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ground cover suggestions with irises

18 years ago

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a groundcover to go with my irises. The irises are planted underneath a laurel tree with a fountain behind them. The previous owners of our home planted ivy with the irises. The ivy is gorgeous, but it is taking over everything in its path. If anyone has a good suggestions, I would really appreciate it!

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Comments (5)

iris_gal
18 years ago
Ground covers by definition take over.
Maybe a low growing clumping plant would work? Or are you wanting something to grow between rather than in front of?
I've used an Achillea (sp?) which does spread so needs thinning.
birdnest
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you Iris Gal. I might try something low growing, because I really do love the way the ivy looks with the irises and something that grew low to the ground that I could have a little more control over would be nice.

I have always thought ivy was so beautiful, but had no idea it would choke the life out of everything around it. It seems almost as bad as kudzu.
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Mazus reptans has worked well for me in these conditions. It flowers purple or white ('alba') mostly in the spring, with some intermittent summer flowers. I actually have this mixed in with the yellow ('aurea') creeping jenny that watergal mentions above, so there is bright color even when there are no flowers. I think that Vinca minor, which also flowers in spring, would also do okay in your conditions. Both the creeping jenny and the vinca minor spread quickly, but are fairly easy to keep in check in my yard by pulling here and there. In a completely different vein (annual), I wonder if New Guinea impatiens -- i.e., the kind that like sun -- would mind wet feet; might be something to explore, if flowers rather than foliage is the main concern. Good luck.
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Purple verbena. Very low growing mat forming. I'm also in zone 9 and the plants have been blooming non-stop, even a little in the winter.
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For very flat, I'd suggest Dymondia, although not at its best in heavy shade. Beach strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis, is another possibility for a very low growing plant. And although it does develop some height over time (it layers on top of itself), my favorite groundcover is Taiwan raspberry, Rubus pentalobus (syn. R. calycinoides). All of these are highly rated as being very waterwise for SoCal gardens.
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I'm pretty sure creeping phlox would turn up its toes pretty fast in a 10b!! It does in my zone and I don't get anywhere that hot and dry. And I'm not sure how many of the plants under consideration/listed are actual groundcovers. Do they need to hold up to foot traffic? And blooming "most of the year" is a bit optimistic as well :-) The creeping thyme is an excellent choice and there are a variety of cultivars that will offer that coloring.....'Pink Chintz'and 'Magic Carpet' are a couple of choices. I'd also consider Dianthus 'Bath's Pink' or Sedum spurium 'John Creech' or Polygonum capitatum. And the hardy geraniums (cranesbill) G. sanguineum 'Striatum' or 'Elke' and Geranium riversleaianum 'Mavis Simpson'.
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Creech444
18 years ago
I've been trying a few things lately with my Hydrangea beds.

1) Ajuga, fills in nicely, not quite as invasive/aggresive as Ivy

2) Woodland Phlox, I love this combination, They're blooming now before the Hydrangeas fill in, they make a nice mat ofof blue blooms, and when it starts looking ratty the hydrangeas fill in. It's perrienial, adn dies back, which allows you to clean out the hydrangea beds during the fall/winter

3) May Apples, make a really nice thick mat of leaves held up over the mulch. Again, by the time they are spent and start looking ratty, the Hydrangeas fill in.

4) Pachasandra also seems to work nicely, it's more behaved than Ivey, but gives you the overall same effect.

Like someone suggested above too infill plants that aren't necessary ground covers work well too. I've got some big spots of Autumn, Shield, Ostrich, painted ferms between the more open spots between hydrangeas.

And you can't go wrong with Hosta.

One thing I"m trying this year too is the groundcover hydrangea that Wilkerson Mills sells. Its supposed to stay very low, and allow you to underplant older more upright hydrangea bushes.
numama
18 years ago
I am getting ready to plant some pansies around some of my Iris to see how I like it.
Nancy
Creech444
18 years ago
Ooops sorry, got my two favorite forums (Hydrangeas and Irises) confused on ground covers.

With Iris I've had good luck with Chrysantemum Pacificum.

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