|
Perennial ground covers for mountain communities - small areas (Under 50-
Sq. ft.) |
|
Latin Name |
Common Name |
Height |
Spacing |
Exposure |
Remarks |
|
Achillea tomentosa |
Wooly yarrow |
8-10 in. |
12-15 in. |
Sun |
Rockeries, Spreads rapidly, Foliage lacy and grayish |
|
Aethionema pulchellum |
Stonecrest |
12 in. |
12-15 in. |
Sun |
Rockeries, sunny slopes |
|
Ajuga reptans vars. |
Carpet bugle |
Foliage prostrate |
10-12 in. |
Shady spots |
Cultivated varieties include 'Bronzeleaf' (bronzed foliage), 'Harlequin'
(multi-colored), 'Purpleleaf' (deep red foliage) and 'Variegated'
(yellow-white blotch) |
|
Alyssum montanum |
Mountain alyssum |
2-3 in. |
12-14 in. |
Sun |
A tufted alpine species with fragrant, yellow flowers |
|
Antennaria spp. |
Pussytoes |
6 in, |
12-18 in. |
Full sun |
A native. Best on loose, rocky soil |
|
Arabis alpina |
Alpine rockcress |
6 in. |
8-10 in. |
Sun |
Rockeries, sunny slopes of poor but well-drained soil |
|
Arenaria verna caespitosa |
Moss sandwort |
1-3 in. |
6 in. |
Sun or light shade |
Rockeries, makes a dense moss-like mat. Other species available |
|
Arenaria maritima |
Common thrift |
Foliage to 4 in. |
6-8 in. |
Sun |
Grown for cutting. White-flowered variety. Common rockeries |
|
Cerastium tomentosum |
Snow-in-summer |
4-6 in. |
18-20 in. |
Sun or shade |
Foliage silvery. A very rapid grower that must be constrained |
|
Dianthus deltoides |
Maiden pink |
Foliage 5-6 in.; flowers to 10 in. |
10-15 |
Sun |
Flowers show up well against the mat of foliage. Cut flower, rockeries |
|
Dianthus plumarius |
Cottage or grass pink |
Foliage 5-6 in.; flowers 12 in. |
15-18 in. |
Sun |
Foliage gray-green in creeping mats. Large rockeries. Rock walls |
|
Papaver nudicale |
Iceland poppy |
10 in. |
13 in. |
Sun or shade |
Colorful. Seed in early fall |
|
Penstemon caespitosus |
Creeping penstemon (mat penstemon |
4 in. |
18 in. |
Part shade |
Native. A low mat with purple flowers. Performs best where soils have some
natural humus |
|
Saponaria ocymoides |
Rock soapwort |
9-10 in. |
12-15 in. |
Sun |
Widely cultivated. Useful in rockeries |
|
Teucrium canadense |
American germander |
12-24 in. |
24-30 in. |
Sun or shade |
Best used in low sites where moisture is relatively constant |
|
Viola cornata |
Tufted pansy |
6-10 in. |
10-12 in. |
Sun |
Many named varieties and hybrids available. Sometime fails to survive winter
but reseeds readily |