Evergreen groundcovers: Winter Pics

Sequoia gave me the idea for this thread by mentioning his search for an evergreen groundcover.

I'm sure we've all seen plants described as evergreen and wondered how they'd really look in winter in our own yards. Here are some photos of groundcovers I rely on to hold down the soil on slopes: having some green to look at is a bonus.

Share any photos you'd like so that people can see how plants look right now in various zones. Define "groundcover" however you wish: ground-huggers, low-growing shrubs, basal perennial foliage, etc.

Photos 1-3 are Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny Spurge); 4 is Chrysogonum virginianum (Green & Gold); 5 is Antennaria plantaginifolia (Plantain-leaf Pussytoes).

More pics:

1. Carex grayii (Bur Sedge)
2. Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Euphorbia)
3. Myosotis sylvatica (Perennial Forget-me-Not)
4 and 5: Sedum ternatum (Wild Stonecrop)

Last ones: Sedum 'Utah' (I think) and Hypericum calycinum (St. John's Wort)

SSG and I were talking yesterday about a groundcover called Pratia, and I couldn't remember the name of the Pratia I have which has survived for several years and has pretty blue flowers throughout the summer.
I found the tag: It is "Jeepers Creepers" brand Pratia 'Celestial Spice' (Blue Pratia). The tag says it's evergreen, but that's a real stretch. It looks really dead right now.

thanks, I will try to see what I might have to show.

Muddy, I have quite a few but most are covered in oak leaves.

1. Ajuga and gold variegated liriope

2. Carex Toffee Twist

3. I got this from Donner but can't think of its name! Does very well in shade. Edit: It's an acorus!

4. Variegated carex.

5. Blue grass for sun. Edit: it's a blue fescue!

This message was edited Feb 9, 2015 4:47 PM

Sun ground covers.

Candytuft.

Phlox

Sedum Angelina.

Yarrow.

Sedum Dragons Blood. Not exactly evergreen. Only the tops stay intact.

Ground covers for the shade.

1, 3, 4 Various Heuchera

2 hellebore.

5 variegated vinca.

Last of the ground covers.

1. Dwarf conifer about 2 in tall.

2. Pussytoes from Sally.

3. Bergenia from greenthumb. Huge leaves this year. They didn't bloom for me last spring.

4. Silver violas from last year's group buy.



This message was edited Feb 9, 2015 4:58 PM

Ok two more!

Ajuga, one of my favorites.

Thyme.

Thanks for all of the photos. It's amazing how some things are so fresh looking that, if it weren't for the brown tree leaves, you'd think you were looking at a summer pic!

I'm going to take a photo of the Pratia 'Celestial Spice' (ugly as it is) that hasn't lived up to the nursery's claim that it is evergreen, because I think "actual results" photos are useful even when the plant looks terrible. In all fairness to the plant and nursery, it is rated for zones 7-9, so I guess I should feel lucky just because it survives our winters : - ) Still, I wouldn't have bought it if I had known it wouldn't be evergreen.

Muddy, I was thinking of what you said about needing a short ground cover for the shade.

Pussytoes from Sally have been very vigorous and completely evergreen for me, and very low to the ground.

And if you're interested in grasses, acorus stays clean looking all winter, whereas carex and liriope look brown and "dirty" until the leaves are cut down in the spring. I don't think I've needed to cut down the acorus at all in the ~2 years I've had it. Even the ones in full shade look great.

I forgot to take pictures of the creeping jenny and sweet woodruff, both of which are evergreen.

Btw, I think some of these are looking fresh only because they've been buried under (and protected by) a pile of oak leaves.

I forgot my favorite picture! Here's geranium Biokovo.

I like that!
A lot of winter protection is in the mulching, I think, whether you use a pile of leaves or a layer of mulch. I think it makes a big difference. Some of my St. John's Worts look better than others; I should check to see whether the mulch depth varies.

Edited to say thanks for the suggestions! I'll probably experiment with a variety of groundcovers this spring.

Here's the main problem with that area: virtually all of the rain runoff from 4 houses is channeled through there because it's the end of a swale that runs through my backyard. The water depth exceeds 2 inches in heavy storms, and any debris whatsoever (even a few dozen wood chips) jams up the flow as it goes under the fence. I can't use any groundcover that will catch debris that will block the flow.

It's also really shady and heavily compacted. Shade-loving moss should do well as long as I blow the dirt off it after the water settles. I use a leaf blower to "blow-dry" that area after it rains to fluff up whatever green stuff there is so it doesn't die : - )


This message was edited Feb 9, 2015 8:04 PM

We have a number of ferns that are more or less evergreen. The smaller, first year plants look best as they get the most benefit from leaf cover.

1-Dryopteris x australis - Dixie Wood Fern
2-Dryopteris marginalis - Marginal Wood Fern
3-Polystichum acrostichoides - Christmas Fern
4-Polystichum polyblepharum - Korean Tassel Fern

Some other nice February foliage.

1-Arum italicum - Italian Arum
2-Cyclamen hederifolium - Hardy Cyclamen
3-Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae
4-Sedum rupestre 'Blue Spruce'
5-Hens and Chicks

Your ferns are looking great, greenthumb. Mine are looking pretty ratty, except for my Autumn Ferns (photo).

Are any of your second group growing in shade? The Arum and Cyclamen look great growing out of the moss, and it looks like shade moss, but I thought those plants liked sun.

It's surprising to see how many groundcovers stay nice and green through the winter; we're putting together quite the "catalog"!

ssg, my Creeping Jenny is not evergreen, but it might do well in part of my shady muddy area. I should also try Pussytoes and Violas, especially because I have seeds for them. There's only one way to find out if something will thrive in a specific area, right?

Also, do you know the name of your dwarf conifer, ssg?

Nice pics, folks.

my hardy cyclamen seems happy enough in shade by a maple tree.

Muddy, I'm pretty sure it's either a miniature chamaecyparis or cryptomeria. It's a cutting from a National Arboretum tree, purchased at their annual Friends of NA sale. I had a plant tag that seems to have disappeared.

Btw, the beds weren't mulched on purpose! I just have no control over the ever-shedding oak leaves. :)

Thanks, ssg.

I think the oak leaves look great, especially on your geranium Biokovo. Mother Nature's free mulch is the best!

I love this thread. As soon as I saw it I ran outside with my camera to take pics of all my ground covers and guess what. I have white ground cover over all my green ground covers.
I will probably be able to post winter ground cover pics by late spring....... LOL

Well Holly, you sort of preempted me. I was going to post a completely blank photo and list the ground covers that were supposedly in it. ;-)

ROFLOL

Good one David. Only 6" of snow cover here so I can still see Christmas Fern and Snowdrops .
Glossy Abelia and azaleas now in deep frezze so may loose leaves when thaw comes. Acorus and helebore seem ok. Winter Creeper and Allegheny Spurge doing fine. Pierris unphased.as is Leucothoe.

Funny David!
After that snow thaws, take some photos. If the groundcovers look terrible, so be it!
It's very useful to know what "evergreen" groundcovers look like after they take a beating from the cold and snow. Mine look a lot worse now, except for the Japanese Pachysandra and Vinca, which always manage to look nice.