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Index : Landscape Plants
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- 25. Ground Cover Plants Beautify and Cool Landscapes - Top
- If you get tired of looking at your gravel-filled yard, consider covering some of those bare expanses of bland, lifeless rock with green, growing ground cover plants.
There are lots of desert-adapted plant species that have a low, spreading habit of growth, just perfect for turning harsh rock mulch into soft green ground cover beds.
In addition to the beauty they provide, ground covers serve as an umbrella, blocking the sun and keeping the rock mulch from heating up. Shaded rock stays cooler and radiates less heat into the air around your home. In addition, the natural transpiration (moisture venting) of these plants provides a form of evaporative cooling, similar to lawns but without all the watering and care. So the environment around your home will stay considerably cooler with ground cover plantings.
The best types of ground covers for desert landscapes are those with low water requirements and a low, spreading habit of growth. In my opinion some of the best for Southern Arizona, - in no order of preference - include:
Acacia redolens ‘Desert Carpet’ (Desert Carpet Prostrate Acacia)
Baccharis hybrid ‘Centennial’ (Centennial Coyote Bush)
Convolvulus ceneorum (Bush Morning Glory)
Calylophus hartwegii (Calylophus)
Dalea capitata ‘Sierra Gold’ (Golden Dalea)
Dalea greggii (Trailing Indigo Bush)
Lantana camara ‘New Gold’ (New Gold Lantana)
Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ (Prostrate Rosemary)
Teucrium chamaedrys ‘Prostratum’ (Germander)
Verbena tenuisecta (Moss Verbena)
These plants will be available at most area garden centers. They vary in spread from three feet in the case of Bush Morning Glory, to over 9 feet for the Trailing Indigo Bush. Check the maximum width of the ground cover you select to determine the spacing between plants. This spacing should be slightly less than the plant’s maximum spread to create a full appearance.
In the case of Trailing Indigo Bush that roots to form new plants as it grows, one planted may be enough. But for many plants, it’s better to group several together to cover an area. Odd numbered groupings (3, 5, 7) are more pleasing visually than are even combinations of plants. In small yard spaces limit the number of varieties of plants used as ground covers. Combining of too many plant varieties in a limited space can look busy and chaotic.
All ground cover plants, even the true desert varieties benefit from some bed preparation and soil amendment prior to planting. Unlike trees and shrubs, that must grow expansive root systems out far from the plant base, ground covers produce roots much like garden plants in a bed. Their roots can be restricted to a smaller space without being harmed. This area can be amended with tilling and organic matter to increase the water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil and make it easier for roots to grow.
To prepare the beds prior to planting, first locate and mark where the ground covers are to be planted. Use a can of flagging spray paint, available at hardware and home supply stores, to mark the projected edge of the plants at maturity. For instance, if the plant has a mature spread of 4 feet, then mark a 4 foot diameter circle on the ground to represent the mature plant. The area within the marked circles is the area to be tilled and amended.
You can till the bed by hand using a shovel to dig down 12 inches or so. If the area is large, you may want to rent a power rito-tiller to turn the soil.
Thoroughly turn the soil. The work will be easier if you soak the soil a couple of days prior to turning, with water from a soaker hose. Remove any large stones. Spread a 6 inch layer of organic matter over the area and with a shovel or tiller, turn it into the top 12 inches of soil. The organic matter can be bagged or bulk compost, peat moss, cotton seed meal, or composted manure.
Along with organic matter, till in a high phosphorous fertilizer, such as ammonium phosphate (16-20-0), at the rate of 3 pounds per 100 square feet. This will encourage rooting and hasten establishment. Mix the organic matter and fertilizer thoroughly into the soil. Then rake the soil smooth and your ready to plant.
After planting apply a surface mulch to cover the soil and help hold in moisture. I like to use a 3 inch layer of compost or ground cedar mulch. Water daily until temperatures cool to daytime highs in the 80s, then gradually lengthen the intervals between waterings. To find the exact water requirements of the ground covers you select, consult one of the many Southwest plant guides.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. - Updated: March 16, 2005
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