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Browse Articles: Horticulture
Herbaceous Groundcovers for the Home Landscape
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Reference: Ohio State University Extension
Ground covers are low-growing plants that spread over an area. They often are used to solve a problem with erosion or maintenance of steep slopes. Where shade is too dense for growing turfgrass, ground covers are suggested. Ground covers are recommended around trees when the trees’ roots are at the surface and cause mowing problems.
Ground covers should not only be thought of as a solution for problem areas but also as a way to visually unify divergent components of a landscape or to soften the edges of walks, steps, and drives. As a foreground, a ground cover can be the unifying factor in a collection of plants. They may function as a traffic barrier or visual guide to the entry.
A ground cover defines space. It gives a crisp, permanent definition to the form of a garden. A low ground cover provides a transition between the lawn and taller plants. The aesthetic qualities of ground covers include attractive foliage, colorful flowers, and bright fruits, adding color and texture to the landscape. Careful selection of a ground cover will add to the year-round beauty of your landscape. Many herbaceous ground covers die back to the ground in winter, exposing bare soil. If this is undesirable, select an evergreen ground cover.
Site and Soil Preparation
Start by removing all vegetation from the planting site. Grass and weeds may be killed using a systemic, non-selective herbicide or by covering the site with a sheet of plastic for one to three months. Once dead, the remaining debris may be turned into the soil, adding organic matter. Turfgrass also may be removed by undercutting the sod. Thoroughly removing grasses and weeds from an area before planting ground covers reduces, but does not eliminate, future weeding.
Till the soil to a depth of 6 or more inches, except in areas where tree roots are growing. Improve heavy clay and porous, sandy soils by adding as much as 30 percent by volume organic matter, such as humus, composted sewage sludge, or composted manure, and working it into the top 6 inches of soil. This will improve aeration and water penetration and infiltration.
Test the soil for pH and nutrient levels before planting. Add fertilizer based on the soil-test results and till them into the soil. This is especially important if phosphorus is low, since it does not move readily through the soil.
Planting
Most ground covers can be planted any time during the growing season; however, spring and fall are preferred because of the nearly ideal growing conditions. Summer planting may require significant irrigation. To prevent heaving, mulch fall-planted ground covers once the soil freezes.
The ideal ground cover grows vigorously, quickly filling in the area and shading out weeds. Select a plant adapted to the conditions of the site. Space plants according to their size, the effect desired, and the plant’s rate of growth and growth habit. Closer planting results in the area filling in faster but is unnecessary if site and soil are properly prepared and maintained.
When planting on slopes, the goal is to keep the soil in place until the ground cover has established adequately to control erosion. Do this by planting in pockets and not tilling the entire area, planting in staggered rows to slow the runoff of heavy rain, mulching the area after planting, or placing netting over the area and planting through it. Netting should be made of natural fiber that will disintegrate, since synthetic fibers may entrap wildlife, especially snakes.
Maintenance
Newly planted ground covers require regular irrigation but must not be over-watered. Under normal circumstances, one inch of water applied every five to seven days is adequate for establishing new plants. Monitor rainfall with a rain gauge or a straight-edged can. Check the soil in the root zone. When it is dry, apply enough water so that the soil is moist to a depth of 4–6 inches.
Two to 3 inches of mulch will reduce evaporation of moisture from the soil and help reduce invasion by weeds. Well-aged bark, humus, cocoa bean hulls, pine needles, and shredded wood chips are organic mulch options.
Weeding is required until the plants fill the space. Hand weeding is probably the best option. A few pre-emergent herbicides are labeled for use in specific ground covers, however, it is critical that label directions are followed. Your specific ground cover must be listed for safe and legal use of the product.
There are a few post-emergent herbicides available for use in ground covers. Some perennial weeds, such as thistle and bindweed, regenerate from root fragments and are difficult to remove by hand weeding. These may be treated with a non-selective broadleaf herbicide applied with a brush, cloth, or wick applicator. Be careful, since these herbicides will kill the ground cover if applied to its foliage. Fertilization of ground covers is ideally based on soil-test analysis. Otherwise, a general recommendation is to apply 1–1 1/2 pounds of 16-8-8 analysis fertilizer per 100 square feet annually in the fall or early spring.
Herbaceous Ground Covers for Ohio
A brief description of several factors is given for each plant.
Common name: There is often more than one common name for a single plant. These are the most widely used common names. When purchasing plants it is recommended that you use the botanical name to avoid confusion.
Zone: The Zone refers to the USDA Zone Map. The lower the zone number, the colder the winter temperature that the plant can survive under reasonably good gardening conditions. A map of the zones in Ohio is located below.
Figure 1. USDA Revised Hardiness Zones
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|  | Zone 5a | -15 to -20°F |
 | Zone 5b | -10 to -25°F |
 | Zone 6a | -5 to -10°F |
| Zone 6b | 0 to -5°F |
Growth rate: The growth rate is given in general terms. These will vary greatly depending on the soil conditions, soil preparation, how closely the growth needs of the plant match the conditions of the site, planting technique, etc.
Culture: The culture of a plant refers to its soil, exposure, and other growing needs. The following are definitions for the degrees of sun and shade:
Full sun: Six or more hours of direct sunlight per day.
Partial shade: Neither full sun nor shade, but shaded during part of the day (six hours or less per day); for many plants it is ideal if the shade is during the hottest hours of the day.
Light shade: Neither full sun nor shade, but sunlight that is filtered through the foliage of a tree or an open structure.
Shade or full shade: No direct sunlight or reflected light.
Uses: These are the main ways the plant may be used. There are many options that have not been listed.
Problems: This refers to common insect and mite pests, as well as diseases that can cause serious problems for the plant. Additionally, the problem of plants that can be invasive in the garden is indicated.
Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’
Common name: goutweed, bishop’s weed
Zone 4
Height: 12 inches
Growth rate: fast
Foliage: leaves twice compound, with leaflets toothed
Flower: small, white, in a compound umbel in summer
Culture: any soil; partial shade, but tolerates sun
Uses: foliage plant
Problems: mites, slugs, leaf blight; can be very invasive
Ajuga reptans, commonly called bugleweed, is shown in the rear right of the above photo. Festuca ovina lauca, commonly called blue sheep fescue, is shown in the front left of the photo. Photo by Jack Kerrigan.
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Ajuga reptans
Common name: bugleweed or carpet bugle
Zone 2 to 3
Height: 3–6 inches
Growth rate: fast
Foliage: leaves opposite, smooth margins or blunt teeth, oval; cultivars with variegated and bronze foliage are available
Flower: irregular and two-lipped, in close clusters or spikes, blue or purplish from May to mid-June
Culture: easy to grow in ordinary, well-drained garden soil; sun to partial shade
Uses: for borders or rock gardens
Problems: crown rot in moist soil (especially in hot weather), invasive in good soil and can invade adjacent turf areas
Alchemilla mollis
Common name: lady’s mantle
Zone 4
Height: 15 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: lobed, erect, long-stalked, greyish-green
Flower: small, greenish-yellow flowers without petals, early summer
Culture: easy to grow in any soil; sun or light shade (leaves may scorch in full sun)
Problems: none serious
Arabis caucasica
Common name: wall rock-cress
Zone 4
Height: 12 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: leaves basal or along stem, grey-green, toothed, usually hairy
Flower: small, white or purple in early spring, fragrant, spikes or racemes
Culture: warm, sandy, well-drained soil; sun
Problems: aphids, club root, downy mildew, white rust, leaf spots
Artemisia spp.
Common name: wormwood
Zone 3 to 5 (varies with species)
Height: 6 inches to 2 feet, varies by species
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: soft, grey, and aromatic
Flower: small, clustered, white, brownish, purplish, or yellowish (varies with species), not ornamental
Culture: infertile, relatively dry, acidic to neutral soil; sun to partial shade
Uses: mounded, neutral foliage plant
Problems: rust, damping off
Asarum spp.
Common names: wild ginger and European ginger
Zone 4 A. canadense, Zone 5 A. europeum
Height: 6–8 inches
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: evergreen, kidney-shaped, leathery, European has glossy leaves
Flower: bell-shaped, greenish-purple or brown, not ornamental
Culture: rich, moist soil; shade
Uses: naturalizing
Problems: none serious
Aubrieta deltoidea
Common name: purple rock cress
Zone 4
Height: 3–6 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: evergreen, grey-green, toothed, hairy
Flower: rose-lilac to rose-purple, April to June
Culture: slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, well-drained, sandy loam; full sun to light shade
Problems: damping off, aphids, mealybugs
Campanula poscharskyana
Common name: Serbian bellflower
Zone 4
Height: 4–9 inches
Growth rate: vigorous to invasive in fertile soil
Foliage: medium-green, heart-shaped, toothed
Flower: lavender-blue to lilac, mid-summer
Fruit: none
Culture: well-drained soil, drought resistant once established; medium to light shade
Problems: leaf spot, powdery mildew, invasive
Cerastium tomentosum
Common name: snow-in-summer
Zone 4
Height: 6 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: mat-forming, conspicuously white-wooly
Flower: white, small, relatively showy, June
Culture: well-drained soil, will grow in pure sand; full sun
Problems: aphids and mealybugs
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Common name: leadwort, plumbago
Zone 5
Height: 12 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: alternate, hairy on the margins, reddish in autumn
Flower: loose clusters with stiff bracts, corolla tubular, deep blue, late summer
Culture: moderately fertile, loose soil; in full sun, will tolerate some shade
Problems: aphids
Chrysogonum virginianum
Common name: golden star
Zone 5
Height: 4–10 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: opposite, long-stalked, bluntly toothed
Flower: solitary or few, yellow, spring
Culture: moderately rich, well-drained soil; partial shade
Problems: none serious
Convallaria majalis
Common name: lily-of-the-valley
Zone 4
Height: 6–12 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: basal, lily-like
Flower: white, waxy, very fragrant, bell-shaped, in a terminal raceme, mid-May to mid-June
Culture: moist, fertile soil, enriched annually; full to partial shade
Problems: weevils, nematodes, Japanese beetle, slugs, anthracnose, leaf spots, leaf blotch, crown rot, can be invasive
Epimedium spp.
Common name: barrenwort
Zone 4–5
Height: 8–12 inches
Growth rate: slow
Foliage: compound, finely toothed, heart-shaped
Flower: crimson flushed with red or yellow, spring
Culture: moist soil; partial shade
Problems: none serious
Euphorbia cyparissias
Common name: cypress spurge
Zone 3
Height: 10–20 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: needle-like, blue-green leaves
Flower: showy, red-tinged yellow bracts, mid-spring to summer
Culture: loose, light-textured, sandy or gravelly soil, well-drained, neutral to alkaline; full sun to moderate shade
Problems: can be invasive
Ferns
Three groundcovers are used together for a pleasing combination of heights, shades of green, and leaf size and texture. Hosta is in the rear. Athyrium thalypteroides, commonly called silvery-glade fern is the feathery plant in the middle with Lamium maculatum, commonly called dead nettle, in the front. Photo by Jack Kerrigan.
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Many ferns provide excellent ground cover for shaded sites. Most are in the range of one to three feet tall, but they vary according to species. Most do well in a moist, well-drained, organic soil.
Adiantum pedatum (maidenhair fern), 18–26 inches tall
Cystopteris bulbifera (bulblet bladder fern), 2–3 feet tall
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern), 4 feet tall
Polypodium virginianum (polypody fern), 10 inches tall
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern), 3 feet tall
Festuca ovina var. Glauca
Common name: blue fescue
Zone 4
Height: 8–10 inches
Growth rate: slow
Foliage: grass-like, sky-blue, sharply pointed
Flower: straw-colored, late summer
Culture: excellent drainage, sandy or gravelly, light-textured soil; full sun
Uses: border or massing
Problems: none serious
Galium odoratum
Common name: sweet woodruff
Zone 5
Height: 12 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: lance-shaped, small, in whorls, fragrant when dried
Flower: white, tiny, in clusters, May to mid-June
Culture: moist to dry, well-drained, slightly acidic soil; shade
Uses: finely textured ground cover
Problems: invasive
Geranium spp.
Common name: cranesbill
Zone 4 to 5
Height: 18 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: medium to dark green, toothed, hairy
Flower: showy, white, pink, or blue; flowering time varies with species
Culture: well-drained, acidic to slightly alkaline soils; full sun to partial shade
Problems: bacterial and fungal leaf spots, invasive
Helianthemum nummularium
Common name: rock rose
Zone 6
Height: 9–12 inches
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: evergreen or semi-evergreen, narrow, usually grey-green
Flower: yellow, round, five petals, texture like crepe paper, early June and July
Culture: sandy, well-drained, alkaline soil; full sun
Problems: crown rot
Hemerocallis hybrids
Common name: daylilies
Zone 3 (evergreen cultivars Zone 6 to 7)
Height: 5 inches to 4 feet
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: strap-like
Flower: bell-shaped and widely expanding, white, yellow, orange and red, bloom time varies with hybrid, repeat bloomers available
Culture: most garden soil, well-drained and organic best; full sun to light shade
Problems: thrips, slugs, aphids, spider mites, Japanese beetles, blight, russet spot on foliage, but none serious
Hosta spp.
Common name: plantain lily
Zone 4
Size: 6–36 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: basal, heart-shaped, green to blue-green to yellow, some variegated, some with crinkled or wavy texture
Flower: white to pale lavender, spikes; bloom time varies with species
Culture: moist, well-drained soil; part to full shade
Problems: slugs
Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’
Common name: Houttuynia
Zone 5
Height: 6–8 inches
Growth rate: fast
Foliage: heart-shaped, yellow, green, bronze, and red
Flower: long spike with florets lacking petals; early summer
Culture: moist to wet soil; sun or partial shade
Problems: none serious, very invasive
Lamiastrum galeobdolon var. Variegatum
Common name: yellow archangel
Zone 4
Height: 12 inches
Growth rate: fast
Foliage: heart-shaped to ovate, spotted with silver, long margins doubly toothed
Flower: hooded, double-lipped in whorls of 5 to 15, yellow, late spring to early summer
Culture: any average soil; shade
Problems: leaf blight, mites, invasive
Lamium maculatum
Common name: spotted dead nettle
Zone 4
Height: 6–8 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: crinkled, rounded teeth, heart-shaped, some cultivars variegated
Flower: white, rose, and lavender, late spring to mid-summer
Culture: well-drained, rich, acidic loam; cool site; moderate shade
Problems: slugs, aphids, leaf scorch, crown rot, leaf blight, leaf spots
Liriope spicata
Common name: creeping lily-turf
Zone 5
Height: 10 inches
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: narrow, grass-like, with minute teeth on margins
Flower: pale lilac to white, clusters lax and open, summer
Fruit: berrylike, black
Culture: fertile, moist soil; shade or sun
Problems: snails, slugs, scale insects, mealybugs
Lysimachia nummularia
Common name: creeping Jennie
Zone 4
Height: 2 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: opposite, nearly round
Flower: solitary in leaf axils, stalked, yellow corolla bell-shaped, late spring, sporadic through mid-summer
Culture: moist soil; sun or shade
Problems: bud scale mites, wooly aphids, fungal leaf blight, invasive
Mazus reptans
Common name: creeping mazus
Zone 6
Height: 2 inches
Growth rate: initially slow, then moderate to fast
Foliage: lance-shaped to oval, coarsely toothed, light green, fleshy
Flower: lavender to purplish-blue, small in profuse clusters; late spring to early summer
Fruit: not ornamental
Culture: moist, rich soil; sun or light shade
Uses: between stepping stones
Problems: invasive in rich soil
Pachysandra procumbens
Common name: Alleghany spurge
Zone 5
Height: 8–10 inches
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: leathery, grayish to bluish-green, toothed, bronzed in autumn, deciduous to semi-evergreen
Flower: white or purplish, fragrant, early spring
Fruit: purple capsule often obscured by foliage
Culture: moist, well-drained, organic soil; shade to partial shade
Problems: slugs, mites, scale, nematodes, aphids, leaf blight (none as serious as on P. terminalis)
Pachysandra terminalis
Common name: Japanese spurge
Zone 5
Height: 9 inches
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: thick, dark, glossy green, spoon-shaped, alternate, toothed
Flower: white, in spikes, early spring
Fruit: small, whitish, oval berry
Culture: moist organic soil; shade to partial shade
Problems: slugs, mites, scales, nematodes, aphids, leaf blight
Phlox subulata
Common name: ground pink
Zone 4
Height: 6 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: small, crowded, needle-like
Flower: bright purple, pink or white, dense clusters, early to mid-spring
Culture: average, well-drained soil; full sun
Uses: rock gardens, walls or borders
Problems: beetles, scales, wireworms, two-spotted mite, bulb and stem nematodes, stalk borer, aster leaf hopper, leaf spots, powdery mildew, rusts, crown rot, stem blight, bacterial crown gall.
Polygonum spp.
Common name: fleece flower
Zone 4
Height: 2–18 inches, varies with species
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: basal, spatula-shaped, dark green with a white midvein
Flower: pink to bright rose, small on a spike, mid- to late summer
Culture: moist soil; sun
Problems: invasive
Potentilla spp.
Common name: cinquefoil
Zone 3 to 4
Height: 2–3 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: palmately compound, toothed
Flower: golden-yellow to white, varies with species, bloom time varies with species
Culture: well-drained soil; full sun
Problems: none serious
Sagina subulata
Common name: Irish moss
Zone 5
Height: 2–4 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: very small, numerous, prostrate, moss-like
Flower: profuse, tiny white flowers on short stalks, early to mid-summer
Culture: moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil; shade
Problems: crown rot, difficult to grow
Saponaria ocymoides
Common name: rock soapwort
Zone 2
Height: 4–10 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: evergreen, dark green, small, teardrop-shaped
Flower: bright purplish-pink, late spring and sporadic through autumn
Culture: well-drained, loamy soil; sun
Problems: aphids and leaf spots
Sedum spp.
Sedum kamtschaticum, commonly called stonecrop, is ideal in full sun. Photo by Jack Kerrigan.
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Common name: stonecrop, sedum
Zone 4 to 5
Height: 2–18 inches, varies with species
Growth rate: fast
Foliage: beadlike to broad flat oval
Flower: white, yellow, pink, red, or purple, tiny borne in clusters, bloom time varies with species
Culture: well-drained, sandy or gravelly, acidic soil; full sun
Problems: slugs, nematodes, aphids, weevil
Stachys byzantina
Common name: lamb’s ears, wooly betony
Zone 5
Height: 8–18 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: soft, white-wooly, growing densely on lax, spreading stems, opposite, oval or broadly lance-shaped
Flower: purple, in whorls, on stems, in terminal spikes, corolla tubular, opening into two lips, July to frost
Culture: average, well-drained soil; full sun
Uses: neutral foliage color in flower borders
Problems: leaf spot, powdery mildew, leaf gall, slugs, nematodes, invasive
Symphytum grandiflorum
Common name: large-flowered comfrey
Zone 5
Height: 8–12 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: oblong or oval, hairy
Flower: pale yellow, tubular, in curved panicles, late spring to early summer
Culture: well-drained soil; sun or partial shade
Problems: none serious
Thymus serpyllum
Common name: creeping thyme, mother-of-thyme
Zone 4
Height: 1–3 inches
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: tiny, linear to elliptic, simple
Flower: purple, small, bell-shaped, late spring
Culture: well-drained, not overly rich soil; sunny
Uses: a lawn substitute, along walks, between paving stones
Problems: snails, slugs, leaf blight
Tiarella cordifolia
Common name: false miterwort, fleeceflower, foamflower
Zone 5
Height: 6 inches
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: broadly heart-shaped, margins lobed and toothed
Flower: small, white, dense, finger-shaped raceme on a slender stem, mid-spring
Culture: organic, moist, well-drained soil; light shade
Problems: none serious
Veronica repens
Common name: speedwell
Zone 5
Height: 4 inches
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: semi-evergreen, toothed, shiny dark green
Flower: blue, May
Culture: slightly to moderately acidic, well-drained soils; full sun to light shade
Problems: checkerspot butterfly larvae, Japanese weevil, southern root-knot nematode, downy mildew, leaf spot, leaf galls, root rot, leaf smut
Vinca minor
Common name: periwinkle
Zone 5
Height: 4–6 inches
Growth rate: slow
Foliage: evergreen, oblong to oval, shiny dark green
Flower: lilac-blue, funnel-shaped, spring
Culture: fertile, rich, organic, well-drained, loamy, acidic to neutral soil; shade to partial shade
Problems: aphids, nematodes, blight, canker, dieback, leaf spots, root rot
Waldsteinia fragarioides
Common name: mock strawberry
Zone 5
Height: 4–8 inches
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: evergreen, wedge-shaped, coarsely toothed
Flower: yellow, clusters, late spring to early summer
Culture: well-drained, acidic to neutral soil; full sun to light shade
Problems: slugs
Ground covers for specific sites and uses:
Shade
Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’ (partial)
Ajuga reptans (partial)
Alchemilla mollis (light)
Artemisia sp. (partial)
Asarum sp.
Aubrieta deltoidea (light)
Campanula poscharskyana
Chrysogonum virginianum (partial)
Convallaria majalis
Epimedium sp.
Euphorbia cyparissias (moderate)
Galium odoratum
Geranium sp. (partial)
Hemerocallis hybrids (light)
Hosta sp.
Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’ (partial)
Lamiastrum galeobdolon var. Variegatum
Lamium maculatum (moderate)
Liriope spicata
Lysimachia nummularia
Mazus reptans (light)
Pachysandra procumbens
Pachysandra terminalis
Sagina subulata
Symphytum grandiflorum (partial)
Tiarella cordifolia (light)
Veronica repens (light)
Vinca minor
Waldsteinia fragarioids (light)
Sun
Ajuga reptans
Alchemilla mollis
Arabis caucasia
Artemisia sp.
Aubrieta deltoidea
Cerastium tomentosum
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Euphorbia cyparissias
Festuca ovina var. Glauca
Geranium sp.
Helianthemum nummularium
Hemerocallis hybrids
Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’
Liriope spicata
Lysimachia nummularia
Mazus reptans
Phlox subulata
Polygonum sp.
Potentilla verna
Saponaria ocymoides
Sedum sp.
Stachys byzantina
Symphytum grandiflorum
Thymus serpyllum
Veronica repens
Vinca minor
Waldsteinia fragarioids
Evergreen for shade
Pachysandra terminalis
Vinca minor
Evergreen for sun
Vinca minor
Dry
Artemisia sp.
Campanula poscharskyana
Geranium sp.
Hemerocallis hybrids
Lamium maculatum
Sedum sp.
Thymus serpyllum
Vinca minor
Wet
Asarum sp. (moist)
Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’
Liriope spicata
Lysimachia nummularia
Mazus reptans (moist)
Slopes
Convallaria majalis
Hemerocallis hybrids
Hosta sp.
Liriope spicata
Lysimachia nummularia
Pachysandra procumbens
Pachysandra terminalis
Phlox subulata
Sedum sp.
Vinca minor
Invasive
Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’
Ajuga reptans
Campanula poscharskyana
Convallaria majalis
Euphorbia cyparissias
Galium odoratum
Geranium sp.
Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’
Lamiastrum galeobdolon var. Variegatum
Lysimachia nummularia
Mazus reptans (in rich soil)
Polygonum sp.
Stachys byzantina
Ornamental grasses can be used as ground covers.
Determining the Number of Plants Needed
This chart may be used to determine how many plants you will need based on the square footage of your area.
| Square feet of planting area | Spacing (in inches) |
| 6 in. | 8 in. | 9 in. | 12 in. | 18 in. |
| 100 | 400 | 225 | 178 | 100 | 45 |
| 200 | 800 | 450 | 356 | 200 | 90 |
| 300 | 1200 | 675 | 534 | 300 | 135 |
| 400 | 1600 | 900 | 712 | 400 | 180 |
| 500 | 2000 | 1125 | 890 | 500 | 225 |
| 600 | 2400 | 1350 | 1068 | 600 | 270 |
| 700 | 2800 | 1575 | 1246 | 700 | 315 |
| 800 | 3200 | 1800 | 1425 | 800 | 360 |
| 900 | 3600 | 2025 | 1602 | 900 | 405 |
| 1000 | 4000 | 2250 | 1780 | 1000 | 450 |
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