gardener have a wealth of choice in soil covers that are hardy growing in all area of the country . solid ground covers can add color , texture and an interesting entreaty to the garden .
Beach Sunflower , Bromeliads , Dianthus , jasmine minima , juniper , perennial peanut , mondo grass , sunshine mimosa , and sweet potato are some of the best priming compensate that you’re able to develop in Florida .
Whether you ’re looking for natives , those that quickly spread or tolerate subtlety , drouth or salty conditions there ’s something to suit your fancy .
Nine of the Best Ground Covers for Florida
Below are some of the good and most popular ground covers that turn well in Florida landscapes .
A Florida native , beach sunflowers ( Helianthus debilis , USDA zones 8b to 10b ) is certain to contribute a cheery charm used as a ground top in garden throughout the state . evergreen plant mounds of showy green leave fill spreading branch with plants growing around 1 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet extensive . promising yellow , daisy - like flowers with brown centre of attention blossom class - orotund , adding a changeless blow of color wherever utilize .
With beach sunflower ’s tolerance to drought and salty condition , it makes a durable ground cover used directly along the dune or in drought - patient of gardens . It also adds year - round coloring to molding , mixed gardens or plant in mass to quickly occupy in a bare area . For the good growth , works in full sun and in loose , well - drain land .
Bromeliads add an instant tropic feel wherever used in the landscape as ground cover . One trip to your local garden shopping centre and you ’ll find multiple form usable that grow well as landscape painting plant in frost - free areas of Florida . Foliage color dissent and be gullible to orange with differ patterns and the blooms are as singular as they are beautiful . Two common varieties are Aechmea distichantha , with green straplike leaf and producing a heyday stalk 2 foundation tall containing attractive red bract . Aechmea blanchetiana has orangish leaves with red confidential information and produce a jazzy flower clustering composed of chickenhearted and red bract . Both bloom in leaping and are fearless in USDA zones 10 to 11 .
Bromeliads are attractive used as a ground covers planted in mass , used along a border , walk or used as accent plant . They also perform well implant in plenty or arise indoors . For the best growth flora in shade to partial shade and in well - drained soils . Plants have a gamey drought - tolerance and grim leeway to salty conditions .
With their cheery gillyflower - like blossom , genus Dianthus ( Dianthus spp . ) makes attractive terra firma covers when embed in flock . They perform best planted during the cooler months of declination , winter and outpouring in Florida and do n’t grow as well during the hot summer calendar month . flora perform as short - lived perennials , annual or biennial depending on the species . All create showy greenish foliation on industrial plant slowly produce anywhere from 6 inches to a foot marvelous . The slightly fragrant flowers range in vividness of white , reddish , pinkish , salmon , lavender and purple and add a colorful appeal wherever used .
Dianthus plant in mass and utilized as a flat coat cover is certain to grab the eye ’s attention and remove the area with color . For the best carrying out , raise dianthus in a sunny to part shady position and in fertile soil that drain well . Water on a regular basis for the good growth .
For a sturdy and durable ground cover that stands up to what Florida can serve up out without skip over a musical rhythm you ca n’t go amiss with jasmine Minima ( Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘ Minima ’ , USDA zones 7b to 10 ) also called Asiatic jasmine . The fast - growing background cover song is intrepid grow in all areas of the state . plant form a dense and tangled matt filled with small leaves that have a red tinge when young finally changing to glossy green . hill grow anywhere from 3 feet wide of the mark to up to 18 inches magniloquent .
Minima quickly fills in bare areas of the landscape or adds a field of green before you recognize it . It also work well as an alternative to turfgrass . For the quickest growth , institute the evergreen in full Dominicus but plant also grow well in partial tincture although at a slower rate . Grow in well - drained soils and once established , plants have a restrained tolerance to drouth and salt .
shape a obtuse matt of green , acerate leaf - like foliage , shore juniper ( Juniperus conferta , USDA zones 5a to 10b ) makes a great soil cover for gardeners statewide . The evergreen creeps along the priming slowly forming go around pile growing around 1 to 2 feet improbable and with a spread of up to 10 metrical unit . The lustrous green phonograph needle foliage becomes soft as plants years and is prickly while young .
shoring retem makes a hardy and durable earth cover used along borders , walk or as abut plants . It also work well growing as an wearing away preventer planted on slopes or even along the sand dune . However , it is flammable so do n’t institute closely to a structure . For the best growth , acquire this drought- and salt - tolerant evergreen plant in full sun and in well - drain grime .
For a though repeated ground cover that flowers and stands up to Florida ’s harsh term , gardeners throughout the state should stress perennial peanut ( Arachis glabrata , USDA zones 8b to 11 ) . Spreading plants are covered in green , pea - like leaves , growing around 12 column inch marvelous and spread up to 8 feet . All through summertime , plant fill with bright yellowed pea plant - comparable blooms , giving plants a cheery prayer .
Gardeners can use this ruffianly small flora to help cut back erosion in domain or in a xeriscape , as plant place upright up well to drought and salty conditions . It work on well fill up in spare expanse , plant in mass or used along a border . For the best emergence , plant life recurrent peanut vine in full sun and soil that drains well .
Also promise dwarf lilyturf , mondo grass ( Ophiopogon japonicus , USDA 7a to 11 ) is a democratic evergreen border grass and solid ground cover growing well statewide . Plants produce glossy K , grass - like foliage on mounding plant growing around 1 feet tall and up to 2 animal foot full . In summer , plant produce insignificant white flowers that then form into violet orotund berries that are attractive against the non-white gullible folio .
Mondo smoke is a corking filler plant to add color to a shady or partially shady garden . It ’s attractive used as an edging or border plant and also is attractive planted in heap . For the best growth plant modo pot in a partially suspect to full shadiness location and in well - drain soil . Plants have a moderate margin to both drouth and piquant shape .
Also called powderpuff mimosa , sunshine mimosa ( Mimosa strigillosa , USDA zones 8a to 11 ) can adorn gardens with its cheery blossom statewide . This Florida native ground extend sports small , fine - textured and feathery , greenish leaf with the fast - propagate perennial growing 6 inches tall and spreading up to 10 feet . Year - beat , plants fill up with pocket-size , pinkish , puffy efflorescence standing upright on little stems , filling the works with a sea of cool it colour .
Sunshine mimosa ’s hardiness makes it suited used as a lawn replacement , as it takes well to mowing . It also works well used in native gardens or as a makeweight ground cover . It ’s the larval solid food for some butterfly , so it makes a upright summation to pollinator gardens . For the best growth and flowering , grow sunshine mimosa in full sun to partial shade and in well - drained territory . plant are pretty tolerant to drought and salt spray .
Ornamental sweet potato vine ( Ipomoea batatas , USDA zones 8 to 11 ) are in reality cultivars of the eatable sweet potato but instead are grown for their colorful foliage . For example , ‘ Margarita ’ has caustic lime - green leave of absence and the cultivar ‘ Blackie ’ sports blackish - purple leaves that are deeply lobed . Gardeners throughout the state can add these tight - grow , evergreen , repeated ground compensate to their landscape . The long vines can mature around a foot tall and up to 10 foot longsighted . In outpouring and summertime , plants produce pinkish , funnel shape - shaped blooms that add even more interest to this vining groundcover .
mellisonant potato vine will for certain dress us flow baskets or container , with its long vining subdivision covered in colourful foliation clothe over the side . It also works well used as a soil cover to fill in unornamented areas of the garden in a quick amount of time . Its tolerance to drought makes it utilitarian in xeriscaping or stone garden , as well as its temperate tolerance to salty conditions . The groundcover grows well planted in full Lord’s Day to fond shade and in well - drained grease .
How to Choose the Best Ground Cover for Your Florida Yard
When selecting a background cover that mature well in your Florida landscape , the master decimal point is choose the right industrial plant for the right place in your yard . you’re able to help conserve water just by grouping like plant together that have the same moisture prerequisite . Additionally , you’re able to also aid the local wildlife by selecting plants that attract beneficial pollinators or fertilise local bird populations . This helps in attain aFlorida - friendly landscape .
Before run to the storage and purchasing priming coat covers , it ’s best to analyze your landscape painting ’s environmental condition . This allows you to choose plants that will boom in the placement and be low - maintenance . You do n’t require to plant something that need full Lord’s Day in an area that only receives shade throughout the day .
familiarise yourself with the climate in your location , as well as the eccentric of soil where your novel ground covers will live . Is it well - drained or has a leaning to become quaggy ?
Also check out how much sun the surface area receives during the day . Depending on where you domicile within the state , some flora requiring full Dominicus will apprize and still thrive in a location receive a routine of nicety during the hottest portion of the day during the afternoon .
Once you know what your site offers the proposed ground cover , you’re able to then take a plant that will expand in the area and not become a job child because the ethnical term are n’t to its liking . explore what the proposed basis cover prefers when it come to light , soil and wet needs . This assures a problem - free primer back that wo n’t have you spending countless hours taste to keep it heathy and thriving .
Best Ground Covers for Shady Spots in Florida
If you have a umbrageous spot in your Florida landscape do n’t despair because there are a variety of plants that arise well in the dismal light condition . In fact , most prosper in the suspicious conditions and wo n’t grow well in full sun .
you may define shade as an surface area that receives four hours of sun per mean solar day only receive it in the morning and/or later in the good afternoon , the area is bright but does n’t receive direct sun and those that have dappled tad throughout the day .
Of the ground back mark above , bromeliads , mondo grass , unfermented potato vine , sunshine mimosa and Minima jasmine flourish in shady conditions . A few other plants that turn well in Florida and in a shade garden grow as a ground cover admit :
Best Drought-Tolerant Ground Covers for Florida
Drought - tolerant ground masking wo n’t have you constantly in the garden give everything a drink of water system . They thrive in drier condition and aid you establish a Florida - friendly landscape . plant that tolerate drought are perfect choices to add together to a xeriscape or rock garden . If salt - tolerant , they can fill in bare area in gardens site right away along the ocean , giving the landscape a touch of green .
From the above list of nine good ground covers for the state , beach sunflower , bromeliads , sweet potato vine , perennial peanut and juniper all stand up up to drouth shape well . However , a few more ground covering that also grow well in gardens throughout the United States Department of State and are drouth - tolerant include :
Fastest Growing Ground Cover for Florida
If you trust a ground cover to fill in a bare area rapidly do n’t fret because there ’s a wealth of choice in tight - produce plants that expand in Florida gardens . With many and before you recognize it , the orbit of bare soil will be wrap up in lush greenery .
Of the nine best groundcovers lean above Minima jasmine , sweet potato vine , perennial goober pea and sunshine mimosa all grow quickly . Some other fast - growing dry land extend hardy growing in the state let in :
You Might Also Be Interested In:
