Five Favorite Groundcovers

A landscape designer's favorite ground covers must possess the following traits: uniform growth, spreading, sturdy, low-growing, and beautiful. The following five foot the bill.

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Myoporum parvifolium

At first glance, this plant almost looks like creeping rosemary, but does not possess a rosemary's blue, glaucous tinge. This Australian native is drought tolerant, and creates a gorgeous green carpet. This dense, quick growing ground cover should be spaced about six feet apart, and given little to moderate water. 

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Aptenia cordifolia

A mat forming, trailing, drought tolerant, floriferous ice plant that can take poor soils, sun, little water, and coastal conditions. Cultivars such as 'Red Apple' are likely to be found at your local nursery.

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Rosmarinus officinalis 

 'Huntington Carpet,' 'Irene' or 'Prostratus' are great choices for covering slopes, cascading over walls, and are great contenders for replacing thirsty lawns. Full sun, little irrigation, and extremely melliferous!

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Cotoneaster dammeri

'Lowfast' or 'Coral Beauty' are great selections for this even, robust ground cover. Tolerant of sun or shade, and it survives on little irrigation. This winner is low and spreading, with dainty white flowers in the spring followed by red berries.

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Baccharis pilularis (Coyote Brush)

I love this plant: it doggedly refuses to acknowledge that nothing that green and vibrant should be growing where it is growing (extremely dry, rocky, hot chaparral and coastal scrub). 'Pigeon Point' or 'Twin Peaks' are the two most popular forms for ground cover.