The soil in my backyard is all wonderful, except for an area next to the house that is like pure white beach sand for about 3-4 inches down. The area is shady and won't grow grass. What would be the quickest/best groundcover I could use on this sand? I don't know if ivy would take to the sand or not. I don't really have the means or money to improve the quality of the soil. I saw this on Classygroundcovers.com that seems to be what most commercial landscapers use as groundcover and says it will work it sandy, poor soil and shade. What do you think? Is this what I see at most commercial buildings?
http://classygroundcovers.com/item--Euonymus-f-Acutus-%7B50-Bare-Root-plants%7D-fortunei-Wintercreeper--166
What is the best groundcover for soil that's like beach sand
Here's a List I found for Xeriscape gardens...
Prairie Sagebrush, also known as White Sagebrush, Artemesia ludoviciana, 2' X 3', evergreen.
Coyote Bush, Baccharis hybrid, 4' high X 5' wide, evergreen.
California Ice Plant, Carpobrotus chilensis, 1' high X 5' wide. Evergreen.
Common Ice Plant, Carpobrotus edulis, 1' high X 5'wide. Evergreen.
Trailing Yellow Dalea, Dalea capitata, 1' high X 5' wide. Evergreen.
Prostrate Indigo Bush, also known as Trailing Indigo Bush, Dalea greggii, 1' high X 3' wide. Evergreen.
Trailing lantana, Lantana montevidensis, 1' high X 3' wide. Perennial.
Prostrate Rosemary, Romarius prostrates, 2' high X 8' wide. Evergreen.
Skullcap, Scutellaria suffretescens, 2' high X 3' wide. Evergreen.
Stonecrop, Sedum spp. , six inches high X 2' wide. Evergreen.
"eyes:
Wintercreeper, in the purple variety (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/66847/), is the favorite shady ground cover of Neil Sperry. He says that at his house, he has it growing anywhere the St. Augustine won't grow anymore because of too much shade. He lives up here in McKinney, which is Blackland Prairie, so I am not sure about sandy soil.
I have seen frogfruit growing on pure sand up from the shore at a lake in Oklahoma. I have it growing in shade down beyond the fence at home, meaning it gets no supplemental water. It's been slow to fill in, but competes with lots of Virginia creeper, dewberry and other weeds.
It says on this link that Frogfruit will grow on beaches, so this might be your solution, as Stacey said.
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PHNO2
Josephine.
Peanut Grass and Dicondra too...
"eyes"
Thank you all for taking the time to answer. I think I'm going to go with the Purple Wintercreeper. I love the appearance, and research told me it will grow in sandy soil. Does anybody here have a good, cheap wholesale source? LOL, I'm going to need ALOT for the area I have!