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Browse Plants

Narrowed By:Zone: 4+ Uses: Ground Covers + Light: Part Shade Only
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 listings   Sort By: Sort
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
(4 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This woodland plant is valued for its flowers and its heart-shaped, ground-covering leaves. Its small blue flowers go nicely with ephemeral bulbs in mid- to late spring,  as the enlarging leaves block out the ripening bulb foliage. 'Jack Frost' can take dry summers and wet winters. This cultivar is prized for its improved tolerance of heat and sun. -Marty Hair, Regional Picks: Upper Midwest, Fine Gardening issue# 127

no image available Brunnera macrophylla 'Langtrees'
(Siberian bugloss)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This woodland plant is valued for its flowers and heart-shaped, groundcovering leaves. 'Langtrees' can take dry summers and wet winters. This cultivar is prized for its improved tolerance of heat and sun.

Corydalis scouleri Corydalis scouleri
(Scouler's fumeroot)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This species has tiers of lacy foliage that form broad clumps, 3 feet high by 3 feet wide. Its hot pink flowers bloom from May to July.

Dicentra eximia ‘Alba’ Dicentra eximia ‘Alba’
(Fringed bleeding heart, Turkey corn)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Rows of white flowers dangle above the fern-like foliage, opening in April and continuing intermittently until October.

Dicentra formosa Dicentra formosa
(Western bleeding heart)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Don't let its delicate appearance fool you: Western bleeding heart is hardy and tenacious. This elegant, herbaceous perennial spreads slowly from rhizomes to form drifts of soft blue-green, ferny foliage in shady woodland areas. Above the leaves in late spring, pink heart-shaped flowers hang gracefully from long, arched stems, attracting scores of hummingbirds but not the local deer. It is surprisingly drought tolerant during the summer months.

Euphorbia griffithii Euphorbia griffithii
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This species has red stems and dark green leaves, which emerge in spring with a reddish tinge. In early summer, it bears conspicuous bracts of orange-red or red. 

Heuchera 'Caramel' Heuchera 'Caramel'
('Caramel' heuchera)
(2 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Heuchera 'Caramel' has H. villosa parentage, so it's more tolerant of heat and humidity that other heacheras. It has glowing, apricot-hued foliage that grows up to 12 inches tall and 20 inches wide. Pink flowers appear in spring. This plant performs well in both garden beds and containers, or as a groundcover when planted en masse. It may be evergreen on warmer climates.

Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride' Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'
(Hairy alumroot, Maple leaf alumroot)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Large, fuzzy, gray-green leaves distinguish 'Autumn Bride' from other cultivars of Heuchera villosa. Attractive white flowers bloom in midsummer. This heuchera tolerates full sun but prefers partial shade, especially in the afternoon. -Jane Hutson, Regional Picks: Midwest, Fine Gardening issue# 127

Lamium galeobdolon 'Hermann's Pride' Lamium galeobdolon 'Hermann's Pride'
(Deadnettle, yellow archangel )
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

'Hermann's Pride' is small, but bold. Unlike the rampantly creeping variegated yellow lamium (Lamium galeobdolon 'Variegatum'), the lamium cultivar ‘Hermann’s Pride’ is a slow-growing, clump-forming treasure that grows like a small bush, beautiful in foliage (jagged, silvery, and green) and flower (brilliant yellow). Masses of flowers appear in late spring to early summer. While some may have trouble controlling this cultivar, it behaves meekly in harsh climates. -Sue Whetten, Regional Picks: Rocky Mountains, Fine Gardening issue #127

Lamium maculatum 'Pink chablis' Lamium maculatum 'Pink chablis'
(Spotted deadnettles)
(3 user reviews)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

‘Pink Chablis’ has pink flowers above silvery gray leaves edged with dark green. These trailing plants make fine ground covers or cascaders.

Myrrhis odorata Myrrhis odorata
(Sweet cicely)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This elegant fern-like herb has a mounding form and anise-flavored bright-green leaves. In late spring, it bears compound umbels of star-shaped white flowers, followed by shiny, ridged brown seeds.

Phlox divaricata 'Clouds of Perfume' Phlox divaricata 'Clouds of Perfume'
(Blue phlox, Wild sweet William, Woodland phlox)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This is a very fragrant native woodland phlox with powder-blue flowers in spring. Reaching only 1 foot tall, it can spread to almost 2 feet and makes an attractive groundcover under shrubs or planted with other spring-blooming wildflowers. Leaves are semi-evergreen and hairy; stems root along their length. The blue flowers are salverform with petal lobes. This plant attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

no image available Phlox divaricata and cvs.
(Blue phlox, Wild sweet William, Woodland phlox)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This spreading, semi-evergreen perennial has hairy leaves and lavender-blue to pale violet and white flowers borne in open clusters in early spring. Flowers can have notched or unnotched petal lobes. Cultivars include ‘Clouds of Perfume’ with light lavender-blue flowers; ‘Eco Texas Purple’ (dark purple with a violet eye); ‘Fuller’s White’ (white); and ‘London Grove’ (lavender-blue flowers).

Phlox stolonifera Phlox stolonifera
(Creeping phlox)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

A dense, vigorous, mat-forming ground cover, creeping phlox has short flower stems from 3 to 12 inches tall. The flowers can be pale lavender-blue, rose-pink, medium violet, or white, with unnotched petals and a yellow center.

Polemonium caeruleum Polemonium caeruleum
(Jacob’s ladder, Greek valerian)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This North American native bears deep blue or occasionally white, bell-shaped blossoms in spring and possibly late summer if deadheaded. It grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. Use Jacob's ladder in a lightly shaded border, rock garden, woodland, or cottage garden.

Pulmonaria 'Silver Shimmers' Pulmonaria 'Silver Shimmers'
('Silver Shimmers' lungwort)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This eye-catching perennial has silver-plated leaves with speckled margins. Its blooms are among the largest of all lungworts, beginning as pink buds and opening in early spring to display platinum blue flowers.

This plant will eventually form a decent-sized mound that resembles a mountain of liquid silver. It's perfect in a woodland border and makes a great ground cover and container plant. In mild winters, its leaves may stay evergreen.

Saruma henryi Saruma henryi
(Upright wild ginger)
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Saruma henryi is as sublime as it is uncommon. Its velvety leaves and distinctively shaped, soft yellow flowers make it a superb specimen in a shady border, where it can contrast with more finely textured plants.

Vinca minor 'Illumination' Vinca minor 'Illumination'
(Common periwinkle, creeping myrtle)
(1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Like other creeping myrtles, 'Illumination' is a tough evergreen ground cover for shade that will grow in almost any soil. Its hallmark is its bright gold leaves that are edged with a border of irregular green. Periwinkle-blue flowers appear in spring. Use 'Illumination' as a shade ground cover or in hanging baskets. -Tom Nelson, Regional Picks: Northern California, Fine Gardening issue #127

Viola ‘Etain’ Viola ‘Etain’
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Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

A hardworking, compact perennial, ‘Etain’ violet forms well-behaved clumps and blooms from time to time from spring through fall. The attractive, fleshy, bright green foliage needs protection from slugs. -Sylvia Matlock, Regional Picks: Northwest, Fine Gardening issue #127


Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 listings   Sort By: Sort