Re: [SG] Favorite Shade Ground cover

>No one has mentioned Epimediums.  There are many that have been in the
>trade for a while and many new hybrids from England and Japan.  And now
>with trips to China many new species are slowly working their way into
>this country.

Epimediums are great for ground cover in dry shade.  But the different
varieties have different habits, and this must be taken into account.  One
of the three I grow has leaves that completely die back in late fall,
others have leaves that persist in good condition through winter, then
slowly die off during the spring and summer.  For the latter types, some
growers recommend cutting them down in spring before the flowers and new
leaves appear, for a neater appearance.

My favorite shade ground cover is Pulmonaria.  While I have a half-dozen of
the newer varieties, the good old species P. saccharata spreads rapidly
from plants and self-sown seeds, is almost evergreen here, and carpets the
woods with blue and pink flowers in very early spring (before the crocuses,
usually).  Look wonderful with naturalized daffodils coming up through them.

Does anyone else grow Pollia japonica?  While not a ground cover, it does
have some of those qualities and is a very unusual looking shade plant.

Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
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