Native Groundcovers

Autumn is a good time to evaluate the worthiness of ground cover plants, as the strength of the plant and its foliage is evident. Marty DeHart visits a mature garden to profile a dozen different native ground covers. Most of these plants have a season of bloom. Marty considers each one to be worthy of a spot in your garden.

Plants Featured in this Clip

Hypericum hypericoides (St. Andrew's cross)
Geranium maculatum (Wild geranium)
Rudbeckia fulgida var. umbrosa (Orange coneflower, Black-eyed Susan)
Phlox glaberrima (smooth phlox) 'Morris Berd'
Chrysogonum virginianum (Green and Gold) 'Eco Lacquered Spider'
Carex appalachia (Appalachian sedge)
Blephilia ciliata (Downy wood mint)
Solidago flexicaulis (zigzag goldenrod)
Aster oblongifolius (aromatic aster) 'Raydon's Favorite'
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Glandularia Canadensis
Asarum canadense (Canadian wild ginger)
Tiarella cordifloria (Heartleaf foamflower)
VALERIANA pauciflora

Gardener Extras

Downy wood mint occurs more often in open areas than in woodlands.
Aster oblongifolius has many attributes. It is bee-friendly, attracts butterflies, is deer-resistant, easy to grow, and has a long bloom time.
The growth habit and appearance of Hypericum stragulum, also known as Hypericum hypericoides, varies. It is often shrub-like, up to about 5 feet tall. However, it can very well be mat-forming, up to only about 1 foot tall.

Marty DeHart

Marty's lifelong passion for plants has led her to a long and varied career in horticulture: she's been a professional grower of gloxinias and African violets as well as perennials, a native plant propagator, a landscaper and landscape designer. She deeply enjoys learning constantly and sharing what she learns about plants, particularly information and techniques that can produce thriving plants and green-thumbed gardeners.