Favorite Ground Cover/Crawling Herb?

[AreaCode707]

Putting in some new mounds of dirt in the back yard and would like to do an herb ground cover if possible. I was thinking maybe mother of thyme or something similar; does anyone have any recommendations that have done well for them? I'm in zone 8.

[bigdoug]

I've used mint for ground cover in the past. I loved how it made the yard smell and how prolific it was. The only thing about mint is, it can be rather invasive so it's necessary that it be kept sequestered from other plantings. That was no problem for me though, as I was using it to cover an area where nothing else seemed to want to grow anyway.

[rainbowgardener]

Is it for sun or shade?

Ajuga (bugle weed/ carpet bugle) is a very easy hardy ground cover that tolerates most any exposure, comes in a wide range of foliage colors and variegations.

Green and gold is a native ground cover that's also pretty tolerant, has yellow flowers over a long season.

[Marlingardener]

If your spot is sunny for at least 6 hours a day, how about prostrate rosemary? It smells heavenly, can be used in the kitchen, and has lovely little blue flowers. It isn't invasive but does make a nice heavy cover. It will cascade down the mounds, rooting in every so often.

[AreaCode707]

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll check them out. Not sure I want to do mint in this area because the Northwest that would be a runaway plant, and the ground cover will be on a mound with other plants.

It's a spot with morning and afternoon sun but it is the first area of the yard to fall into shadow as the sun sinks behind the house in the evening.

[chriswelch]

I'll agree with Marlingardener prostrate rosemary is quite a good choice. I have also used woolly thyme, it does well where the plant has good drainage and has tiny purple flowers.

[Gary350]

I think mint is a good choice for ground cover. Mint re-seeds itself so it comes back on its own every year.

Herbs like full sun, hot and dry. I have a place that is mostly lime stone gravel, sand, and some compost that I added. It is so hot and dry not may weeds or grass will grow there but the herbs love it.

[cynthia_h]

Mint is *very* invasive in northern California. I'm not sure where you live, Area707, but unless you have freezing winters on a regular basis, the mint will take over everything else if it's not containerized. Mine has managed to grow from one side of the sidewalk *underneath* to the other side.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[AreaCode707]

Hey Cynthia,

The garden I'm working on currently is in Redmond, Washington, zone 8. Mint would take over pretty quickly. I'm liking the rosemary and woolly thyme ideas!

[AreaCode707]

Wound up with some red creeping thyme for the front yard and orange spice thyme for the backyard. Still looking for prostrate rosemary in my area.