Plants intended to cover an area of ground.
"Ground cover" are plants that have been planted in an attempt to cover an area of ground. This can be for:
- Erosion reduction
- Reduce evaporation in drought conditions
- Improve aesthetics
In ecology "ground cover" usually refers to the vegetation layer below the shrub layer. In horticulture it can refer to pretty much anything that is not a turf (lawn) grass.
Popular ground cover plants include vines, low spreading shrubs, larger mosses, and ornamental grasses. Although it might be desirable to plant a fast growing ground cover plant, be aware that fast growing usually means it can be difficult to control once it has reached the intended boundaries. Non-native plants are particularly prone to this. Check any intended plant purchase against your local invasive plant listings.
Use this tag for questions which ask about the best kind of ground cover for a particular situation. Questions about existing ground cover plants should use tags specific to those plants.
