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Wildlife Garden

Groundcover for shade

17 years ago

I would appreciate any suggestions-I have an acre of property, and it is shaded all along its perimeter with large trees. There is nothing underneath them except dirt. I have planted some shrubs that take shade, but I would also like to plant some groundcovers. They obviously will have to take shade, and I would like something wildlife can use for cover or food- with the exception of deer. I would be thankful for any advice.

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Comments (8)

knottyceltic
17 years ago
Virginia Creeper is nice but don't plant any vinca or english ivy or you will never get rid of it.

I personally stay away from ground covers and go for lots of plant materials like hostas, ferns and flowy shade perennials. There are tens of thousands of hosta varieties alone and likely almost as many types of ferns. Bleeding Hearts look FABULOUS in a woodsy setting, many varieties of trillium and jack in the pulpit, beautiful virginia bluebells, astilbes in many colours, coral bells in many foliage as well as flower colour, bunchberry, wild nodding onion, blue cohosh, trout lily, corydallis in a few shades of yellow, white, pinks etc.. wood lilies, many varieties of pulmonaria, white/yellow/lavender/purple wild violets, baneberries (white and red), false solomon's seal, smooth solomon's seal, cardinal flower, hellebores, bergenias, impatiens, anemones, monkshood, primrose, monkeyflowers, fuschias and many more...

Why just plant boring old ground cover when there are so many beautiful things you could fill in the space with?

Barb
southern Ontario, CANADA
rudysmallfry
17 years ago
What about Sweet Woodruff? (Galium odoratum) It like full or partial shade, has pretty foliage, tiny white flowers, spreads indefinitely, and smells like fresh cut hay when you step on it. The book I found it in covers southeast Canada. I'm not sure what zone that would ultimately be, but it sound pretty hardy.
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Agreeing w/ fawnridge - if this is an area where kids will be playing, mulch would likely be best for the most heavily trodden spots, since playing on it would probably kill anything else you plant. I keep the leaves under my live oak as a groundcover (& it seems to keep the acorns from sprouting), w/ borders of bromeliads & ferns. I have a few shrubs that seem to be doing ok in the heavy shade: firebush, justicia & Panama rose, and/ a red-orange Phillipine violet (Barleria repens) that is a rather invasive groudcover, but easy to pull up. Check out Floridata's plant list for info & lists of plants by desired features like shade, type, etc... Here is a link that might be useful: Floridata
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I have had huge success with euonymus fortunei (wintercreeper). It forms a dense ground cover that is highly tolerant of foot traffice. It's evergreen (some varieties turn purple in the winter), easy, easy maintenance, very shade tolerant (mine is on the north side of the house) and can be trimmed nicely to have a 3-4 inch high endge.
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I will second this suggestion. The prior owners of our house used it as a ground cover under and around large oak trees in the back beside a high deck. This bed is shaded and the little ground cover does wonderfully well. We have a large dog and his activity doesn't damage the planting, plus I walk over it to reach a water faucet. It is very hardy and tough and stays green year round. If they wish to add a bit of color, just place three pots of varying heights together and put some bright Impatients in them. Lovely and cool. Mary Here is a link that might be useful: Mondo Grass photo and description
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Try Saxifraga umbrosa 'Primuloides'. It looks like a succulent but isn't and grows very well in full shade.
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kelp
17 years ago
My favorites are: wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), bunchberry (Cornus canadenis), partidgeberry (Mitchella repens), Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica), and box huckleberry (Gayluassacia brachycera). The last one is hard to find. The only place around here that it can be found is "Garden in the Woods." (MA)
vonyon
17 years ago
Kelp! I bought a huckleberry at Garden in the Woods! But it died pretty quickly. If I'm not mistaken, they are fussy about acid or something. Am I remembering that correctly?
skankycat
17 years ago
How good is your soil? We use sensitive ferns - they spread really fast on their own.
kelp
17 years ago
Vonyon--Yes, they like it moist,well-drained,(add a touch of pool sand) acidic, and VERY organic. Lots of compost, shredded leaves, etc. added to the soil at planting time. Oh, yea, partial shade,too.
thistle5
17 years ago
Great list, Barb, I'd add epimedium, geraniums, tricyrtris, bletilla striata, saxifrage-but I think hellebores are my favorite, they just are so beautiful year-round. I need to add more ferns & hostas, but heucheras are another plant that you could add forever, w/ all the new varieties...
User
17 years ago
Lots of good ideas, but, what kind of trees are they. Some trees and other plants inhibit the growth under and arround them. I would hate for anyone to plant a dream garden and then watch it die.

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