Classic & Tough Ground Covers
These long-standing selections offer the best in winter hardiness, wide soil adaptability and time-tested low-maintenance for the busy landscaper. These plants can thrive in challenging sites and urban gardens where some natives won't.
Sold in 4" (10 cm) pots; other formats noted below. Some links will redirect to other subpages.
We currently grow:
Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty' (Bronze Beauty Bugleweed)
Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow' (Burgundy Glow Bugleweed)
Asarum europaeum (European Ginger)
Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)
Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus' (Purpleleaf Wintercreeper)
Galium odoratum (Sweet Woodruff)
Geranium xcantabrigiense 'Biokovo' (Dwarf Geranium)
Geranium macrorrhizum (Bigroot Geranium)
Hedera helix 'Baltic' (Baltic Ivy)
Hedera helix 'Thorndale' (Thorndale Ivy)
Hemerocallis (Daylilies)
Hosta (Hostas)
Lamium maculatum 'Pink Pewter' (Spotted Dead Nettle)
Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy' (Spotted Dead Nettle)
Lysimachia nummularia (Green Creeping Jenny)
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' (Gold Creeping Jenny)
Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese Spurge)
Sedums (Russian Stonecrop)
Thymus (Thymes)
Vinca minor (Periwinkle, Myrtle)
Bugleweed
Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty'
Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'
Height 3-4 inches (8-10 cm), flowers to 6" (15 cm)
Spread 12-24 inches (30-60 cm), continually spreading
Foliage 'Bronze Beauty' has large dark burgundy and green leaves
'Burgundy Glow' has variegated cream, pink and gray leaves
Flower Bluish-violet, attracts bumblebees
Blooming Late spring
Hardiness Zone 3-9
Light Part shade best, full sun and full shade tolerated
Moisture Average, regular moisture
Soil Well-drained, lighter soils prevent root rots
Bugle weed is one of the best-known perennials and a large drift in full flower is spectacular! Typically in May, 6" blue flower spikes appear above rapidly spreading stoloniferous rosettes. Both cultivars are suitable for stabilizing slopes or as a weed suppressing plant. Edge garden beds regularly to prevent Ajuga from creeping into the lawn and natural areas. Cut back, weed-whip or mow after flowering to prevent undesired seeding.
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Asarum canadense (Canadian Ginger)
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Sold in 4" (10 cm) pots
Lily of the Valley
Convallaria majalis
Height 8-12 inches (20-30 cm)
Spread 24-36 inches (30-45 cm) in 2-3 years
Flower White, very fragrant
Blooming Spring
Hardiness Zone 2-7
Light Part shade to full shade
Moisture Average to moist, tolerates periodic drought
Soil Humus-rich, neutral to acidic
The creeping root stock allows rapid spread under optimum garden conditions. The 2-3 basal leaves are lanceolate-ovate and about 8" long. The arching one-sided racemes carry numerous tiny, bell-like white flowers producing a showy ground cover in especially difficult shady locations. Edge garden beds to prevent rhizomes from creeping beyond the garden, and do not throw garden waste including rhizomes or red berries into natural areas. The plant is poisonous if ingested.
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Sold in 4" (10 cm) pots
Heavenly scented white flowers appear in late spring from this classic ground cover.
Heavenly scented white flowers appear in late spring from this classic ground cover.
We aim for a minimum of 40 cm spread on 1 gallon, but size can vary depending on time of year.
Our overwintered 1 gallon flushing out early spring.
A sample of a 100-count growers flat cutting.
We aim for a minimum of 40 cm spread on 1 gallon, but size can vary depending on time of year.
Purpleleaf Wintercreeper
Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus'
Height 12-18 inches (30-45 cm)
Spread 24-36 inches (60-90 cm)
Foliage Evergreen
Hardiness Zone 5-9
Light Full sun to part shade
Moisture Average
Soil Adaptable
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A popular and tough landscaping selection with dark green foliage turning purplish-red fall and winter, returning to green once again in the spring. Rapid growth and rooting stems are exceptional for stabilizing slopes and run-off in urban settings. A year-round evergreen plant produces a dense carpet beginning with juvenile leaves are paired, elliptic to oval, to 2" long, followed by adult foliage becoming thicker, more leathery and more rounded with maturity. Generally does not flower unless allowed to climb. Hedge back to renew growth and prevent spread into natural areas.
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Sold in 100-ct grower's flats, 4" (10 cm) pots and 1 gallon
A thick carpet of sweet woodruff smells wonderful in flower.
Early spring potted 4" (10 cm) pots pinched and sizing up for retail garden centre and landscape sales.
A planting on a dry hill, under an old locust, attests to this plant's preference for dry shade.
A thick carpet of sweet woodruff smells wonderful in flower.
Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum
Height 6-8 inches (15-20 cm)
Spread 12 inches (30 cm)
Flower White
Blooming Late spring
Hardiness Zone 3-8
Light Part shade to full shade
Moisture Average to dry
Soil Adaptable, may not persist in wet, heavy soils
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A useful, fast-spreading, mat-forming ground cover with 1.5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, sessile leaves borne in whorls of 6-8 at each node along the length of the square stems. The roots are slender and creeping making the plants particularly effective and tolerant in dry shade and filling in gaps around clump-forming perennials. The tiny star-like white flowers are held in loosely branched cymes. When in full flower in the spring, plants look like newly fallen snow. The entire plant smells like new-mown hay when crushed or dried, thus one of the common names, bedstraw. The leaves are an ingredient for potpourri and sachets and are traditionally as a moth deterrent. Plants have also been used to flavour everything from wine and brandies to sorbets and fruit salads.
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Sold in 4" (10 cm) pots
Spotted Dead Nettle
Lamium maculatum 'Pink Pewter'
Lamium maculatum 'White Nancy'
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Height 6-10 inches (15-25 cm)
Spread 12-16" inches (30-40 cm)
Flower Light pink, deep pink or white
Blooming Summer to Fall
Hardiness Zone 3-8
Light Part shade to shade
Moisture Average to dry, cool
Soil Well-drained, rich acidic loam
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This charming little ground cover will attract bumblebees and light up the shady corners of the garden. The stems are often stoloniferous and creeping at the base while the variegated silvery 1-2” long oppositely arranged leaves are generally ovate to kidney shaped with rounded teeth about their margins. Most often used on a small scale, it’s foliage contrasts nicely with the darker leaves of other plants. No foot traffic is tolerated. White or pink hooded flower clusters appear beginning in late spring and continue sporadically until fall. Edge garden bends to prevent spread and do not toss garden clippings into natural areas.
Sold in 4" (10 cm) pots
Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia nummularia
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'
Height 1-2 inches (2-5 cm)
Spread 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) per year under ideal conditions
Flower Yellow
Blooming Spring, sporadically to fall
Hardiness Zone 3-8
Light Sun to shade
Moisture Average to dry
Soil Adaptable
This plant remains a low growing, 1-2” tall indefinite-spreading/trailing, tenacious, herbaceous ground cover creating a mossy blanket in beds, along the edge of a stream or pond. It’s ideal for planting in between stepping stones and alongside woodland paths. Leaves nearly round, to 1” wide, and coloured medium to dark green or bright golden. Borne at their bases are 3/4” buttercup yellow flowers that nicely lends contrast during early summer (and sometimes sparingly thereafter until fall). Quite tolerant of shady locations. Edge garden bends to prevent spread and do not toss garden clippings into natural areas.
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Anemone canadensis (Canada anemone)
Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple)
Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)
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Sold in 4" (10 cm) pots
An early spring flush of our 36-cell plug tray format.
Japanese Spurge
Pachysandra terminalis
Height 6-12 inches (15-30 cm)
Spread 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) per year under ideal conditions
Flower White
Blooming Spring
Hardiness Zone 3-8
Light Part-shade to full shade
Moisture Average to dry
Soil Adaptable
Pachysandra continues to be amongst the most popular evergreen ground covers in use today. It thrives across a large geographic range, under most mature tree canopies, seldom encounters serious pest or disease problems, and once filled in, it can be relied upon for many years of maintenance free weed-smothering service. Though growth is slow, it thrives in shade under trees, around shrubs, near walkways, and around building foundations. Leaves are more or less oval-shaped, 2-4” long, grouped in whorls and shiny medium green year round. The pleasantly fragrant, short-lived, spikelike white flowers are borne in profusion in the spring.
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Sold in 100-ct growers' flats, 36-cell XL plugs and 4" (10 cm) pots