Groundcover needed - impossible full sun area on a slope

I am new to this forum and a lurker for Dave's Garden - great resource and great information.

I live in the middle of NC - zone 7 - and I have a mostly red clay yard. All my yard is finally grown into fescue primarily. I built the home in a fully wooded pine grove 12 years ago, removing all those trees to build the house... now surrounded by hardwoods... I digress. I have a hill that is impossible to grow grass - any kind - on and keep it there. I have tilled in top soil... I have sown and put the mesh down with the correct fertilizers... nothing ever works for very long.

I am looking for a groundcover that will grow on a slope, not bothered with erosion as its not a huge hill, but I want something there besides red dirt... If its something that can get out of hand, then I could mow it. If not, I could naturalize the area and let it grow. I would prefer something that will grow and if I need to mow over it once in a while, it would not hurt it.

Any ideas - do you need more information? Thank you in advance!

Adam in North Carolina

So after all your digressions you failed to mention how much sunlight that pesky slope gets :)

You're better off with a shrubby ground cover as opposed to a perennial because it will have a larger, stronger root system. In general that's things like ground cover versions of Cotoneaster, Euonymus and Juniper. But first, let's talk lighting, then we'll narrow it down a bit.

The subject line mentions full sun :)

Dang subject line! :) I'm going to use my usual excuse: I have a two year old and I clearly don't get enough sleep!

Well then, the good news is all of the plants I mentioned will work. My favorites in each genus are Mooncreeper Cotoneaster, Moonshadow Euonymus, and Blue Pacific Shore Juniper (Juniperus conferta).

I'm sure if you stop in at LA Reynolds Nursery (or I think there's a Family Home and Garden near you too) the folks there could show those plants to you and explain how to amend your crummy soil so the roots can at least get a running start before they hit that clay.

Yes... I digress a LOT because I tend to over-explain - or in this case, under explain after already 'splaining it in the subject line - which I hate and I fuss at people for doing it - but then I do it...

See... I digress.

This slope has those hardwoods providing shade a couple hours in the morning, but then its full North Carolina hot sun until dark...

I like the idea of a Euonymus or Cotoneaster, my wife hates juniper and even though she probably would not care since its in the back and she would not see it everyday... I don't like snakes either, so I need to stay away from things that might harbor that satanic beast - be it a black, red, yellow or green - in my world, a snake is snake and they are all the rattle-headed-copper-moccasin breed and need to die.

I do have a LA Reynolds and its a good spot. I will check out those options and of course, I always value your opinion. I had a two year old and understand completely. Now he's 11 and I still have issues....

Thank you all!

I'd still look into that specific juniper. I've found that it's one that even juniper-haters seem to like. Where I work there's a nice hillside patch that convinces most people of its merits. It kind of looks like creeping phlox foliage with a blue tint. Plus if you want to do a swath of one and a swath of another, the juniper will contrast nicely with the other two.
As far as snakes are concerned, I've always had people ask for snake-resistant plants and I still don't know what the heck they're talking about. If you're that concerned about them you can always try I Must Garden Snake Repellant. The lady who makes it is crazy (in a good way) and I totally trust that her stuff works.