NATIVE GROUNDCOVERS 

by Susan Haake, Co-chair, NPSNJ Hunterdon Chapter
For PDF file  Click Here

DR means Deer Resistant 

Why Native Plants?

Native plants support diverse and balanced food webs that are essential to sustainable ecosystems.

  • Adapted to climate and soils
  • Provide pollen for native bees and ants, nectar host plants for native butterflies, and berries and seed for native birds
  • Do not require fertizer

Why these plants?

Native plant species have co-evolved with insects and other animals from our region and are suited to this habitat.

  • Regionally native
  • Self propagate, but not invasive
  • Their genetic diversity ensures that they remain adapted to local conditions and can withstand periods of drought, heat and freezing temperatures


Native Groundcovers for Sunny Locations

Heuchera americana xxx

"American coralbells" is a small mounding woodland plant with round lobed leaves and tall panicles with significant blooms in late spring. grows 1-2' high and wide in organically rich moist soil. Part shade to part sun.

Antennaria plantaginifolia Antennaria_plantaginifolia

"Pussy toes" is best grown in lean, gritty to rocky, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Does not do well in fertile, humusy soils with poor drainage. In optimum growing conditions, however, it can spread by stolons to form a dense mat. DR

Fragaria virginiana Fragaria-virginiana

"Wild Strawberry" is winter hardy to Zones 4-9. Grows in fertile, moist well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers organically rich, sandy loams. Cool-season perennial. After setting fruit, plants may go dormant in hot summer months. DR

Packera aurea Packera_aurea

"Golden ragwort" grows in medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Blooms well in shady locations in spring. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Freely self-seeds and naturalizes into large colonies in optimum growing conditions. DR

Sedum ternatum Antennaria_plantaginifolia

"3-Leaved Stonecrop" easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerates part shade and moist soils better than most other sedums. DR

Phlox stolonifera Phlox-stolonifera

"Creeping Phlox" Best grown in acidic, humusy, soil with even, medium moisture. Good shade tolerance but blooms better with some sun. Species self-seeds in optimum growing conditions. Spreads by stolons to form large colonies in the wild. DR


Native Groundcovers for Shady Locations

Tiarella cordifolia tiarella-cordifolia

"Foamflower" Grows in well-drained soil in part to full shade. Prefers organically rich. Soil should not be allowed to dry out. Wet soils, particularly in winter, can be fatal, however. Remove flower spikes after bloom. Foliage is semi-evergreen. DR
Photos

Carex appalachica xxx

"Appalachian sedge" grows in dense mounded tufts. This sedge thrives in dry woods. Plants are indigenous to dry or mesic deciduous or evergreen deciduous forests. They occur in clearings, wooded slopes and shaded rock outcrops. DR

Asarum canadense xxx

"Wild Ginger" Prefers constantly moist, acidic soils in heavy shade. Spreads slowly by rhizomes. Cupshaped, purplish brown flowers (1" wide) appear in spring on short, ground-level stems. Not related to culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale). DR
Photos

Hydrophyllum virginianum xxx

"Virginia waterleaf" grows in medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Blooms well in shady locations in spring. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. Freely self-seeds and naturalizes into large colonies in optimum growing conditions. DR

Hydrastis canadensis xxx

"Goldenseal" Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in part shade. Prefers well-composted soils with lots of leaf mold.Hydrastine is a bitter alkaloid which is extracted from the rootstock for certain pharmacological purposes. All parts of the plant are poisonous in large doses, however. DR

Podophyllum peltatum xxx

"Mayapple" Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade. Prefers rich, moist, humusy soils. Often forms large colonies in the wild. Goes dormant in the summer. DR
Photos


Native Grasses for Sun

Native grasses are easy to care for and these grasses prefer dry, sandy, poor soil and are drought tolerant. Native grasses provide food and shelter for insects and wildlife and are Deer Resistant. Leave grasses up all winter for added interest and cut back in the early spring.

Schizachyrium scoparium xxx

"Little bluestem" is native to prairies, fields, roadsides, waste areas and open woods. Performs well in poor soils. Good drought resistance once established. Tolerates high heat and humidity. Cut to the ground in late winter to early spring. DR

Panicum virgatum xxx

"Switchgrass" Generally performs best in full sun and prefers moist, sandy or clay soils. May flop in overly rich soils. Grows primarily in clumps, but will slowly spread by slightly creeping rhizomes. DR

Sporobolus heterolepsis xxx

"Prairie dropseed" a clump-forming, warm season perennial grass which typically occurs in prairies, glades, and open ground. Prefers dry, rocky soils and has good drought tolerance. Slow-growing and slow to establish. DR

 

Eragrostis spectabilis xxx

"Purple love grass" is a warm season bunchgrass that performs best in sandy soils and in hot, dry locations. Good resistance to drought. Plants spread by self-seeding and by stems rooting along the ground at the nodes. In August, soft reddish-purple flowers appear in a loose, open inflorescence. DR

Sorghastrum nutans xxx

"Indian grass" Does well in poor, dry, infertile soils. Tends to open up and/or flop in moist, rich soils. May naturalize by self-seeding in optimum growing conditions. Typically occurs in prairies, glades and open woods. Foliage turns orange-yellow in fall. DR

Bouteloua gracilis xxx

"Blue grama"Only 12-14 in. in full flower, this is among the shortest of the native ornamental grasses. It is fine-leaved and produces blue-green seedheads which are suspended horizontally like tiny brushes from the tip of each stem. Drought-tolerant, andclump- forming, it will form sod mats. DR


Native Sedges & Grasses for Shade

Unlike most ornamental grasses, sedges are cool-season plants. Sedges thrive in the cool weather of early spring, take a long siesta during summer while perennials flourish, then come back strong in late fall. Like grasses, they are deer-resistant.

Chasmanthium latifolium xxx

"River oats" Grows in average, to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, fertile soils. One of the more shade tolerant of the ornamental grasses. Self-seeds and may spread aggressively. Flat, drooping seed heads emerge green but turn purplish bronze by late summer. DR

Carex blanda xxx

"Common wood sedge" is a rhizomatous perennial that matures into compact mounded clumps. The shiny deep green foliage is evergreen and up to 8" long. In late spring, green flower spikes shoot above the leaves. Prefers part sun to part shade in moist to mesic soils. DR

Carex rosea xxx

"Rosy Sedge"can tolerate dry to medium-wet sites with full shade or semi-shade. It has very narrow, fine leaves and a slight rose tint to the seedhead. it is a cool-season plant which actively grows during the spring and fall. DR

 

 

Carex appalachica xxx

"Appalachian sedge" grows in dense mounded tufts. This sedge thrives in dry woods. Plants are indigenous to dry or mesic deciduous or evergreen deciduous forests. They occur in clearings, wooded slopes and shaded rock outcrops. DR

Carex flaccosperma xxx

"Blue wood sedge" Thrives in moist soils in wet woodlands. This is an evergreen sedge that forms attractive clumps (6-10" tall) of fine-textured, narrow, grass-like, glaucous, bluegreen leaves (to 3/8" wide). Carex flaccosperma var. glaucodea is more typically found in drier acidic soils of wooded slopes, upland ridges. DR

Carex plantaginea xxx

"Seersucker sedge" Shiny deep green leaves are unusually broad (to 1 1/8") and puckered and grows 6- 12" tall in moist shade. An excellent, mostly evergreen groundcover forms clumps which can be deivided regularly. DR