I'm afraid you may be in for a long search. Since you're too cold for Mondo and probably for Liriope, you'll have trouble finding something in a grass which is low-growing and dark. Dark green is going to be the best you can hope for. Google "Carex Pensylvanica" and look at its images. If it suits your criteria, it's extremely carefree and easy to grow.

Look for Microbiota decussata, also known as Russian or Siberian cypress. It is a true groundcover-type conifer, only growing about a foot tall (and that's being generous) but spreads nicely to cover 5-6 feet. It has a soft, feathery foliage texture and turns color in winter, becoming a bronzy plum color. (Ignore the "dirty brown" comment in the attached link. This plant gets amazing attention in our display garden in midwinter due to its unusual and attractive coloration) Pines or spruces really are not ideal chioces for a groundcover conifer as few grow low enough or spread enough to be effective. That's why junipers are so popular for this purpose. The Microbiota is a much classier and less common choice. Very hardy as well. Here is a link that might be useful: Microbiota decussata

wow! Such great advice in no time at all! Thanks so much! As far as actual square footage... we have a 2 acre lot that my husband I battle over every summer. It's turning into a kind of game, well for me anyway... :) He's attempting to plant a small "grass farm" and I'd like to do more "non-grass" landscaping with rocks, bushes, flowers and maybe a bench. So, I get the hills, slopes and other places he has deemed not acceptable to be part of his grass farm. ha. He's really not that bad, but we do go back and forth. I told him not to plant grass along the northern strip where I've planted my 30+ evergreen tree windbreak and he did it anyway so I covered it with weed barrier and killed it. oh - my - gosh ... was I in trouble. You'd think I'd just killed his best friend. Don't get me wrong, I admire his appreciation and love of the green stuff, I just think it has it's place and it wasn't between my trees!! :) Seriously though... I have a 700 sq ft. slope to work with although I don't want wall-to-wall bushes/shrubs as I plan to bring in some rocks and add more perennial flowers, flowering bushes and bulbs to get it as low maintenace as possible while still looking nice. (it partially surrounds the circle drive so it's what people see from the front windows and when leaving) Next I have a 480 sq ft road front to work with that I would like very low evergreen creepers for (80'w x 6'd). The backdrop are huge slabs of sand stone and a hedge of cotoneasters. (just working on curb appeal here) In addition, I need 25-30 individual plantings for spaces between the evergreens to help cover landscape fabric, retain moisture, etc.. 8 of these may eventually be overshrouded by the colorado blue spruce row of the windbreak but that will be awhile from now (and at that point they will be in partial shade) so I'm hoping to do something there that will cover ground now and provide some kind of color contrast later. Thanks so much for all the detailed information! I really appreciate the help!! Happy Planting! Tina

I'm looking for some input on what kind of wild grass to plant in the woodland behind our home. I want something that can serve as a ground-cover and food source for the local wildlife. I'd like to find a plant that will grow up to at least 24" in height and can easily be spread over the forest floor without a great deal of preparation work involved with the soil... if such a thing exists!! The amount of area I want to cover is only about 1 acre and the land is wooded but not heavily. The plant will need to be somewhat shade tolerant but will receive a fair amount of sunlight at various times of the day.