User avatar
pinksand
Greener Thumb
Posts: 869
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:13 am
Location: Columbia, MD

Thoughts on Blue Star Creeper

I have a stepping stone path through my garden and have been trying to establish some ground cover in between the stones. Initially I alternated between mazus reptans and wooly thyme, but this is my 3rd year trying to get the wooly thyme established and I’ve decided to give up on it. Growing up in Colorado, we always had wooly thyme thrive between flagstones and it’s probably my favorite ground cover, but despite this location being sunny and sandy, the water also flows down the path during rain storms and it’s just too wet for the drought loving thyme. This April was extremely dry and the thyme flourished and filled in beautifully, but as soon as rainy May hit the thyme all but disappeared with the exception of a spot where it cascades over some rocks. I’m sure the humidity in our area doesn’t help either!

Anyway, I’ve been transplanting plugs of mazus to fill in the bare patches and I’ve been happy with this option for the most part. One thing is that I hate the smell of it… I find it nauseating when it’s pulled or crushed! It definitely spreads fast, but I don’t find that it smothers any of the plants and happily grows around them, which is what I wanted and it has the space to do this without being anywhere near the lawn. I do try to keep it from extending too far into the bed though and haven't had a problem pulling it up when needed.

There’s one section of the path inside of our fence that had been reserved for the thyme and now it’s nearly bare. I’d wanted a different ground cover here to distinguish the transition from front to back yard and purchased some blue star creeper. I haven’t planted it yet and started reading up about the plant. Unfortunately what I’m reading has me scared to plant this delicate little ground cover! My question is, just how aggressive is it? Am I going to regret putting this in the ground? I purchased it because I’d seen it recommended for pathways in about a million magazines and websites and I just wanted something different than the mazus. It also seemed like it would do well in this spot.

Has anyone grown this? Do you love it/hate it?

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I have nothing to contribute re: blue star creeper but .... Can we see some pictures of the area? :-()

...also, have you considered creeping phlox?

nltaff
Senior Member
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:02 am
Location: Central NY (rural) Zone 5

Yes, please, pictures!

nltaff
Senior Member
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:02 am
Location: Central NY (rural) Zone 5

pinksand, I now understand your concerns about the BSC. Those creeping rhizomes look just like couch grass and apparently are as difficult to eradicate. I was thinking that even though you seem to be going for the blue flower, perhaps golden creeping jenny would complement it. Lysimachia nummularia "Aurea" This is in my yard, here and there. I grab some of it up if I want to fill in around stones. Shade makes it greener, ranging from lime-emerald, but sun really makes it glow a sunny yellow and the leaves have a sweet little roundness to it. If you don't like it, it wouldn't be difficult to get rid of it. It is one of those perennials that has "insignificant" flowers-barely noticeable-little star-shaped things. It always makes me smile when I see it because it is so sunny-yellow.

nltaff
Senior Member
Posts: 142
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:02 am
Location: Central NY (rural) Zone 5

FWIW, I have a plant I hate the smell of as well-hotunya or Chameleon Plant. I was intrigued by the multi colored foliage at first. Great for wet soil and spreads creating a foot tall ground cover. Oh, but does it stink. It's established ugh, under my bedroom window!!! One of these days, I'll have to get rid of it.

User avatar
KeyWee
Senior Member
Posts: 231
Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2008 2:50 pm
Location: West Kentucky

Um yeah ~ good luck with that! I have been trying to get rid of houttunyia for years and it keeps coming back unless you get every teensy little bit of the white roots. I sometimes can smell that odor in my sleep ~ it stinks like rotten plastic. Ack.

User avatar
pinksand
Greener Thumb
Posts: 869
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:13 am
Location: Columbia, MD

Here's a photo of the path currently with the Mazus
Image

I know it is overgrown and needs some TLC, don't judge me :oops:

Here's where I'd like to plant the blue star creeper. You can see where the wooly thyme is still alive where it drapes over the rocks.
Image

This was the wooly thyme maybe a year ago... It had been flourishing here for a couple of years but didn't tolerate our wet May this year and has vanished from this location :(
Image

Haha Chameleon plant! My mom received that lovely gift from a neighbor... I've been trying to help her get rid of it for years now but it fortunately didn't get a chance to really get established so I only see a stray piece here and there now.

Creeping Jenny makes me nervous from what I've read as well so I've avoided planting that in the past. You haven't had trouble with it taking over?

Creeping phlox is an interesting idea, but I find it prickly and I often walk this path in bare feet.

SFGardener
Newly Registered
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2016 9:36 pm
Location: Marin County, CA Zone 10B

I just planted a variety called "Miniature Blue Star Creeper" which is supposed to be less invasive. I've alternated white and blue varieties and the little blooms create a rather stunning contrast. I think they'd look lovely on your path.



Return to “Perennials”