7 ground covers that handle heat better than grass

Many people take pride in presenting a lush, green, grassy lawn and spend countless hours and dollars trying to maintain the grass during periods of extreme summer heat. While I admire their devotion, I take pride in my ground covers that stand up to the heat, require little maintenance, and demand less water to stay looking good. You might want to consider planting these ground covers for both sunny and shady spots to lessen your summer garden chores.

Liriope

• Botanical Name: Liriope spp.
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial, shade
• Soil Type: Well-drained
• Soil pH: Neutral, acidic (6.0-7.0)

Full sun, shade, dry or moist soil—liriope doesn’t care as long as you don’t leave the roots soggy. This grass-like, evergreen plant can be planted as a lawn alternative (choose Lirope spicata for the fastest spread) or along the edges of paths. Some varieties are variegated, and most produce small blue, pale violet, or off-white flowers in the summer.

Sedum

• Botanical Name: Sedum
• Sun Exposure: Full, partial
• Soil Type: Well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)

There are so many varieties of sedum, often called stonecrop, that you may have a hard time determining which textures and colors are your favorite. Sedum prefers well-draining or sandy soil in a sunny spot. Some favorite low-growing sedum ground covers for the Southern landscape are:

• Angelina Stonecrop (Petrosedum rupestre): Grown for its striking spiky yellow leaves that turn an attractive bronze or red-orange color in the fall.
• Chinese sedum (Sedum tetractinum ‘Coral Reef’): Chinese Sedum is a mat-forming plant that matures to 3 inches in height with a foot-wide spread. While very attractive, it is not suitable for heavily trafficked areas because the round, flat, green leaves tend to fall off easily. Gather them up because they can be used to propagate new plants.
• Golden Japanese stonecrop (Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’): Small yellow leaves sprout from this low, mat-forming stonecrop that forms a dense mat 2” high and 12” wide. It is very easy to maintain and produces golden yellow blooms in the summer.

Hardy Ice Plant

• Botanical Name: Delosperma cooperi
• Sun Exposure:  Full sun
• Soil Type: Sandy, rocky
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0)

Delosperma plants are low-growing perennials that spread 1-2 feet. The foliage is sedum-like on pendulous stems, and the flowers are 1- to 2-inch-wide in various colors. This groundcover will bloom June through October, and the plant is very drought- and heat-tolerant.

Creeping Thyme

• Botanical Name: Thymus serpyllum
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Type: Dry, well-drained, sandy, loamy, rocky
• Soil pH: Acidic, neutral (6.5-7.5)

Creeping thyme produces a carpet of pink or purple flowers in summer and has evergreen foliage with a wonderful, savory scent the rest of the year. The plant is hairy, prostrate, and creeping. It prefers full sun and tolerates poor soil while thriving in sandy, gritty, or rocky soil. It is drought-tolerant and prefers average to dry medium moisture. It will remain evergreen during mild winters.

Dwarf Plumbago

• Botanical Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
• Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil Type: Well-drained, sandy, loamy
• Soil pH: Acidic, neutral, alkaline (6.1-7.5)

Also called leadwort or hardy plumbago, this ground cover grows about 6 inches tall and bears blue flowers in summer and early fall. This plant prefers dry, sandy, or loamy soil and spreads aggressively. It grows in full sun and appreciates some afternoon shade on hot summer days, but cannot grow in full shade. This low-growing perennial is reliably hardy in Zones 6 to 9.

Bishop’s Hat

• Botanical Name: Epimedium spp.
• Sun Exposure: Dappled sun; full to part shade
• Soil Type: Average, dry to medium, well-draining
• Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.0-7.0)

Perfect for shady lawns where grass is difficult to grow, Bishop’s hat is one of the few groundcovers that flowers prolifically in dry shade—even under trees — in shades of white, yellow, pink, or rusty red. The perennial is slow-spreading and evergreen in Zones 5a to 8b. If you’re looking for year-round interest, choose a variety such as ‘Pretty in Pink’, ‘Songbirds’, or ‘Spine Tingler’ with colorful foliage.

Asian Star Jasmine

• Botanical Name: Trachelospermum asiaticum
• Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil Type: Average to fertile, well-drained
• Soil pH: Acidic, neutral, alkaline (5.0-7.0)

A tough, fast-spreading, evergreen ground cover that tolerates heat, humidity, and well-drained soils, Asian star jasmine is a good choice for Southern gardens. It grows about a foot high and can spread as much as 12 feet. It spreads rapidly and will climb trees if not maintained. Creamy white clusters of fragrant flowers with a yellow tinge appear from late spring to early summer.

Read the original article on Southern Living