ground cover plants

Those plants that are capable of completely covering the ground in a leafy way are called groundcovers. Therefore, it is not a question of a category of plants but of species of which certain peculiarities are exploited. In EcologíaVerde we tell you what are the types of groundcover plants that are most used to cover floors and walls, as well as some basic care to take into account to take care of the upholstered area.

Types of groundcover plants to cover floors and walls.

Depending on the growth system of the plant in question, we can distinguish different types of groundcover plants:

Those that widen in the form of a crown around a central root (yarrow or thyme).
Those that spread through stolons (such as the Hypericum calycinum).
Shrubs that grow wider than tall, with long, drooping branches (such as creeping rosemary).
The climbers that take advantage of the horizontal position for their development (such as ivy, clematis and honeysuckle).

These plants are an interesting alternative to pavement or grass, especially in those situations in which it is better to discard the others. Dark areas under leafy trees, steep places or places difficult to access with the lawnmower, corners punished by the sun or the wind are ideal for certain upholstery and will allow us to improve the aesthetics for a low cost.

If we choose correctly, they can serve as a corrective element for aesthetic deficiencies of other plants. In the case of bushes that tend to lose their leaves in the lower part, it will allow us to hide this characteristic and in those areas with tall and dark vegetation, we will be able to provide luminosity with species with light foliage.

For each type of area there is a more appropriate species but, in general, there are some basic rules to obtain a thick and homogeneous coating. Here are some guidelines for grow ground cover plants:

Work the soil and clean it of weeds before planting.
Leave a space between the plants taking into account their future development since some excess density will force us to extract some after a few years and a plant defect will expose what is intended to be covered.
Systematically remove weeds until the plants have covered the entire area, using a light layer of pine bark as a support system. Once fully developed, they will prevent the passage of light and the maintenance task will be reduced to irrigation and the containment of their growth depending on what we want.