by Kim Simmen, KMS Native Plants
It's almost that time of year again to start working in the garden. Here is my rant about The Home Depot, and all the big box stores.
Image by Tham Yuan Yuan
Please stop buying your plants at these establishments as they all still carry non-native, awful ground covers like creeping Jenny, English ivy, pachysandra, and vinca.
Non-native, Awful Varieties (to name a few)
Please stop buying your plants at these establishments as they all still carry non-native, awful ground covers like creeping Jenny, English ivy, pachysandra, and vinca. Even more absurd to me is how they are still selling Bishop's weed (goutweed). This plant is evil and should be on the 'Do Not Sell' list [see full article referenced below].
My last bit is if you go to a garden center and they have a native plant section but you have to walk by the invasive plants to get to them, question the motives of that garden center. Now that I have that off my chest, let's talk about alternative native ground covers to use instead of non-native, awful varieties.
Now that I have that off my chest, let's talk about alternative native ground covers to use instead of non-native, awful varieties.
Plant these natives instead (to name a few):
Wild Strawberry Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) has white flowers in May, The sweet red berries ripen in June. If you're lucky you will get some before the birds and small critters do. No maintenance is necessary but they will benefit from small amount of organic fertilizer or compost in fall or early spring. It's a host plant to the Gray Hairstreak. Both birds and small critters eat the berries, and the flowers attract a variety of native pollinators. Noteworthy cultivars: Fragaria virginiana 'Intensity' has larger berries and is considered an 'ever bearer' as it fruits June-September and Fragaria virginiana 'Port Huron' has larger leaves than the species.
American Wintergreen Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a lovely evergreen ground cover that spreads by underground roots for shady spots. New foliage growth is a lovely shade of cranberry red. The flowers are adorable in early summer and are a magnet for bumble bees. Foliage is a lovely purplish-burgundy mixed with the shiny fragrant green leaves in the fall. Bright red berries occur in the late fall, usually persisting through the winter if not eaten by the birds or small mammals. Wintergreen is tolerant of clay soils. Berries have a wintergreen mint flavor and may be eaten raw or added to salads and pastries. Great for dry shade under Oaks.
Oak Sedge Oak Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) is a fine textured, cool season sedge for tough places like under Oak and Pine trees. Plants spread slowly by stolons and rhizomes to make a large colony. This makes it a great lawn substitute under Oaks and Pines or mixed between other plants in a shady garden to keep the weeds down. Tolerates very light foot traffic. As a true low maintenance plant, it may be mowed to a height of 3"; one to three times a year. If doing this, the late winter mowing is the most important. Birds use prior seasons spent foliage as nesting material. It's deer resistant, and will grow under Black Walnuts.
For more comprehensive referenced reading by the author
Invasive Photo Credits
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