Lawns are an easy way to cover the soil in the yard and are a common landscaping solution “back East.” But lawns are not a natural part of the arid Southwest landscape, and thus require extensive work to maintain. As discussed in Lawns in the Southwest, the Seven Principles Xeriscape (low-water landscaping) say that lawn is fine in an area where you will use it. So, small patch of lawn – now what about the rest of the yard? Groundcovers are a great solution!

What are Groundcovers

Simply put, groundcovers cover the ground (well, duh!). Technically lawn is one type of groundcover. But most people here in the Southwest are looking for not-lawn, and they also want something not-gravel.  Something that is “pretty and green,” as one newcomer told me.

Groundcovers are good for the landscape because they shade the soil. This in turn helps reduce overall soil temperature, reduce evaporation of soil moisture, plus reduce weed growth. The right species of groundcovers can help hold soil on banks and prevent erosion.

Groupings of groundcovers can help the entire landscape when they are included in the design plan. They soften the landscape composition, add texture, add bright color, add movement, and often have fragrant flowers.

Four Forms of Groundcovers

Depending on the spot, you may require a specific form of groundcover.
Groundcovers come in four basic growth forms: clumping, mounding, spreading, or trailing. But the terms mean different things to different authors.  I discuss that in Plant Selection – part of a Series on YouTube

No one form is “better” than the other inherently. Each has something that they are good at, and will perform best when they are placed in the place where they can shine.

Clumping groundcovers form a clump, pointing upright. Some books call these upright instead of clumping. These plants are almost like a little shrubs, but they will spread out over time, never growing tall.

Mounding is almost a kind of clump, but it has a smoother feel to it, more of a rounded effect. 

Spreading groundcovers are ones that hug the ground but does not trail over edges. It’s also called creeping.

Trailing groundcovers hug the ground, but also cascade down a bank or over the edge of a planter. Well yes, they spread out – but they are also very happy dangling downward, while a spreading groundcover wants ground beneath its feet at all times.

Some groundcovers species come is several forms, like rosemary. You need to be careful which you buy! It can be clumping, mounding or trailing – depending of the cultivar that the plant breeders have created. I have two forms of rosemary in two different places in my garden, clumping and mounding. I now want a trailing variety for some steep banks. 

Five Flowering Groundcovers

All plants, except a few hybrids, will flower – and groundcovers are no exception. The groundcovers I am writing about today flower for longer than three or four weeks, thus providing long term color for the yard. All of these listed are evergreen, meaning they don’t lose their leaves.  Best of all, these are on my rabbit, rock squirrel, javelina, and deer = Wildlife Resistant Plants list. Some can not take freezing – so note the temperatures (in F) listed if you live in Upper Elevations.

Background done – now it’s time to look at five low-water, easy to take care of, safe for humans and pets, not bothered by hungry wildlife, pretty to look at – groundcovers. There are far more than 5, but lets start with these.

Rocky Point Ice Plant

Spreading. This succulent, the Rocky Point ice plant (Malephora lutea), is a spreading groundcover that reaches 1 X 6 feet. Cheerful yellow flowers cover the plant almost every day of the year, even in winter. The glossy green spiked leaves store water, and are sometimes pecked by thirsty birds. Rocky Point ice plant withstands freezes of 15 degrees, and never needs any pruning, trimming or special care.

These “Rocky Point” plants are not from Rocky Point in Sonora, Mexico. They come from coastal areas of South Africa. So – although they flower year round, they are relatively dormant in summer (South African winter). This means that if you over-water them in summer you could cause them to rot and die.

Damianita

Mounding. Golden yellow, daisy-like flowers grace damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) virtually all summer long. Quail adore its seeds. This Sonoran desert native reaches 18 inches tall by (eventually) 5 feet across, looking like waves of green dotted with golden flowers. It is a native of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Damianita looks well even in winter, and tolerated cold down to 0F. Best of all, the glossy, lime green leaves don’t drop in winter (unlike lantana). This plant looks well skirting the edges of agaves or around cacti. Since it needs little care, let it fill in where it will. You could think of it as a perennial wildflower.

This mention is your reminder get ready to plant Spring Wildflowers seeds in September.

Bush Morning Glory

Mounding. Bush morning glory (Convolvulus cneorum) also called silverbush, is a mounding groundcover with leaves that are a silvery pale blue green. This native of Europe has smallish white to pale blue morning glory like flowers. With that silvery foliage, I guess I should have mentioned it in my Moon Garden Plants!

It does need well-drained soil, and reaches 18 inches tall by around 10 foot spread. It can grow in part shade under trees. Not ideal in Low Desert full sun, unless you have a spot where its shaded in summer afternoons. Also not so good in cold.  It can also be grown in containers.  Tolerant to around 15F.

Blue Euphorbia

Clumping blue euphorbia (Euphorbia rigida) has a coarse growth form so it forms a clump. It has lime-green leaves and chartreuse-yellow flowers. Clumps spread to 2 X 5 feet, and then they fall open and look unsightly. The cure is a rejuvenation pruning every year or two. Can withstand freeze to -10F.

For some reason this is also sold with the common name “gopher plant,” but gophers, and rabbits too, hate it. Ground squirrels will not even dig under it.  Like all members of the Euphorbia family (which includes poinsettia) it contains a latex that makes it distasteful. Don’t plant if you have pets that like to chew on plants.

Wedelia

Trailing. Yellow dot or wedelia, (Sphagneticola trilobata, formerly Wedelia trilobata), is a beautiful trailing groundcover with coarse dark green leaves. Golden orange daisy like flowers cover the plant in the hot season, from April through October. Less than a foot high, it can trail to 6 feet wide. Due to its trailing nature, this is excellent for raised planters as well as beds. Can freeze to 0F.

Avoid Lantana

Sadly, lantana is often planted as a groundcover across the Southwest. Why do I say “sadly?”

First and foremost lantana is not a low-water plant. It is originally from moist and warm (but not hot) Brazil. It needs lots of extra water to survive our hot and dry area. I have discovered that my idea of “low water” is much lower than the average Phoenix area landscaper. Since I pay my own water bill, I want true low-water plants, not just ones that use less water than a hydrangea.

In addition to not being a low-water user, lantana will freeze in winter, so it often looks unsightly. It’s also a high maintenance plant, requiring steady pruning to look good, not to mention fertilizer, and soil acidifiers. Worse of all – dogs like to chew on lantana branches. It can be a bit of a stimulant (like coffee) but over time it will damage their liver, and can lead to their early demise. Then there are the entirely toxic berries.  Lantana is not part of a Pet Friendly Landscape.

So Many More

There are many more gorgeous groundcovers available, and I hope to revisit this topic. I focused on these five to get you started. I appreciate these for their long flower season, and especially for winter color.

Thanks for your visit today.
Jacqueline

More About Lawns & Groundcover Alternatives

The Month By Month Guide offers tips for your landscape (yes even lawns and roses) in every month of the year.  I have a few copies left and am offering them to you – my loyal readers. When you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“A great reference book is key to successful gardening in the region where you live. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening takes the guesswork out of gardening for anyone residing in the Southwest. With this book, you’ll know what to do each month to enjoy a thriving garden all year, from January to December. Chronologically organized, this guide is full of critical gardening when-to and how-to advice, along with illustrated step-by-step instructions.

The book’s author is Jacqueline Soule, a Tucson-based gardening expert. She knows this arid region inside and out, and she’s written several articles and books packed with her gardening advice. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening showcases Soule’s expertise in one easy-to-read guide.”

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.  

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