Need ground cover ideas for sloping area

drtmama · Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:39 pm

The area on the sides of our house goes downhill as does most of our property!

Anyone have any suggestions for an easy to grow and fast growing ground cover for zone 7 in a part sun area? This side covers a spot about 30 ft by 100ft and the other side is part to full shade about 30 ft x 60 ft.

Got any ideas?

Thanks.

Jackie

LJ0913 · Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:55 am

I have the same issue. I have 4 garden boxes built into a hillside and finding little on this subject. I hope someone chimes in soon. I was thinking of ground cover in hopes it will 'hold' the hillside up.

Larry

cynthia_h · Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:36 pm

Please look in the Lawn and Landscaping forums for more discussions like this one. In fact, I've moved this thread to Landscaping because "Tips on Gardening" won't bring this discussion to the eyes of many experienced ground-cover people.

Esp. take a look at

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11835

for some specific recommendations about ground covers in a difficult area.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

MagnoliaMan · Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:23 pm

I have observed 'Halls' and 'Hall's purpleleaf' honeysuckle planted on steeply sloping areas. However, depending on your location it may be considered an "invasive" plant, so use caution with this suggestion. It depends where you are in the country. Here I have seen it planted on STEEPLY sloping areas through weed barrier material that has been sliced open in X's or crosses with 9" openings each way along the X or cross to allow the base of the plant to expand -about every two feet on center along the weed barrier. Seems to work.
MagnoliaMan

rainbowgardener · Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:39 pm

For your shady area, you couldn't do better than native wild ginger (asarum canadense). It is hardy, spreads pretty fast but isn't invasive, makes a dense ground cover that does a good job of choking out most weeds, and is attractive. Other native shade tolerant choices would be green-and-gold, foam flower (tiarella). Mayapple and wintergreen are also really nice but a lot slower growing and harder to establish.