Home Tip Tuesday: 7 tough Groundcovers to Try


Groundcovers can add beauty to your yard and garden while simplifying the amount of mowing and tedious maintenance you need to do. By keeping weeds at bay, groundcovers make your garden to-do list easier. Attractive, tough groundcovers hold up in challenging environments, return year after year, and require little or no care. Here are 7 favorites to try. 



1. Winecups - A native flower that's related to hibiscus, winecups grows well in hardiness zones 4 to 9. These plants are drought-tolerant and heat-tolerant, and bear flowering burgundy cups for one month in the summer. Winecups grows to a height and width of one foot. Plant winecups 3 feet apart and enjoy full coverage within two years' time. 

2. Sedum - Like succulents? Then sedum is the tough groundcover you need to try. A member of the succulent family, sedum is drought-tolerant and turns a pretty pink hue in autumn. Topping out at 4 inches in height, this low-growing plant is perfect for walkways and edges. Sedum does best in full sun and is suited to hardiness zones 5 to 9. 

Bearberry

3. Bearberry - Are you stuck with a dry, sandy, hot spot in the garden? Bearberry is the perfect choice of tough groundcover. The plant can grow to 4 inches tall by 20 inches wide. A native evergreen, bearberry has rich green leaves that turn maroon in autumn. It's suited to hardiness zones 2 to 6. 

4. Bishop's weed - A shade-loving groundcover that spreads quickly, bishop's weed grows well in hardiness zones 4 to 9. It features either green or variegated green-and-white leaves and attains a maximum height of 12 inches. 

5. Creeping thyme - Creeping forms of this aromatic herb grow well in borders, beds, and more. Leaves can be plucked and used fresh or dried; creeping thyme can handle a moderate amount of foot traffic. Thyme does best in full sun, and is suited to hardiness zones 5 to 9. 

Creeping Thyme

6. Sweet woodruff - A delicate woodland plant that thrives in full shade, sweet woodruff spreads well. Tiny white flowers in spring add to the visual interest of this plant. Sweet woodruff ranges from 6 to 12 inches in height and has a clumping behavior. It's suitable for hardiness zones 4 to 8. 

7. Brass buttons - Maxing out at 3 inches in height, this colorful plant features yellow flowers and dark grey or purple leaves. Plant brass buttons in full sun to part shade. This tough groundcover hails from New Zealand and is suitable to zones 5 to 9. 

Find these tough groundcovers at your local garden center, and please visit homechanneltv.com for more gardening tips.