Tag Archives: Groundcovers

Firewise Plant: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Point Reyes’

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Plant Name:  Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Point Reyes’
Common name:  Point Reyes Bearberry Manzanita
Plant type: Groundcover
Height: 12” – 18”
Spread: 1’ – 6’
Bloom Time:  Winter – Spring
Flower Color: Pink
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Well Draining; Tolerant of Most Soil Types.
Water Needs: Low to Moderate
Attributes:  Insects & Hummingbirds Attracted to Flowers; Fruit & Seed Eating Birds Attracted to Fruit ; Deer Resistant.
Firewise:  YES; Zone 5 – Plant 60’+ from House.
Note:  Prune in Early Spring as Needed to Contain Spread.
Uses:  Slope Stabilizer; Bee, Bird, Hummingbird Gardens; Lawn Substitute.
Native to: Alaska to Canada to Western United States
Oregon Native:   YES

USDA Hardiness Zone:  6 – 10

 

 

Article by Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

 

Photos by OSU https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/arctostaphylos-uva-ursi-point-reyes

Horticulture Report: Armeria maritima (Sea Thrift)

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Plant Name:  Armeria maritima

Common name:  Sea Thrift
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height:  .5’ – 1’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color:  Pink to White
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Infertile, Well-Drained Soil.
Water Needs: Low
Fire Resistant:  YES; Zone 8 = Plant 30’+ from house.
Attributes: Showy Flowers; Drought Tolerant; Deer Tolerant; Attracts Bees; Butterflies.
Uses: Ground Cover; Edging/Border Fronts; Rock Gardens; Containers.
Note:  Deadhead to Encourage More Blooms.
Native to: Northern Hemisphere
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Board Member

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member

Horticulture Report: Creeping Thyme

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Plant Name:  Thymus praecox
Common name:  Creeping Thyme
Plant Type:  Groundcover
Plant Height:  1” – 4”
Plant Width:  6” – 18”
Bloom Time: May – August
Flower Color: Pink White, Purple
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Average, Dry – Medium, Well-Drained; Tolerates Rocky or Poor Soil.
Water Need:  Drought Tolerant Once Established
Fire Resistant: YES.  Plant 30’+ from house.
Attributes:  Leaves in Shades of Light to Dark Green Yellow, or Variegated; Deer Resistant; Attracts Bees/Butterflies.
Uses: Rock Walls; Between Pavers; Rock Garden; Path Edging.
Note:  Cut Back Stems to Maintain Plant Appearance; Susceptible to Root Rot in Poor Draining Soils.
Native to: SW & Central Europe; Greenland; Turkey
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo Credit: Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Horticulture Report: Veronica Ground Covers

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Plant Name:  Veronica species
Common name:  Speedwell
Plant Type:  Perennial Groundcover
Plant Height:  4” – 8”
Plant Width:  18” – 24”
Bloom Time: May/June
Flower Color: Blue, Pink, White
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Moist, Well-Drained
Water Needs:  Drought Resistant; For Best Bloom Water Moderately About 1” a Week.
Fire Resistant: YES; Plant 30’+ from House.
Attributes:  Attracts Butterflies/Hummingbirds; Deer Resistant. NOTE: Veronica tends to be deer-resistant, though extreme conditions deer with graze on plants they otherwise wouldn’t eat.
Uses: Rock Gardens; Flower Bouquets; Perennial Border.
Note:  Showy in Full Bloom; Cut Back for Overwintering; Deadhead to Extend Bloom.
Native to: Northern Europe; Asia
Oregon Native: NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8

Veronica species

  • Blue Woolly Speedwell (Veronica pectinata)
  • Turkish Veronica (Veronica liwanensis)
  • Thyme Leaf Speedwell  (Veronica oltensis)
  • Snowmass® Blue-Eyed Speedwell (Veronica Snowmass P018S)
  • Veronica filiformis (Creeping Speedwell)
  • Veronica peduncularis  or umbrosa ‘ George Blue’
  • Veronica Repens
  • Veronica peduncularis
  • Veronica liwanensis
  • Veronica oltensis
  • Veronica Repens

Delosperma nubigenum, Yellow Ice Plant

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Plant Name:  Delosperma nubigenum
Common name: Yellow Iceplant
Plant Type:  Evergreen Ground Cover Succulent
Plant Height:  1” – 3”
Plant Width:  24” – 30”
Bloom Time:  June – September
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun
Soil Requirements: Average Soil; Good Drainage is Essential
Water Need:  Dry to Medium
Fire Resistant: YES; Zone 1 – 10’+ from house.
Attributes: Showy Yellow Flowers, Winter Interest of Reddish Bronze Foliage; Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds
Uses:  Rock Gardens; Ground Cover; Containers; Front of the Border
Native to: South Africa
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10

Report by Viki Ashford, AGC Member & Master Gardener

Photo from: Washington State University Clark County Extension http://www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=447

Oregon Native: Kinnikinnick

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Plant Name:  Archtostaphylos uva ursi
Common name:  Kinnikinnick
Plant Type:  Trailing Evergreen Shrub
Plant Height:  6” – 12”
Plant Width:  10’
Bloom Time:  March – June
Flower Color:  Pink to White
Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Requirements: Rocky, Sandy, Acidic Soil
Water Need:  Low
Fire Resistant: YES
Attributes: Red Berries Succeed Through Winter; Reddish-Purple Fall Color; Papery, Reddish, Exfoliating Bark; Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, & Other Birds; Larval Host for Butterflies & Moths; Drought Tolerant; Deer Resistant
Uses:  Large Scale Groundcover with Year-round Interest; Control Soil Erosion; Border Margin; Native Plant Garden; Rock Garden
Note:  Slow Growing; Trailing Stems Send Out Small Roots;
Native to: Almost All of North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  2 – 6

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member, Master Gardener

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas