45 Groundcover Selections
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Evergreen Shrubs
Species Photo Common Name Scientific Name Height Width Sun Water Use Moisture Bloom Period Flower Color Fruit Period Fruit Color Fruit Type Edible Parts Fall Color Wildlife Zone Recommended
Spreading Juniper Juniperus horizontalis 6"-8" 6'-12' full part Medium to Low Blue cone fruit Blue Purple 2-4 Fragrant Garden Groundcover
Ferns
Species Photo Common Name Scientific Name Height Width Sun Water Use Moisture Bloom Period Flower Color Fruit Period Fruit Color Fruit Type Edible Parts Fall Color Wildlife Zone Recommended
Oak Fern ref Gymnocarpium dryopteris 6"-1' 1' part shade Wet to Mesic Deer Resistant Groundcover
Christmas Fern ref Polystichum acrostichoides 2'-3' 1'-3' part shade Mesic to Dry 3-8 Groundcover
Grasses, Rushes, & Sedges
Species Photo Common Name Scientific Name Height Width Sun Water Use Moisture Bloom Period Flower Color Fruit Period Fruit Color Fruit Type Edible Parts Fall Color Wildlife Zone Recommended
Palm (Swamp Oval) Sedge Carex muskingumensis 2'-3' 1' full part shade Wet-Mesic May-June Green 4-7 Deer Resistant Groundcover
Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pennsylvanica 6"-12' full part shade Mesic to Dry 4-5 Groundcover
Path Rush Juncus tenuis 4"-1'4" 1' full part Mesic to Dry Brown 2-5 Groundcover
Deciduous Shrubs
Species Photo Common Name Scientific Name Height Width Sun Water Use Moisture Bloom Period Flower Color Fruit Period Fruit Color Fruit Type Edible Parts Fall Color Wildlife Zone Recommended
Bearberry ref Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 6"-1' 2'+ full part Mesic to Dry April-May Pink White Red berry Maroon Bird 2-5 Groundcover
Bunchberry ref Cornus canadensis 6"-9" 6"+ part shade May-July White July-October Red berry fruit Red Maroon Purple 2-3 Deer Resistant Groundcover
Wintergreen out Gaultheria procumbens 6" 6"+ part shade Wet-Mesic to Mesic May-August White Red berry Red 3-4 Ornamental Garden Fragrant Garden Groundcover
Creeping Dewberry ref Rubus spp. 6"-1' 1'+ part shade Wet-Mesic to Mesic White July-August berry fruit Bird 3-5 Groundcover
Common Lowbush Blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium 1'-2' 1'-2' full part Medium Mesic May-June White July-September Blue berry fruit Red Maroon Bird Bee 2-3 Groundcover
Vines
Species Photo Common Name Scientific Name Height Width Sun Water Use Moisture Bloom Period Flower Color Fruit Period Fruit Color Fruit Type Edible Parts Fall Color Wildlife Zone Recommended
Virgin's Bower Clematis virginiana 12'-15' 6'-8' full part Wet to Mesic July-August White Cream August-September 3-5 Deer Resistant Groundcover
Red Vine Honeysuckle Lonicera dioica 5'-10' part shade Wet-Mesic to Dry May-June Red Red Orange berry Bird Bee Hummingbird Bumblebee Groundcover
Yellow Vine Honeysuckle out Lonicera prolifera 10'-15' 4'-8' full part shade Medium Wet-Mesic to Mesic May-June Yellow Cream Red Orange berry Bird Bee Hummingbird Bumblebee 4 Groundcover
Woodbine out Parthenocissus inserta 12'-20' 3'-6' part shade Medium Green Blue Black berry Red Bird 3-8 Deer Resistant Groundcover
Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia 50' full part shade Low Wet-Mesic May-June Green September Blue Black berry Red Maroon Bird 2-6 Deer Resistant Groundcover
Wildflowers
Species Photo Common Name Scientific Name Height Width Sun Water Use Moisture Bloom Period Flower Color Fruit Period Fruit Color Fruit Type Edible Parts Fall Color Wildlife Zone Recommended
Canada Mayflower Anemone canadensis 1'-2' 1'+ full part Wet-Mesic May-June White 3-4 Groundcover
Rue Anemone out Anemonella thalictroides 4"-6" 1' part shade Mesic April-May Pink 4 Groundcover
Prairie Pussy Toes Antennaria neglecta 4" 6"+ full part Low Mesic to Dry April-June White Butterfly 3-5 Groundcover
Wild Ginger Asarum canadense 6"-1' part shade Medium Wet-Mesic to Mesic May-June Pink White Maroon Beetle 4-5 Groundcover
Ground Plum Astragalus crassicarpus 6"-1' 1' full Low Dry April-May Pink Magenta Purple Red Purple pod fruit Groundcover
Partridge Pea Chamaechrista fasciculata 6"-3' 1' full part Mesic to Dry July-September Yellow Brown pod Ant Bee Bumblebee Groundcover
Cutleaf Toothwort out Dentaria laciniata 6" 1' part Mesic April-May Pink White White 3-7 Groundcover
Dutchman's Breeches Dicentra cucullaria 6"-1' 1' part shade Wet-Mesic April-May White Bee Bumblebee 3-5 Groundcover
White Trout Lily out Erythronium albidum 4"-6" 4"+ part shade Medium Wet-Mesic to Mesic April-May White Groundcover
Yellow Trout Lily Erythronium americanum 6" 6"-8" shade Wet-Mesic to Mesic April-May Yellow Groundcover
Large-Leaved Aster Eurybia macrophylla 2'-3' 1'+ full part Wet-Mesic to Mesic September-October Blue White Lavender Butterfly Groundcover
Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana 6" 8"+ full Mesic to Dry April-May White June-July Red fruit Red Maroon 3-5 Groundcover
Northern Bedstraw Galium boreale 1'-2' 1'+ full part High to Medium Wet-Mesic June-July White 4 Groundcover
Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum 1'-2' 1'6"+ part shade Mesic April-July Pink Lavender Red 3-5 Groundcover
Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum 6"-1' 1'+ full part Mesic to Dry April-June Pink Red Silver Red Green Maroon Purple 4-5 Groundcover
Sharp-Lobed Hepatica out Hepatica acutiloba 4"-6" 6"-1' part shade Wet-Mesic March-May Pink Blue White Lavender Red Brown Maroon 4 Groundcover
Alumroot (Prairie Coralbells) Heuchera richardsonii 1'-3' 1' full part Mesic to Dry May-July Red Yellow Green Brown Hummingbird 4 Groundcover
Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis 6"-1'4" 8"+ part shade Wet-Mesic April-May White Red berry Yellow Groundcover
Virginia Waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum 6"-1' 2'+ part shade High to Medium Wet-Mesic April-May White Lavender Bee Bumblebee 4-5 Groundcover
Dwarf Crested Iris out Iris cristata 6" 1'+ part shade Wet-Mesic April-May Blue 3-5 Groundcover
False Rue Anemone out Isopyrum biternatum 4"-1'4" part shade April-May White Groundcover
Twinleaf out Jeffersonia diphylla 4"-1'6" 6"-9" part shade Medium Wet-Mesic April-May White pod Groundcover
Wild Lily-of-the-Valley out Maianthemum canadense 3"-6" 1'+ part shade Medium Wet-Mesic to Dry May-June White Red Green berry Groundcover
Bishop's Cap Mitella diphylla 10"-1'6" part shade April-June White Groundcover
Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum 1'-2' 1'+ part Mesic May-June White Yellow berry Bee Bumblebee 4 Groundcover
Prairie Blue Eyed Grass Sisyrinchium campestre 9"-1' 9"-1' full part Mesic to Mesic-Dry May-July Blue Violet 3-5 Groundcover
Aromatic Aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 1'-2' 1'+ full Low Dry September-October Purple Butterfly 4 Fragrant Garden Groundcover
Longbract Spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata 1'-1'6" 1'6"-2' full Mesic to Dry May-July Purple Violet Bee 4-9 Groundcover
Downy Yellow Violet Viola pubescens 6"-1' 1' part shade Wet-Mesic April-May Yellow flowers Butterfly 3-5 Groundcover