Re: Groundcovers for shade?

James,

Marge's excellent series of articles doesn't mention Hypericum calycinum,
St. John's wort, which has beautiful dark green foliage with interesting
(but rather sparse) yellow flowers. Deer and insects don't seem to like it
and it stays evergreen for me (and would for you). It is not a flat
groundcover but a rather upright one, maybe 8 or 10" tall. I think it is
categorized as a subshrub. No weeds come up thru this dense foliage.
Starting with just one or two plants three years ago, I have an area about
6x4 ft. that is solid Hypericum. It is basically shady but gets some sun
where I have it. I don't know how it would behave in dense shade.  Several
other gardeners have warned me it is a thug, but I haven't found that it
seeds around--so far. It's nothing like Houtouynia (sp?) or Lamiastrum,
that's for sure! It does grow faster than Pachysandra.

To read about it and see a picture on the Missouri Botanical Gardens
Kemper Plantfinder website, go to

http://ridgwaydb.mobot.org/kemperweb/plantfinder/Alpha.asp

This a wonderful website that I refer to constantly.

Bobbi Diehl
Bloomington, IN
zone 5/6
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