Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Sunday - April 04, 2010
From: Poughkeepsie, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Groundcovers
Title: Ground cover for a slope in NY
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
I live in New York State about 60 miles north of NYC. I have a very wide hill in the front of my house that I am just unable to keep up with. I can mow the bottom portion but using a weed trimmer for the rest is very time consuming and difficult. Can you suggest ground cover plants that will fill in the area with minimal maintenance? The hill receives quite a bit of morning sun.ANSWER:
You don't mention how large the area is, the type of setting (suburban or rural) or what your definition of "minimal" is with regards to maintenance. There is no such thing as a maintenance free garden ... although in many cases, the level of maintenance demand is defined by the homeowner's taste (formal or more "wild" garden preferences).
You will definitely have fewer maintenance requirements if you choose shrubs, large ornamental grasses and agressive perennials that spread by underground runners.
Your plant choices will be limited by what plants are available in the nurseries in your area but you can start a wish list by visiting our Native Plant database. By performing a Combination Search on that page for New York, dry conditions (that is generally the case on a slope) and part sun you can generate plant lists of each plant type. The plants on the lists are linked to detailed information pages with images.
Here are some plants selected from those lists that should work for you.
Perennials (Herb)
Anaphalis margaritacea (western pearly everlasting)
Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf tickseed)
Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower)
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
Oenothera fruticosa ssp. glauca (narrowleaf evening-primrose)
Tradescantia ohiensis (bluejacket)
Grasses
Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama)
Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)
Tridens flavus (purpletop tridens)
Shrubs
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick)
Comptonia peregrina (sweet fern)
Rhus aromatica (fragrant sumac)
Vaccinium angustifolium (lowbush blueberry)
3
More Groundcovers Questions
Groundcover or grass for Panama City, Florida
April 19, 2009 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants
I live in Panama City Florida and am having great difficulty growing a lawn. I would prefer no lawn as grass, it seems a pointless use of resources but my husband requires gr...
view the full question and answer
Winter groundcover for shaded backyard in Austin
January 10, 2013 - I live in south Austin and have a shaded backyard. During the summer, the lawn died and the ground is now bare. I'd like to plant some kind of winter grass or ground cover that will hold the soil i...
view the full question and answer
How to combat weeds growing in mulch
September 12, 2008 - Trying to decide on either ground cover plants, or some type of gravel. We have a new house where the builder has planted small shrubs in the full sun flower bed next to house. The bed has mulch at th...
view the full question and answer
Buffalo grass and other native grass for lawn in Central Texas
March 17, 2008 - Hi,
I live in Cedar Park, TX - recently moved to into a newly built house. I wanted to put some native grass (like buffalo) in the back yard.
- My back yard has slope (away from house) and front...
view the full question and answer
Shrub or Vine for NH Slope
May 11, 2013 - I'm looking for a native plant/shrub/vine that can be used to control erosion on a relatively steep slope in New Hampshire. Do you know of any?
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
