What really is a "groundcover"?

Question

I am confused about groundcovers. I know things such as ivy or vinca or liorope are "ground covers", but where I get confused is when people start referring to astilbe or aster or abelia or candy tuft as "ground cover". These, I would call flowering perennials or flowering shrubs, but many refer to these as flowering "ground covers". What exactly is the definition for a "ground cover"? is it pretty vague term or something?

Mainly, what is the difference between calling some things " perennials" and "ground cover"?

Answer 1

It's basically any low growing plant to 'cover' parts of bare soil.

Answer 2

Q. What really is a "groundcover"?
A. Ground cover is any plant that grows for a season or more that "covers" bare earth, not including trees. A lawn can be considered ground cover, along with vines, bushes, shrubs, ferns, and the like. However, most of the time, gardeners are thinking of the small, low growing plants that can spread over the ground and borders, such as ivy, myrtle, pachysandra, phlox, etc..., when they are talking about ground cover.

Answer 3

well, technically speaking, any vegetation that covers large areas of ground is a groundcover (even an evergreen forest is a groundcover). but for gardening purposes, groundcovers are low, spreading, dense, carpet-like plants that serve several purposes: 1) control erosion(especially on sloped land) 2) control weeds by choking out their access to sun and nutrients. 3) help conserve moisture by reducing evaporation. 4) cover large areas of your flower garden quickly and more cheaply than using non-spreading plants would.. most low-growing groundcovers have a blanket-like effect. The more dense their foilage is, the better they are for the purposes of eliminating weeds. Any perennial, if you plant enough of them and plant them close enough together can be considered a groundcover--but by and large the term mostly refers to plants that are freely spreading (where 1 plant can spread 2' or more. some effective groundcovers (like perennail geranium) can spread indefinitely. Some (like goutweed and silver nettle vine) can become rampant and invasive weeds. So you have to exercise some caution when a plant is touted as being a "fast growing groundcover that thrives in any conditions". Some groundcovers like creeping junipers are very slow growing but still considered very desireable. Also plants that form colonies can be considered good groundcovers even though they may be quite tall ( tulips, daffodils, asters, hostas,daisies, liorope, agapanthus. And some plants self seed so prolifically that they will become a groundcover not by root spread but by continuously making new individual plants (daisies--especially shasta--cushion spurge, allysum, some grasses, asters, primroses). some of the best strictly groundcover plants are: sedum, ajuga, snow-in-summer, pachysandra, english ivy, vinca, perennial geranium, silver nettle vine, lamium, perennial allysum, perennial candytuft, moss phlox, thyme, hen-and-chicks, saxifrage, bergenia, aubrietta, lewisia. notice how many of the larger plants that arent normally thought of as being a groundcover are labelled, "may be used as a groundcover", whereas the true groundcovers are just labelled as "groundcover"

Answer 4

Hello James,

Ground covers are low-growing plants that spread quickly to form a dense cover. They add beauty to the landscape and, at the same time, help prevent soil erosion. Grass is the best known ground cover, but grass is not suited to all locations. Other ground cover plants should be used where grass is difficult to grow or maintain such as a flower bed. There are different ground covers depending on what zone you are in. Most nurserys can guide you as to what ground covers grow in the shade or full sun or part shade. Ice plant is used in my area however it blooms in a solid blanket of color when the sun is out and closes up & goes to sleep at night.

Might want to check out my website secilysgardentips.com for much more garden tips & information.

Wish you the best on selecting a beautiful ground cover,
Secily

Answer 5

A groundcover is a low-growing plant that covers the soil either protecting it from erosion or planted to smother weeds.

You are correct - the plants you mentioned aren't groundcovers anymore than a grove of trees could be classified as a groundcover. However, most of those plants should be grown as flowering annuals rather than perennials.

Answer 6

Perennial refers to a plant that survives the winter and grows more vigorously in the spring and summer. Annuals die in the winter and will not regenerate.

Most ground covers are perennial. Their structure has a lot to do with their ability to survive the cold. Rather than send shoots or branches up into the cold air, ground covers send branches (rhizomes) along the ground.

Answer 7

Ground cover is based on height. So, you can perennial, or evergreen or whatever groundcover.
Basically I think of things that would cover a spot instead of mulch.

Answer 8

ground cover cover the ground......