Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - February 11, 2016
From: Salado, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Groundcovers
Title: Vinca as a groundcover
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Someone told me that Vinca would be a great ground cover for my very large mostly shaded area. How can I establish it and where can I get it? Thanks in advance.ANSWER:
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center would not recommend either Vinca major or Vinca minor since both are native to Europe and Asia and are considered invasive because they grow and take over areas where our native plants grow. There are several native groundcover plants that we can recommend that will do well in your mostly shady areas.
- Carex texensis (Texas sedge) forms a turf-like cover.
- Carex planostachys (Cedar sedge) grows in clumps but can be combined with other low-growing species.
- Phyla nodiflora (Texas frogfruit) remains evergreen when protected from frost.
- Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf sage) is evergreen and has lavender-colored flowers.
- Calyptocarpus vialis (Horseherb) tolerates moderate foot traffic.
- Ruellia nudiflora (Violet ruellia) works well as a groundcover and tolerates mowing.
- Rivina humilis (Pigeonberry) works well as a groundcover in shade and part shade.
You can check our National Suppliers Directory for nurseries and seed companies near you that specialize in native plants. Native American Seed in Junction, Texas has a few of these available. The Wildflower Center Spring Plant Sale occurs in April 2016—April 9 for members only, April 10-11 for the general public. Check the Spring Plant Sale page closer to the time of the sale for lists of plants available at the sale.
From the Image Gallery
More Groundcovers Questions
Plants for a sandy slope at a weekend cabin in central WI.
June 30, 2009 - I have a cabin in central Wisconsin where the soil is equivalent to a sandy beach. There are some areas that are nearly impossible to mow because of how steep the incline is. Could you recommend som...
view the full question and answer
Destructive landscape crews in The Woodlands TX
October 20, 2012 - Hi. We need help. We recently moved to a house where landscape crews have been blowing away the leaf litter from the front yard for many years. The underbrush was also cleared long ago. The result...
view the full question and answer
Native plants for memorial garden in Michigan
March 04, 2008 - I want to start a memorial garden for my daughter. I live in northern Michigan and the area has very tall white pines we have pruned them up about 15' so the area does get partial sun. Which plants w...
view the full question and answer
Salt-tolerant groundcover for shade with no water supply
September 11, 2013 - We have a home in Neptune Beach (Jacksonville) Florida (NE Florida).
We have a large area outside our ground floor master bedroom that is completely covered (there is a large solid deck above it). ...
view the full question and answer
Deer Resistant, Fast Growing Groundcover Suggestions for Georgia
April 20, 2013 - Our driveway is 1/4 mile in length and is steep on both sides (one side up one side down). It currently has grass that our contractor planted using seed when we built our house. We are unable to cut t...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |