When choosing the right plants, their location requirements must be taken into account. The selection is huge for sunny and semi-shady locations, but for shady locations it is somewhat more limited, but no less diverse.
Ground cover for partially shaded locations
Balkan Cranesbill (Geranium macrorrhizum) 'Spessart'
- Expensive, flat-growing, cushion-like
- Growth height of 20-40 cm, growth width 30-35 cm
- Leaves rounded, deeply notched, finely hairy, fragrant, wintergreen
- Red in autumn
- Flowers small, cup-shaped, simple, white with pink center
- Flowering period: May to July
- Garden soil dry, nutrient-poor, permeable
Garten Günsel 'Atropurpurea' (Ajuga reptans)
- Ground-covering foliage perennial, hardy
- Growth like a carpet, forming runners
- Growth height: 10-15 cm
- Leaves tongue-shaped, shiny, wrinkled, bronze colored
- Deep red to violet-blue, spike-shaped inflorescences
- Flowering period: May to June
- Permeable, fresh to moist, humus- and nutrient-rich substrates
- Planting distances of 25 cm recommended
Large-flowered St. John's wort 'Hidcote' (Hypericum)
- Grows upright, with many shoots, arching overhanging
- About 80-150 cm high, 40-70 cm wide
- Foliage oblong ovate, wintergreen
- Blooms continuously from June to October
- Flowers simple, golden yellow, cup-shaped
- Soil dry to fresh, acidic to slightly alkaline
- About five plants per square meter
Tip:
Pruning in winter should be avoided. It would limit frost hardiness and cause moisture and cold to penetrate the stems.
Caucasus forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla)
- Ideal ground cover for sunny and semi-shady locations
- Upright inflorescences
- Delicate, white or sky blue individual flowers
- Heart-shaped green or multi-colored leaves
- Partly silvery shimmering
- Growth spreading, clumpy, hardy
- Up to 40 cm high and wide
- Fresh to moist, humus-rich and nutrient-poor soils
- Eight to ten plants per square meter
Tip:
Every single variety of the Caucasus forget-me-not impresses with beautiful leaf coloring and markings.
Creeping Spindle (Euonymus fortunei)
- Creeping, carpet-forming growth, hardy
- About 20-30 cm high, 80-120 cm wide
- Foliage evergreen, partly with autumn colors
- Large green leaves with white edges
- Flowers and fruits inconspicuous
- Soil sandy, humic and fresh, tolerates lime
- Six to seven plants per square meter
Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)
- Grows like a carpet, forms creeping rhizomes
- Approximately 25 cm wide and high
- White, bell-shaped, nodding flowers arranged in spikes
- Very pleasant, intense scent
- Flowering period from May to June
- Soil slightly dry to fresh, well-drained
- The entire plant is highly poisonous
- Leaves very similar to non-poisonous wild garlic
Starwort (Stellaria)
- Native, herbaceous perennial growing wild perennial
- Growth heights between 15 and 30 cm
- Leaves narrow, lanceolate, pointed at the front
- Delicate, ascending, slightly branched shoots
- Bright white, radiant flowers
- Protected from the wind and not too dry locations
Carpet Dogwood (Cornus canadensis)
- Carpet and stolon forming, shallow creeping
- Growth height up to 20 cm
- Simple small creamy white flowers
- Blooms in June
- Bright red berries in autumn
- Foliage medium green, orange-red in autumn, shedding leaves
- Wintergreen in some areas
- Loose, moist, slightly acidic moor or humus soils, avoid lime
- Six to eight copies per square meter
Tip:
To protect against dry cold, leave the leaves on the root area over the winter.
Violet (Viola odorata)
- Growth flat, loosely grassy, forming runners
- Up to 15 cm high and 25 cm wide
- Requires cool, humid places with loamy, nutrient-poor soil
- Location should not get too hot
- Flowering time: March to April
- Flowers simple, plate-shaped, blue-violet, strongly scented
- Subsoil fresh, humus-rich, loamy, sandy
Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
- Grows like a carpet, 10-20 cm high, 20-25 cm wide
- Spread via foothills
- Flowering period: May to June
- Permeable, nutrient and humus-rich soil
- Fruits, small red berries
- Leaves very suitable for making tea
- 15-17 copies per square meter
Ground cover for semi-shady to shady places
Fat Man (Pachysandra terminalis)
- Evergreen, low mat-like ground cover
- Forms short runners
- Up to 30 cm high and wide
- White, spike-shaped flowers
- Flowering period: April to May
- Optimum growth with soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5
- Sensitive to soil compaction
Fairy Flowers (Epimedium)
- Real beauty for partial shade and shadow
- Grows upright and pillow-like
- Delicate, light yellow, ruby red or multicolored flowers
- Blooms from April to May
- Heart-shaped, leathery green or reddish-brown leaves
- Permeable soils with a high humus content
Memorial 'Alba' (Omphalodes verna)
- Flat, carpet-like growth, spreading via short runners
- Up to 10 cm high and 25 cm wide
- Simple white cup-shaped flowers
- Blooms from April to May
- Leaf ovate, pointed, wrinkled
- Soil fresh to moist, humus-rich and permeable
- About 14 plants per square meter
Spotted Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
- Cushion-like, broad, clump-forming growth
- About 10-40 cm high and 25-30 cm wide
- Flowers pink when they open, later blue-violet
- Simple and cup-shaped
- Small, silvery spotted leaves
- Broadly ovoid, pointed, rough hairy
- Soil rich in humus, fresh to moist
Japan sedge (Carex morrowii)
- Popular ground cover for partial shade and shade
- Evergreen, arching, clump-forming
- Up to 40 cm high and 50 cm wide
- Simple, spike-shaped, brownish flowers
- Blooms from March to May
- Dark green, grass-like pointed, leathery leaves
Peacock Orb Fern (Adiantum pedatum)
- Graceful fern with light green to blue-green fronds
- Black shiny stems
- Grows very slowly
- About 40-50 cm high and wide
- Soil should be humus and moist to wet
Tip:
If you want to limit the spread of this plant, you should include root barriers when planting new ones.
Foam Blossom (Tiarella cordifolia)
- Quickly forms evergreen, carpet-like stands
- Grows 10-20 cm high and 20-25 cm wide
- Simple, panicle-shaped, yellowish-white flowers
- Flowering period: April to May
- Heart-shaped, finely hairy leaves
- Copper colored in autumn
- Prefers fresh, permeable, humus-rich substrates
Deadnettle 'Red Nancy' (Lamium maculatum)
- Grows creeping, carpet-like spread
- About 20 cm high and wide
- Bright, dark pink, panicle-shaped flowers
- Blooms from May to July
- Silvery white leaves with green edges
- Soil fresh, permeable, humus, nutrient-rich
Carpet Golden Strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata)
- Evergreen ground cover for partial shade and shade
- Creeping, carpet-like growth
- Up to 15 cm high and 60 cm wide
- Loose, humus-rich soils
- Simple golden yellow, cup-shaped flowers
- Flowering period from April to May
- Eight to twelve plants per square meter
Ground cover for shady locations
Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
- Flat upright growth, forming runners
- Growth height and width up to 30 cm
- Simple, small white, umbel-shaped flowers
- Flowering period from April to May
- Pleasantly scented during flowering
- Lovely under large trees
- Fresh, humus-rich soil
- Leaf lanceolate, whorled, rough
- Planting 15-17 specimens per square meter
Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Reliable plant for soil greening
- Green and variegated varieties
- Trails or creeps 250-500 cm
- Thrives in any normal garden soil
- Leaves green, leathery, shiny
- Umbel-shaped flowers only on older plants
- Flowering time: September to October
- Blue-black, spherical fruits are poisonous
- Four to six plants per square meter
Funkie (Hosta)
- Very small compact hosta, foliage perennial
- Round blue-green foliage with cream-colored edge
- Edge may turn green over the course of the growing season
- Approximately 15 cm high and 25 cm wide
- From June to July, purple flowers on delicate stems
- Normal and moist soil, acid-loving
- Planting distances of 20 cm recommended
Common Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis)
- Very delicate, hardy perennial
- Grows like rosettes and forms clumps
- Withstands root pressure of old trees
- Up to 10 cm high and 20 cm wide
- Flowers simple, cup-shaped, striking violet-blue
- Flowering time: March-April
- Three-lobed, dark green foliage
- Well-drained, fresh, humus-rich, neutral to lime-rich substrates
- 24 to 26 plants per square meter
Tip:
The liverwort is particularly protected in Germany according to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance.
Hazelroot (Asarum caudatum)
- Robust ground cover with flat growth
- Growth height: 10-15 cm
- Leaves petiolate, heart-shaped to kidney-shaped
- Flowers single, multicolored
- Flowering period from April to May
- Soil as dry as possible
- In small tuffs of 3-10 plants
- Or in large groups of 10-20 specimens
Small Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Proven ground cover also for deep shade
- Low, mat or carpet-like
- Up to 30 cm high and 50 cm wide
- Cup-shaped violet-blue flowers
- Main bloom: April to May
- Re-bloom until September
- Leaves elliptical, leathery, shiny
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri radicans)
- Growth height up to 15 cm, width up to 45 cm
- Very fast and flat growing
- Quickly forms dense carpets
- Prefers fresh, humus-rich soils
- Evergreen, dark shiny leaves
- Small white flowers
- Flowering period: May to June
- Red berries in autumn
