spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum L.) is a perennial flowering ornamental commonly grown as a landscape plant for an adequate ground cover.. Turf lawn grasses are by far the most popular ground cover plant in residential landscapes, but some places aren't really suitable for grass growth (like arid desert yards) and some people simply prefer more diverse or unique "lawnscaping.". .css-lwn4i5{display:block;font-family:Neutra,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;letter-spacing:-0.01rem;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;text-align:center;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-lwn4i5:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-lwn4i5{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.1;}}9 Best Gardening Subscription Boxes 2023, 20 Best Tall Indoor Plants to Shop Online, 85 Surprising Flower Meanings With Pictures. Avoid planting Chinese lantern in garden beds and near turf grass. Its not often that a plant is classified as an evergreen ground cover, a trailing plant for containers and a houseplant. Yarrow can grow in full sun in nearly any soil and can tolerate drought once established. Key Dead-nettle facts Name - Lamium maculatum Family - Lamiaceae Type - perennial Height - 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) Exposure - full sun to shade Soil - rich and well drained Foliage - deciduous In its native environment, it spreads slowly to cover the forest floor, where deer and rabbits typically leave it alone. Try to plant it in large groupings on a hillside or along the house's foundation to prevent erosion. There are more than 40 species of lamium, but the best are those that are flowering perennials like the Pink Chablis. Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-10 SHOP DEAD NETTLE SEEDS skymoon13 // Getty Images Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 10 Creeping Phlox Finely textured, semi-evergreen, bright green blades form a slowly spreading mass that tops out about six to eight inches tall. Can be invasive in moist, fertile soils. 'Album', has white flowers, shown here blooming before the leaves on September 28, 2011, and spreads to form a ground cover that stays green through the winter . Hostas are definitely not deer-resistant but they are toxic to other animals. Liverleaf (Anemone americana, formerly classified as Hepatica americana) is a perennial wildflower native to North America. This plant is fast growing, and one plant can spread up to two feet or more within a year. In ideal sunny conditions, Amethyst in Snow will spread quite quickly, but you can control it easily by pulling out stray shoots. It spreads by seed, but not aggressively, making its way around the garden in light shade to full shade conditions in USDA Zones 3 through 8. Hailing all the way from Siberia, this cold-hardy evergreen has fern-like foliage that turns a pretty bronzy color in colder climates. Copyright 2013-2023. Clusters of rose-pink flowers appear in spring, then continue off and on until fall, appearing more reliably through summer than other varieties. This easy-care mat-forming ground cover provides pops of purple blooms from mid-spring to early summer. Plant liriope any time for quick growth and spreading. So long as the site affords full sun and good drainage, creeping phlox requires next to nothing in the way of care. The leaves, bulblets and bulbs of the nodding onion plant are edible with a strong onion flavor, but its more common to grow Allium cernuum for its easily identifiable flowers. Plant them with an assortment of other flowering plants in a container garden to have sitting on your porch and lanai, or they trail beautifully from a hanging basket. Pruning it back can help keep rambunctious runners under control or set your mower to high and shear it back after it flowers in the summer. Little Moonshine, for example, reaches about 10 inches high when in bloom; Greek yarrow has lower height and gray-green foliage. Check with your local county extension for any warnings that they may issue for your own region. Creeping Phlox. Lamb's ear creates a soft and silvery dense ground covering mat in a sunny area of your property. Even in Zone 5, where one lives, they persist well into the winter. But its attractive variegated foliage spreads out to two or three times its height. Creeping thyme ground cover is not invasive, helps prevent weeds from growing, and is a natural deer repellent. Cost: Buy 200 seeds for around $7 or a large, potted plant for around $20. A. A critical bit of deadnettle plant info to be aware of, however, is . high and can spread out 2 feet (61 cm.) This low-maintenance plant thrives year-round! They may be plain green, but they are usually spotted or banded in silver-gray. The opposite leaves are silvery green with large silver blotches on the upper surface, lightening up a dark shady area. You may not have thought of using an onion as a ground cover, but doing so has some important advantages. 5. Spotted dead nettles will naturalize in some areas. On the other hand, keeping it in check requires occasionally cutting back the stems, which can actually self-root if they fall off naturally. Plant bugleweed in the late spring or early summer and it will quickly spread runners (stolons) that can form a dense mat to fill large and shady areas, especially where you need erosion control. Dead nettle, also known as Lamium, is a low-growing perennial with silver-splashed leaves and bursts of purple, pink, or white flowers that pop up in spring and early summer. Hardy in zones 7 through 10, these low maintenance ground cover plants love full sun and heat. Will ruellia make a good ground cover? Ground-huggers in the 1- to 3-inch range that tolerate foot traffic can be used between stepping stones. Original Author. nettles (Lamium maculatum) constitute the majority of commercially available varieties. Try it in part shade to full shade, with moist, well-drained soil. When several are planted together, they form a dense hedge that thrives in almost any type of soil and full sun. They save their energy for the surprisingly large flowers, white on desert zinnia and yellow on prairie zinnia. Do spotted dead nettle attract butterflies? Ground covers that develop flowers and fruit often require more maintenance to keep them attractive. Sometimes called Pinks because the petals look like they've been trimmed with pinking shears, this pretty ground cover comes in a range of heights, anywhere from low-growing to 2 feet tall. The small leaves are speckled with spots, which earns the plant its name. Under even the most unforgiving of conditions, lamium prevails. In addition to white flowers, you can find colors like moonshine yellow, paprika, or vintage violet. Please keep reading to learn about this plant with a cautionary tale. It tucks into shaded rock gardens and naturalized borders. However, creeping ground coverings tend to spread the fastest. The plant prefers partial shade or full sun and well-draining moist soil. Creeping Charlie is also known as ground ivy, Alehoof, Catsfoot, creeping jenny, gill-over-the-ground, haymaids, field balm, run-away-robin and tunhoof. In fact, this short, squat plant is often seen dotting hillsides or banks. Grow Canadian wild ginger in humus-rich, moist soil in light shade to deep shade conditions in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 8. You will have a Lamium carpet by fall, and the following year you will perhaps be able to pen your own lamium nursery with which to supply all your friends. If you've seen the lavender fields in Provence, you know this sweetly-scented perennial with purple or blue flowers looks amazing planted en masse. It forms a dense, 8- to 12 . :) Thanks much guys. Being creepersand having a tendency to spread, these classic cottage-garden plants are popular flowering ground covers. This is not the form of thyme used in cooking, but its fragrance will attract bees and other pollinators. Root-hardy, it will return after a freeze, but in mild winters such as this year's, little damage is done to the foliage. Album has white flowers and white marked leaves. The midsummer shearing also encourages a second flowering period in September. A popular climbing vine, English ivy will creep along to cover the ground if you let it, and thrives in the shade. 4. Replant them in a suitable location, and water. English Ivy. And remember that although these ground cover plants are extremely tolerant, they still need to be watered during dry spells for the first year or two until their root systems are well-established. `Katie' ruellia is a good ground cover for sun or shade. Push the bare part of the branch into the soil at the desired location and water. Lamium plants are a perfect deer resistant groundcover to brighten a partly sunny to semi-shady spot. Any solid green leaves should be snipped out, otherwise, the plant will eventually lose the variegated leaves and become all green. I think I'll try some . Like sedges, many different types of asters that will grow in partial shade to full shade. And Beacon Silver has pink flowers and silvery leaves. It likes full sun, and requires regular trimmings to keep it from taking over the yard. When grown as a ground cover, it is an easy-care plant that requires little maintenance. In either case, cut back shabby foliage after the first frost to make way for new growth in the spring. Susan Martin is a lifelong gardener who enjoys sharing her passion for plants, gardening and the business of horticulture with fellow plant enthusiasts across North America. Firecracker Sedum ( Sedum) The petite white star-shaped flowers provide a nice contrast to the deciduous green foliage. Cutting the stems or pinching back to a joint will stimulate new growth for the plant. Read our, Amethyst in Snow (Centaurea montana 'Amethyst in Snow'), 31 Best-Deer Resistant Flowers and Plants to Grow, 10 Best Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Landscaping, 18 Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Spring, Summer and Fall, 35 Types of Orange Flowers: Identification & Photos, 15 Best Plants for Drought-Tolerant Gardens, Angelina Sedum (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'), Rock Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis), Chinese lantern is also considered invasive. Desert zinnia (Zinnia acerosa) and prairie zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora) are native ground covers in the Southwest. Flowering: Yes. You can plant this drought-tolerant, low-maintenance ground cover at the edge of a rock garden or other space and more or less forget about it (except for occasional watering) during the summertime. The only issue to watch for is rotting leaves. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Lamium maculatum: Also called spotted deadnettle, forms a dense mat over. Curious reddish brown flowers bloom in spring at ground level under the foliage. Whats more, it requires relatively little maintenance, and it resists deer and other critters. If you want this to be a fast-growing ground cover plant, make sure it receives 4-6 hours of sun each day. At least one like petunias. It can be excellent for covering large areas of difficult terrain, such as slopes where growing grass would be difficult or impossible. And while deer might not like itspink flowers, they do attract butterflies and honeybeesits even believed that it enhances the flavor of the honey. Providing extra spacing between plants can lessen leaf-spotting, but this somewhat defeats the purpose of growing spotted dead nettles, as one of their best features is that they spread and fill in an area, thereby crowding out weeds. If the hill is big, remove the grass in stages so as not to take unnecessary chances with erosion. In summer months, little spikes of blue, purple, pink or white flowers will appear. Noteworthy Characteristics Lamium maculatum, commonly called spotted deadnettle, is native to Europe and North Africa to West Asia. Although taller than a typical ground cover, yarrow ranks among the most attractive ground cover flowering plants. When selecting a ground cover for shady areas, make sure to choose shade-tolerant plants that naturally thrive with minimal sunlight. Our native white wood aster (Aster divaricatus), which grows in USDA Zones 3 through 8, spreads underground and by seed to form dense colonies even in dry shade conditions. Lamb's Ear. It prefers well-drained soil but will do fine in the dry shade if you provide it with regular watering. Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. RELATED: How to Grow Zinnias in Your Home Garden. These deer-resistant plants are not bothered by rabbits either. Place lamium where you won't be smashing it underfoot, though, because its stems are somewhat fragile. Just like the name implies, the fuzzy silver leaves resemble lamb's ears. I simply pick the seedlings if they pop up where I don't want them. The leaves are fairly small, about one inch in diameter. A tall border, such as a retaining wall or large rocks, will do a good job containing growth without the need to prune. (I prefer to call it lamium), Lamium . Scott Little. It should be pinched back frequently to keep the plants bushy and "shrubby.". Much like the fictional character, it has golden hair (flowers) that spread enough to be effective in covering a certain amount of space, but the plant is not so vigorous a spreader to create a nuisance. It isnt too particular about soil type as long as the drainage is decent. But they are not grasses, and are instead herbaceous floweringperennial plantsin the asparagus family. In the south, however, they may develop problems with leaf-spotting due to the high humidity. But beware: This hardy opportunist, if left unchecked, can become unsightly and sometimes invasive. Straight from your grandma's garden, Dianthus is an old-fashioned perennial with a vanilla-like scent. April 4, 2015 by Homestead Lady 6 Comments. Lamium A great solution for ground cover in a shaded area until it takes over in 5 years. Common pests for spotted dead nettles are slugs and snails, which seem to be the main pests for this plant, although aphids can also attach themselves to the stems and leaves. While this perennial spreads rapidly, you can mow it to regain control. Spotted dead nettles are generally grown more for their silvery leaves than for their flowers, but the latter can be quite pretty, as well. In fact, they are one of the best perennials for shade. Choose from an annual or perennial variety, and watch charming daisy-like flowers bloom throughout this bushy plant. Press Esc to cancel. Planted in groupings, it makes a lovely ground cover. Going to google creeping jenny. But with hardy plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides), youll enjoy a carpet of cerulean blue blooms every year from late summer to frost. In midsummer, after the blooming period is over, prune plants back by one-third to help prevent them from becoming too invasive. At the time of this publication, there were 30 cultivars of L. maculatumlisted in the RHS Plant Finder, compared to 11 cultivars for all the other species combined. Planted in groupings, which spread rapidly, they make an elegant groundcover for moist, shady areas. In moist soil, however, brass buttons spread vigorously, forming 2-inch-tall mats of growth strong and thick enough to withstand even regular foot traffic. Infinitely touchable, the velvety, fuzzy foliage of this plant is aptly named (c'mon, just look at it). plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. It grows in little clumps, likes moist soil, and prefers full to part sun. This quickly spreading ground cover forms a tight, six- to 10-inch tall mass of shiny green foliage that blushes bright red and bronze beginning in early fall. In agriculture, ground cover is the name given to plants that are low growing and are used to cover a large area, giving a carpeted effect. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming. With society garlic, you can have your ground cover and eat it too! Because the common name is often given as "spotted dead nettle". Lamium is undemanding and easy to grow in partial to fully shaded locations. They're also popular ground covers used to stop soil erosion. It can even thrive in the acidic conditions under large pine trees. I've never tried that one. Although not as attractive to cats as catnip (Nepeta cataria), catmint is a gardeners dream: an easy-to-grow, robust purple ground cover. It matures to a maximum height of only 6 inches, so many gardeners choose to plant creeping phlox on a slope or along the top of a retaining wall to appreciate its beauty from several angles. Lamium needs shade and a fertile, moist but well-draining soil. Leadwort begins blooming in late summer with beautiful, electric-blue flowers and continues until the first frost. It spreads rapidly by above-ground runners and is hardy to Zone 4. There are also several cultivars (all cold-hardy to at least zone 4, most 3 to 12 inches tall, and all wanting the sun/soil conditions of the species plant) of L.maculatum, including: While dead nettle plants areflowering perennials,stinging nettles, by contrast,arenoxious weeds(but edible when properly prepared). Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Ground Cover Dogwood. But purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) takes advantage of the open expanses of soil and lack of competition. Although it is most attractive, I have found it less vigorous in our garden, but perhaps you will have better luck. It doesnt like wet feet, so make sure the soil is well-drained. While it may be one of the toughest (er, tolerant) plants out there, Lily of the Valley looks as sweet as can be with darling white bells dangling from strappy green leaves. If you are looking for a low-maintenance ground cover, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a good pick, but only under certain conditions. Height is a foot or so. If you live in USDA Zones 3 through 9 and have a low spot where grass struggles because its too wet, try planting golden groundsel there instead. Virtually disease and pest free, Spotted Dead Nettle is also deer and rabbit resistant. Its a native to wooded areas and stream banks of the Appalachian Mountains, and easy to control. The Ground Cover Dogwood blooms then produces edible berries. Some leaves may revert back to an all-green color (instead of being variegated); be sure to prune these out, so that the green color does not eventually take over the plant. Candytuft is a ground-hugging, clumping, and flowering perennial that dies back each winter and rebounds each spring and early summer. If you're planting a shrub or perennial that you want to last from one year to the next, make sure it's suited according to your USDA Hardiness Zone (find yours here). Although rich, moist, acidic soils are ideal, this plant will also grow in alkaline, sandy and clay soils. Honeysuckle grows best with full sun and moist soil, and its resistant to heat. There are almost endless varieties of hostas that will fit your needs, many with variegated leaves and spikey short-lived and unremarkable flowers. Plant Lenten rose ground cover in the early fall or late spring but away from the path of bitter winter winds. It spreadsby reseeding, but it never will spread enough to become a problem. One difference, though, is that it is more aggressive. Overview: Spotted Dead Nettle - Lamium maculatum is a herbaceous perennial growing to 0.2 -0.9m at a fast . Flowering Plants for Bare Garden Spots - Ground Cover Dogwood. A member of the mint family, Lamium spreads quickly, is self-seeding, and will rapidly create a ground cover wherever it is planted. Although it is most. Creeping phlox is a short plant often seen covering the side of a hill or retaining wall with colorful spring flowers. It is far too unattractive a little for this low-growing carpet of leaves. 1. It can cover large areas if you let it, so take care to find a place where its spreading tendency will be welcomed. Rock cotoneaster is considered a full-shun shrub but benefits from some afternoon shade. . Lamium is undemanding and easy to grow in partial to fully shaded locations. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. The best quickly-spreading ground cover for shade is Periwinkle 'Bowles' Variety.' `Katie' ruellia has a taller cousin commonly called Mexican petunia. Once it settles in to its new home, this fern will speed up its spread and transplant easily if you find new shady places for it in your landscape. This sun-lover grows to a maximum height of about 12 inches with a 24-inch spread, and it blooms with lavender to pink flowers in July. It does best in cooler summer weather and prefers full sun to part shade. Though Chinese lantern is also considered invasive, it is a novel and colorful perennial ground cover with autumn interest because of its bright orange-red shaped seed pods that turn into papery husks. Growing and Harvesting a Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus). Cut the runner off with pruning shears, plant it in another spot, and then water. Its native habitat is wooded areas, so it is perfect for a shady woodland garden. It is, therefore, a sterile plant that will not come true from seeds. If you have bare acreage behind your home that does not lead to another property, Chinese lantern can be a great ground cover and filler. The little silver leaves of lamium are like bits of glitter strewn about the garden floor, reflecting any dappled sunlight that finds them. Although it favors dry climates, this ground cover can survive in the warmer end of some humid regions. Snip some for cooking, or keep it trimmed back to manage its height. This fast-growing annual looks gorgeous tumbling over rock walls or along the edges of walkways. Check your plants regularly and if slugs or snails are present, handpick and dispose of them as they appear. They are tough and their easy-going adaptability to a wide variety of rocky slopes, clay, and alkaline soils keep them comfortable in the west. Angelina Sedum is easy to propagate by rooting, so you can quickly fill an area with its succulent foliage. This tenacious perennial spreads rapidly, thrives in full sun, is cold hardy, grows in poor soil, and is drought tolerant once established. She did graduate work through the University of Georgia system. While lamium looks great, it's not the best at dealing with high amounts of traffic, so make sure it's somewhere with less foot traffic. It detests hot, humid weather, but thrives where temperatures drop at night. wide. This plant can be invasive, depending on where you live. Home Outdoors Yard & Garden Structures Planters. Some leaves may revert back to an all-green color (instead of being variegated); be sure to prune these out, so that the green color does not eventually take over the plant. If you have a sunny to partially shaded spot in USDA Zones 3 through 9 where youd like a flowering ground cover but want something more colorful, try this ornamental onion. It prefers full sun. In ideal sunny conditions, Amethyst in Snow will spread quite quickly, but you can control it easily by pulling out stray shoots. RELATED: 25 Plants That Survive With or Without You.