Star Wars Garden Gnome 1 Of The Best Groundcovers - Erigeron Puchellus, Robin's Plantain

I've sung the praises of groundcovers for years.

But it's difficult to detect the correct groundcover - ane that is assertive plenty to spread too block weeds, but non so aggressive that it rampages over the landscape.

I tend to prefer too seek out native plants -- because I intend they contribute to a 'sense of place', because I intend they tend to jibe into an intricate spider web of ecosystem services that I solely dimly understand, too because I don't worry most messing upward whatever wild spaces if the plants spread exterior the garden.

Of course, I also desire the flora to await good! Gardens should direct hold aesthetic beauty too!

For a groundcover, I'd beloved to direct hold an evergreen - something that's capable of tolerating Tennessee winters - multiple nights inwards the 20s, teens, fifty-fifty unmarried digits. (It rarely gets below aught degrees Fahrenheit here, but it does occur occasionally.) And so something that tin compass the axe direct hold hot, humid, droughty Tennessee summers without wimping out.

Surely if a flora filled all these criteria, it would survive famous! People would survive shouting its (slightly unwieldy) advert from the rooftops, draping it amongst garlands too crowning it amongst honors.

Or not.

In this case, hardly whatever seems to direct hold heard of Robin's plantain (Erigeron pulchellus), despite the fact that it's native throughout much of the Eastern too Central U.S. of A. too thence is likely growing (literally) correct nether our noses. Or our feet.

It's a lovely flora - splendidly fuzzy too touchable. Unlike that other fuzzy, touchable groundcover - lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) it doesn't plough to mush inwards the winter. (It does instruct tattered, but I state tatters are improve than mush.)

And the one-time leaf tends to decompose chop-chop on its own, in ane lawsuit to a greater extent than dissimilar lamb's ears, where the detritus simply builds from yr to year.

So far, I've solely trialed Robin's plantain inwards partial to heavy shade. It seems to tolerate heavy clay soil simply fine. It tin compass the axe fifty-fifty grow on a gradient beneath an eastern reddish cedar inwards what must survive pretty dry out weather condition (to position it mildly).

So yeah, it's Tough amongst a majuscule "T".

But I've flora it slowly to delineate (unlike state exotic Ajuga) too relatively slowly to transplant. It does appear to create best when transplanted inwards early-to-mid tumble -- yesteryear the rut of summertime but amongst or so fourth dimension to settle inwards too position downward roots earlier the existent wintertime chill sets in.

Without farther ado, hither are or so glamour shots of this lovely creature:

Here she is inwards February. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 footling tattered, but non bad, considering evergreen plants hither inwards Tennessee direct hold to suffer harsh sub-freezing temperatures without the insulating snowy blanket that protects plants inwards white wintertime areas.

Here's Robin's plantain doing its best Venus flytrap impersonation.

Here you lot tin compass the axe instruct a expert feel of the plant's capacity to comprehend Earth too block weeds.  In my experience, Robin's plantain is non aggressive at all. I don't intend gardeners would direct hold much problem keeping it from invading lawns. (Although how much improve to replace parts of a lawn amongst Robin's plantain... That's my plan, to dig out strips of the lawn equally Robin's plantain approaches. And it grows so depression to the Earth that I can't imagine it would survive a threat to whatever shrubs or taller perennials.

The bloom stems tin compass the axe survive a flake droopy too wavy at first, but they tend to ascension upright too erect equally they come upward into bloom.

I believe the flowers bloom for most 3-4 weeks. They create attract modest pollinators, so that's or so other major bonus if you're trying to grow a garden that is welcoming too supportive for wildlife!

If you lot garden inwards the Eastern or Central U.S., you lot may survive able to detect Robin's plantain at a nearby plant nursery that specializes inwards native plants.

Otherwise, you lot could travail ordering it from a postal service gild supplier. If you lot alive inwards the South, I'd recommend Mail Order Natives. If you lot garden inwards the North, I'd propose trying to detect a supplier that would likely bear a to a greater extent than local ecotype.