone 5.
| White Heather Aster | Dense 3-4″ mounds of dark green foliage in September | Drought tolerant |
| Aster ericoides | ||
| “Snow Flurry” | ||
| Two Row Stonecrop | Creeping 3-4″ fleshy evergreen leaves with pink flowers in late summer | Likes dry soils |
| Sedum Spurium | ||
| “John Creech” | ||
| Leadwort | 12-18″ mats. Lime-green foliage with tinges of red. Clear blue star-shaped flowers with red seedheads, summer to fall. | Vigorous grower, may spread in garden bed. |
| Ceratostigma plumbaginoides | ||
| Lady’s Mantle | 12-18″ clumps. Large round light green-gray leaves sparkle when holding moisture droplets. Sprays of small yellow- green flowers. | Full sun to partial shade. Likes moist soil. |
| Alchemilla mollis | ||
For further information and resources visit:
Submitted by Eleanor Callanan, Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in Training
