Groundcover
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Groundcover refers to any plant that grows over an area of ground, used to provide protection from erosion and drought, and to improve its aesthetic appearance (by concealing bare earth).
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[edit] Ecosystem
In an ecosystem, the ground cover is the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer. The most widespread groundcovers are grasses of various types.
[edit] Gardening
In gardening terms, however, the term groundcover refers to non-grass plants that are used in place of grasses.
[edit] Plants for groundcover
Four general types of plants are commonly used as groundcovers:
- Vines, which are woody plants with slender, spreading stems
- Herbaceous plants, or non-woody plants
- Shrubs of low-growing, spreading species
- Moss of larger, coarser species
Of these types, some of the most common groundcovers include:
- Bacopa (Bacopa)
- Ivy (Hedera)
- Gazania (Gazania rigens)
- Ground-elder (Aegopodium podagraria)
- Ice plant
- Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
- Junipers of various low-growing types
- Kudzu
- Lantana, creeping species
- Lilyturf (Liriope muscari and Liriope spicata)
- Mint (Mentha)
- Pachysandra
- Pearlwort (Sagina subulata)
- Periwinkle (Vinca)
- Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum)
- Soleirolia (Soleirolia soleirolii)
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
