Ground Covers for Dry Places

There are places so dry nothing will grow. Soil that has extreme dry spots can be improved to help hold moisture and cut down evaporation. Add liberal amounts of organic matter such as peat moss or leaf mold to help soil retain moisture. Mulches placed over the soil reduce water loss. During extremely dry periods, watering may be necessary, especially when new plants are being established.

Although proper soil preparation is helpful, selecting tolerant plants is important to establish a suitable ground cover. Creeping junipers are excellent ground cover plants for sunny dry banks. Heights vary from 6 to 12 inches. They produce creeping branches that root frequently and are good for erosion control. Bar Harbor, Blue Rug (Wilton Carpet) or Japanese Garden Juniper are among the most popular types.

Hall's honeysuckle is a much-branched, dense, evergreen woody vine that covers the ground rapidly, rooting down at the nodes. Since it is vigorous and rangy, it is best for large areas. Do not plant it close to trees or shrubs. It will climb over them and shade them out. Sedums are one of the most drought tolerant garden plants. They are available in many different forms and colors. One of the best for low ground cover is Goldmoss Stonecrop. It is evergreen and reaches a height of about two inches.

Sedums cannot be walked on. They have succulent leaves and stems easily damaged by foot traffic. Some sedums die back in winter, but new growth appears in early spring. Closely related to the sedums are the sempervivums, also known as houseleek, or ben and chicks. They are well adapted to sunny, dry locations. They do not spread as rapidly as many of the sedums. Another plant for the sunny rock garden or dry banks is the moss pink or creeping phlox. Plants are semi-evergreen to evergreen and grow about six inches tall.

Abundant flowers are normally produced in April. Colors are white, pink, and purplish-pink. Old plants may occasionally thin out in the centers. Therefore, occasional division and filling in may be required. While most plants suitable for dry locations are sun loving, one for a dry, shade area is hosta or plantain lily. It prefers semi-shade but will tolerate fairly dense shade. The large leaves die back to the ground in winter. Spikes of flowers may be produced in mid-summer. A few other plants to consider for dry locations are rock cress, St. Johnswort, fleece flower, and creeping thyme.

Accessible Gardening: Tips & Techniques, by Joan Woy.