Gold Coast Gardener

April 23, 2006

By Gene Joyner, Extension Agent
Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service

If you are one of these individuals that still maintains your own landscape, you know that one of the biggest chores this time of year is keeping up with mowing the lawn. Most grasses grow quickly enough that weekly mowing is required and this will continue up until late fall. People who are tired of mowing often think maybe I should get rid of my grass and try something else.

Ground covers are used as grass substitutes and are basically low growing shrubs or vines that can be used in areas where turfgrass is either not wanted or practical or if you want to reduce the size of the turfgrass areas and have more permanent landscaping that doesn’t require as much input of resources.

Ground covers once established generally need less fertilizer than turfgrass and certainly don’t have to be mowed like turfgrass and often can get by with very little pruning since many are naturally short to start with. Ground covers can be used in sun or shade and many also have attractive flowers. If you’re close to beach areas, salt tolerant ground covers are available that are never bothered by salt winds and if you are in inland areas where cold is a problem, there are many cold hardy ground covers available, too.

The following are some of the ground covers that are commonly found in area nurseries or garden centers and have been tried through enough years to know that they are well suited for our area.

Lily turf or Liriope is a commonly used ground cover that can be used in sun or light shade and will tolerate being walked on occasionally. Mondo grass which looks similar but has a thinner leaf is also excellent and it comes in a dwarf variety as well that only gets a couple of three inches in height.

If you want a vining ground cover, dwarf Confederate jasmine is a real excellent choice. This will cover areas quickly and comes both in green leaf or marbled or variegated types.

Dwarf oyster plant is another good choice where a succulent type ground cover is desired.
Once well established it resists invasion by weeks and can be used in sun or light shade.

Artillery plant is another favorite that has small leaves and stays quite short, but it’s very fragile and can’t be walked on or stand anything hitting it without doing major damage.

If you like ground covers with flower color, blue daze with one inch blue flowers is a real favorite and thrives in sunny dry locations.

Crown of thorn which comes in several dwarf varieties is another favorite and it blooms 12 months of the year with attractive red, pink, or yellowish-white flowers depending on your preference.

Another ground cover with beautiful foliage color is purple queen, which grows to about 20 inches and has little 3-petaled flowers off and on during the year.

Wandering Jew is another excellent choice for colored foliage and this does best in semi-shaded locations.

There are many types of ferns, too, that do well especially in heavy shade beneath the trees where grass won’t grow and the height of the ferns is variable. You can choose low growing or taller growing types depending on your personal preference.

Most ground covers have very few pest problems so you don’t spend a lot of money on spraying for pests or diseases. They do require occasional fertilization and depending on the type they might require regular watering, but certainly less watering than turfgrass.

If you want specific information on ground covers in a printed form, pick up some of the free pamphlets on ground covers at the Palm Beach County Extension office. You can also call the Extension Service with questions about ground covers. Dial 233-1750 in the north and central county areas or 276-1260 in the south county area.