I got such a great response from everyone about the flowering tree I thought I would try this again. I have a spot, about 2ft wide and 10 feet long, in full sun. I am looking for a supper low growing, well behaved, thick growing creeper. What do y'all suggest?
Suggestions please :)
I had a lot come to mind until you said "behaved". I consider these the best choices, but maybe the BF Daisy the better of the group.
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PHNO2 Frogfruit
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MELE2 Blackfoot Daisy
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OXDR Wood-sorrel
The 'Georgia Blue' Speedwell is also one I would offer.
This message was edited Apr 28, 2011 10:00 AM
Its not at evergreen but I would plant wine cups, they spread out quite a bit in my yard and are low growing.
Phlox pilosa and pink skullcap also would do well. I can bring you both on Sunday if you'd like.
Phlox pilosa is rather tall for a ground cover but pink scullcap would work.
Oh didn't realize it was just ground cover.
Mexican Heather is the bomb diggity... It spreads quickly and blooms continuously. :)
http://lizzieslogic.blogspot.com/2010/05/plant-of-week.html
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/119339/
What about one of the creeping Thymes? There are various colors and they grow thick and low.
Are you looking for an evergreen?
wine cups stay low but are not evergreen. I will take a pic and post of one that is spreading.
Here is the spot. Never mind the birdbath top, it's to be moved elsewhere. I am focusing this on the front of the bed. The back will remain as is with the monkey grass. I would like for the front of the bed to remain shorter than the rear. Evergreen is an option also. I know I said well behaved, meaning not Asian jasmine or anything that will take a lot of care/pruning other than watering. That part I don't mind. I really like several of the suggestions made so far. Thank for all the input.
C, I love wine cups and know where a group is at on the side of the road. I just am not sure how well they transplant. Do you have any advice for doing this?
This message was edited May 7, 2011 2:01 PM
I suspect they do not transplant well, my seedlings have shown a tap root. If you do try, make sure to not break the main root. I would mail order some potted plants as I think those would do better.
C
Thank you, they probably would do better that way. I've been eying that patch every day for about 3 weeks now debating on what would be best to do. Guess I'll leave them be :)
I do find 1 or 2 little seedlings each year and those do ok as long as you get them while they are small. Look around for the smaller plants to dig.
Oh ok will do that. Thanks C
I do get a few cuttings to root but mostly they just rot. This is one plant that I started last year and now its about 2 feet across. You could try it and see how they do.
four nerve daisy would do well there too. It is often green in the winter and may even bloom. It will slow down in the heat of the summer but otherwise is a wonderful plant. If you can wait until the fall RU, I will give you some.
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TESC2
Oh! Forgot about four nerve daisy! That's an awesome little plant! They start blooming in about February and will crank out the blooms til it gets really hot, then slow down and rest, then crank back up in the fall until it freezes. They reproduce well, too.
The are nice but do they make a nice ground cover? They can get a little sad looking in the summer.
I have a whole corner of my flower bed covered with them.
Mine must not like their home. They have been in the same spot for 5 years and really haven't spread. They do bloom nicely for a very long time. The leaves just don't look that great to me, what are the conditions like in your bed?
Mostly full sun, hot, dry.
Ooo that's a sweet little flower :)
I was thinking about four nerve daisy and depending on how obsessive you are about cutting spend blooms, it does need some grooming and occasional cutting back if it gets too woody.
Banana, could you save some seed for me? I dont know if I'll make it to the fall round-up but maybe we could trade some seed. LMK.
I've never been successful at saving seeds for four nerve daisies. They self-seed easily, though.
That is where those seed catcher bags Debnes made will come in handy!
Sorry but it is very doubtful that I can collect seed, especially if Stephanie has trouble.
I haven't ever had seed either and no volunteers. I have the same two plants.
The seeds are small and travel easily in the wind.
My plant is close to the edge of a bed and hangs over....guess I am loosing all my seeds.
I still don't see this plant as a good ground cover for a large area.
Catz,
In the spot you're showing, Blackfoot Daisy and Lyreleaf or Cedar Sage come to mind. Another thing you can do is go to npot.org and plug in the choice "Drought toleramt 10" or less", and see what natives you like there.
:-S
If the drainage is good blackfoot daisy would be great! Nothing blooms for longer than that with almost no care.
For something you can plant and forget about it's Frogfruit (though you will have to use the weedwhacker to keep it contained). And it's a butterfly host plant. Another plant that would do well there is Texas Primrose.
Carla
I second the vote for blackfoot daisy! They just keep on blooming, in spite of heat or drought. Very low and cheerful. They can be a bit late in coming back, though, so don't give up on them too soon.
I think a combo of those two daisies would be good. I have that in my xeri bed along with Walker low catnip. When the four nerves slow down the blackfoots take over.
OOooo Anna, I like the thought of the combination of the two daisies.
Someone mentioned that I should post a pic of the pink skullcap for you. This is the biggest one I have. It's just one plant, but it spreads by rooting when a branch touches the ground, so it can get pretty big. I thinned another one out this spring and it's coming back like crazy!
What it looks like in full bloom
