Groundcovers at Cavano’s
Low-growing plants that spread to fill an area; these plants are ideal candidates for “living mulch” by preventing erosion, regulating moisture levels, suppressing weeds, providing habitat for wildlife, and adding beauty to the landscape.
At Cavano’s Perennials, we grow a wide selection of plants that can be used in place of ivy, pachysandra, and vinca/myrtle (the traditional Big 3). For many years the Big 3 were the only options, however homeowners/gardeners are looking for more options. The number of gardeners is growing and they are becoming more savvy in their plant selections (wanting greater diversity of flora), they want to attract pollinators and wildlife in their gardens, and they are tired of the massive yearly task of mulching!
Take a look at some of the options below, both grasses and forbes (perennials), and try incorporating them into your next project! The list below contains plants for sun or shade, dry to moist, and even many plants native to the Mid-Atlantic area.
Forbes
- Antennaria neglecta
- Antennaria plantaginifolia
- Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
- Chrysogonum virginianum ‘Allen Bush’
- Chrysogonum virginianum ‘Super Star’
- Chrysogonum virginianum var. australe
- Chrysogonum virginianum ‘Quinn’s Gold’ PP19,306
- Coreopsis auriculata ‘Nana’
- Fragaria Lipstick (‘Stickbolwi’)
- Galium odoratum
- Geranium cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’
- Geranium cantabrigiense ‘Karmina’
- Heuchera americana
- Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’
- Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’
- Heuchera villosa ‘Bronze Wave’
- Hypericum calycinum
- Lamium maculatum ‘Anne Greenway’
- Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’
- Lamium maculatum ‘Ghost’
- Lamium maculatum ‘Orchid Frost’ PP11,112
- Lamium maculatum ‘Pink Pewter’
- Lamium maculatum ‘Purple Dragon’ PP15,890
- Lamium maculatum ‘Red Nancy’
- Lamium maculatum ‘Shell Pink’
- Lamium maculatum ‘White Nancy’
- Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’
- Liriope muscari ‘Majestic’
- Liriope muscari ‘Monroe White’
- Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’
- Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’
- Liriope spicata
- Liriope spicata ‘Silver Dragon’
- Ophiopogon japonicus
- Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nanus’
- Phlox divaricata
- Phlox divaricata ‘Blue Moon’
- Phlox divaricata ‘May Breeze’
- Phlox divaricata subsp. laphamii ‘Chattahoochee’
- Phlox stolonifera
- Phlox stolonifera ‘Blue Ridge’
- Phlox stolonifera ‘Bruce’s White’
- Phlox stolonifera ‘Home Fires’
- Phlox stolonifera ‘Sherwood Purple’
- Phlox subulata ‘Amazing Grace’
- Phlox subulata ‘Candy Stripe’
- Phlox subulata ‘Crimson Beauty’
- Phlox subulata ‘Drummond’s Pink’
- Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Blue’
- Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Pink’
- Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’
- Phlox subulata ‘Red Wings’
- Phlox subulata ‘Scarlet Flame’
- Phlox subulata ‘Snowflake’
- Phlox subulata ‘White Delight’
- Salvia lyrata ‘Purple Knockout’
- Sedum ‘Blue Carpet’
- Sedum acre ‘Oktoberfest’
- Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’
- Sedum album ‘Green Ice’
- Sedum floriferum ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’
- Sedum kamtschaticum
- Sedum kamtschaticum ‘Variegatum’
- Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’
- Sedum montanum spp. orientale
- Sedum reflexum ‘Blue Spruce’
- Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’
- Sedum sexangulare
- Sedum sexangulare ‘Golddigger’
- Sedum sichotense
- Sedum spurium ‘Bronze Beauty’
- Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’
- Sedum spurium ‘Fuldaglut’
- Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’
- Sedum spurium ‘Red Carpet’
- Sedum spurium ‘Ruby Mantel’
- Sedum spurium ‘Tricolor’
- Sedum spurium ‘Voodoo’
- Sedum ternatum
- Sedum ternatum ‘Larinem Park’
- Sedum tetractinum ‘Coral Reef’
- Senecio aureus
- Stachys byzantina
- Stachys byzantina ‘Helene von Stein’ (‘Big Ears’)
- Stachys byzantina ‘Silver Carpet’
- Thymus praecox ‘Coccineus’ (Red Creeping Thyme)
- Thymus pseudolanuginosus (Wooly Thyme)
- Thymus serpyllum ‘Albiflorus’ (White Creeping Thyme)
- Thymus serpyllum ‘Magic Carpet’
- Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’
- Tiarella cordifolia
- Tiarella cordifolia ‘Brandywine’
- Tiarella cordifolia ‘Elizabeth Oliver’
- Tiarella cordifolia ‘Running Tapestry’
- Tiarella cordifolia var. collina ‘Oakleaf’
- Tiarella wherryi
- Waldsteinia fragarioides
Grasses
- Bouteloua curtipendula
- Carex amphibola
- Carex appalachica
- Carex bromoides
- Carex cherokeensis
- Carex eburnea
- Carex flaccosperma
- Carex haydenii
- Carex laxiculmis
- Carex laxiculmis Bunny Blue ‘Hobb’
- Carex leavenworthii
- Carex pensylvanica
- Carex plantaginea
- Carex rosea
- Carex texensis
- Carex woodii
- Eragrostis spectabilis