Whatz that? - Barstow groundcovers

What exactly are groundcovers?  In this posting, I am taking them to be plants that are small enough to walk on or to step across, plants that in general are wider than they are tall, or that expand and form low mounds that are less than 18" high.  I am excluding from this category those grasses that are commonly used for lawns.  I am also excluding low growing annuals and perennials that do not have time to expand and cover much ground, and such plants as low growing cacti.  This list includes those groundcovers that the New Sunset Western Garden Book identifies as appropriate for Sunset zone 11.  The pictures are of those growing in my yard.

Common Yarrow/Achillea millefolium, xeric, white flowers, green all year, bears light foot traffic

Aloe/Aloe sp., xeric, needs shelter in Barstow
I do not know which particular aloe this is, however I like it as it spreads rapidly into a groundcover.

Alyssum/Lobularia maritima formerly Alyssum maritima, xeric, white flowers most of the year
This is an annual, but it reseeds freely enough to cover the ground.
The purple variety quickly reverts to white.

Roman Camomile/Chamaemilium nobilis formerly Anthemis nobilis, moderate water, used for herbal tea
This plant is too scraggly and too short lived to make a good groundcover.  However it has the advantage of reseeding freely.

Ice Plant/Carpobrotus chilensis, xeric, marginal for Barstow

Dwarf Plumbago/Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, moderate water, small blue flowers in summer, partial shade

Rock Spray Cotoneaster/Cotoneaster horizontalis, xeric, not deciduous. small white flowers, red berries in winter
Can be trimmed to be nearly flat.
Unlike its cousin Pyracantha, Cotoneaster does not have thorns.

Ice Plant/Delospermum cooperi, purple flowers, xeric
Spreads to form a mat.

Dichondra/Dichondra micrantha, regular water, marginal in Barstow, looks better in partial shade, can take foot traffic

Winter Creeper/Euonyous fortunei, regular water, partial to full shade, white heart-shaped flowers with red berries
This plant is a vine which can be grown as a groundcover by trimming it back when it starts to climb a wall.
The branches take root and spread.  In a colder climate, the leaves turn red in the Fall, but not in my yard where it is in a sheltered location.

Rosemary/Rosmarinus officionalis is very xeric and reseeds.  Trailing varieties form mounding plants that can be trimmed to be nearly flat.

Yellow Creeping Jasmine/Jasminum nudiflorum, xeric, deciduous, flowers appear before leaves,
more a low sprawling shrub than a groundcover

Carpet Juniper/Juniperus horizontalis, evergreen, xeric
This particular plant has not been in the ground very long.  It would be larger than it is if I gave it more fertilizer.

Lantana/Lantana montevidensis, moderate water, bright colored clusters of flowers all summer, dies back in winter, berries are poisonous
Be sure to get the groundcover variety.

Blackfoot Daisy/Melampodium leucanthum, moderate water
I have this plant on a xeric drip system.  Maybe that is why it is more a straggly flowering plant than it is a groundcover.

Mexican Evening Primrose/Oenothera speciosa formerly Oenothera berlanderii, xeric, sun or partial shade, blooms all summer










Shamrock/Oxalis acetosella, regular water, partial to full shade, pink flowers,
Dies back after blooming, therefore I do not have a picture right now.  Shamrocks are related to the invasive week, Oxalis, but they are not invasive.

Purple Shamrock/Oxalis regnelli, regular water, partial to full shade, white flowers
Dies back after blooming.

Purslane/Portulaca oleracea, regular water, very small yellow flowers
I bought a large-leafed variety for my herb garden, but it didn't like it there.  It reseeded freely in the lawn and I have allowed it to grow because the stems and leaves are edible.  They add a lemony flavor to salads and cooked dishes.  It is considered invasive.

Rose/Rosa, groundcover varieties
These are more nearly sprawling shrubs than they are groundcovers.








 

Biting Sedum/Sedum sediforme, xeric

Reseeds freely, also spreads through rooting of stems.  The flowers are not attractive and when the flowers die, the dried flower stems have sharp edges.

Angelita Daisy/Tetraneuris acaulis formerly Hmenoxys acaulis, xeric, yellow flowers
Forms a slow growing grass-like mat

Verbena/Verbena, xeric, small purple flowers most of the year, reseeds freely









 

The following plants are said to grow in Sunset zone 11, but I do not have them in my garden.

Gold and Silver Chrysanthemus/Ajania pacifica, regular water
/Ajuga pyramidalis, regular water
Carpet Bugle/Ajuga reptans, regular water, blue flowers
/Alyssum montanum, moderate water
/Alyssum wulfenianum, moderate water
Pussy-toes/Antinnaria dioica, regular water
Red Apple/Aptenia cordifolia, moderate water, marginal in Barstow, small red flowers
Sea Thrift/Armeria maritima, regular water
Silver Spread/Artimesia caucaria, xeric
Dwarf Coyote Bush/Baccharis pilularis, xeric
Hottentot Fig/Carpobrotus edulis, xeric, edible
Vinca/Catharanthus roseus, moderate water
Deodar Cedar/Cedrus deodara, prostrate variety, moderatee water
Red Spike Ice Plant/Cephalophyllum 'Red Spike', moderate water
Snow-in-Summer/Cerastium tormentosum, moderate water, white flowers
Red Mountain Ice Plant/Delospermum dyeri, xeric, pink flowers
/Delospermum nubiginum, yellow flowers
/Delospermm sphalmanthoides. , mauve flowers
Indian Mock Strawberry/Duchesnea indica, moderate water, white flowers
Chinese Juniper/Juniperus chinensis, prostrate varieties
Japanese Garden Juniper/Juniperus procumbens, prostrate varieties
Shore Juniper/Juniperus rigida conferta
Iceplant/Malephora crocoa formerly Hymenscyclas, xeric, salmon flowers
Rocky Point Ice Plant/Malephora lutea, xeric yellow flowers
Lippia/Phyla nodiflora
Irish Moss/Sagina subulata
/Sedum acre
/Sedum album
/Sedum anglicum
/Sedum caulicola
/Sedum hamtschaticum
/Sedum repeshe
/Sedum spictabile
/Sedum telephium
Baby's Tears/Soleirolia soleirolii
Clustered Goldflower/Tetraneuris scaposa was Hymenoxys scaposa, xeric, yellow flowers
Creeping Thyme/Thyus polytrichus britannicus, regular water
Woolly Thyme/Thymus serpyllum, regular water