Ground cover plants for the blazing sun don't just have to cope with the fact that the location is sunny. Little water and high heat are also everyday conditions for them. Which plants are suitable?
Selection criteria
If the location is sunny or is completely unshaded and directly in the sun, this places special demands on the plants. It's not just the burning light that can be problematic. The following factors should also play a role in the planting decision:
Substrate
Sandy or loamy? In hot, dry weather, clayey soil can literally cake and dry out so much that cracks appear. The substrate then hardly absorbs any water, even when it rains, until the surface is moistened. But it can store moisture for longer. Sandy soil, on the other hand, is more permeable. Although it removes the water it absorbs more quickly, it also absorbs it more quickly at extreme temperatures. Not all plants are equally suitable for such different conditions.
Humidity and precipitation
How much precipitation falls depends not only on the season, but also on the respective region. Here again, not every plant is suitable for every area. When selecting, care should be taken to ensure that the plants are suitable for the respective region. Otherwise the cost of casting will be very high. This is especially true if an automatic irrigation system cannot be installed, such as when planting a grave or ground cover in an allotment garden.
Growth speed
If the ground needs to be covered quickly, appropriate plant species must be chosen. Because the resistant plants in particular are usually rather slow to sprout.
Winter hardiness
Resilient ground cover plants for the sun are not automatically winter hardy or frost resistant. However, since they are usually cultivated outdoors all year round, either hardy plants must be chosen or new plants must be planted every year.
annual or perennial
If you don't want to put in the effort to plant beds, paths or graves every year, you should choose perennial species. However, if variety is desired, annual ground covers are the better choice.
Ground cover with A
Acaena microphylla –Prickly Nuts
- Height five to ten centimeters
- Flowering period from June to July
- Flower color white
- undemanding and easy to care for
- hardy
- Synonym: Copper Carpet
Ajuga reptans –Creeping Günsel
- Growth height about 15 centimeters
- Flowering period April to August
- Flower color blue to blue-violet
- need humus-rich, permeable soil
- hardy
Alchemilla mollis –Soft Lady's Mantle
- reaches quite a height of up to 30 or even 50 centimeters
- Flowering period June to October
- yellowish-green flower color and interesting flower shape
- unusually decorative leaf shape
- hardy
Anacyclus depressus –African ring basket
- five to ten centimeters high
- forms cushion
- Flowering period from May to September
- Flower color pink with white edges and yellow center
- hardy
- Synonyms: Morocco chamomile, perennial Bertram
Antennaria dioica –Cat's Paws
- Growth height and width 15 to 20 centimeters each
- Flowering period from May to June
- Flower color pink red
- attracts butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects
- hardy
Arenaria montana –Mountain Sandwort
- up to 15 centimeters high
- extremely easy to care for
- numerous small, white flowers
- Flowering period May to July
- hardy
- very resistant to drought
Astilbe chinensis var.
- Growth height of up to 20 centimeters
- Flowering period August to September
- blooms in pink
- little water and full sun are not a problem
- hardy
Aubrieta –Blue cushions
- Growth height of 20 to 30 centimeters
- Flowering period April to June, depending on the variety or cultivation form
- Flower color blue
- forms a particularly large number of flowers and grows very densely
- hardy and evergreen
Azorella trifurcata ‘Nana’ –Andean cushions
- reaches heights of just three centimeters
- Flowering period from May to June
- Flower color light yellow
- very densely growing
- easy to care for and undemanding
- hardy and evergreen
Ground cover with C
Campanula poscharskyana –Cushion bellflower
- becomes about 15 to 20 centimeters high
- Flowering period from June to September
- Flower color blue
- also suitable as a hanging plant and for pots because it overhangs
- hardy but only partially wintergreen
Cerastium tomentosum –Felty Hornwort
- up to ten centimeters high
- evergreen and frost-tolerant
- Flowering period from May to June
- Flower color white
- requires loose, permeable substrate
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides –Chinese leadwort
- grows between 20 and 25 centimeters
- Flowering period from August to October
- azure blue flowers
- ideal for very calcareous soils
- frost hardy down to -23 °C
- Synonyms: creeping horn scar
Cornus canadensis –Carpet Dogwood
- reaches a height of up to 20 centimeters
- Flowering period from May to June
- Flower color white to light red
- Leaves take on colorful autumn colors
- good for dry soils
- Location must be sunny
- hardy
- Synonyms: Canadian Dogwood
Cotoneaster dammeri –Carpet Cotoneaster
- reaches heights between ten and 15 centimeters
- Flowering period from May to June
- Flower color white
- forms decorative fruits that remain on the branches until spring
- requires little water
- hardy
Cotula potentillina –Cinquefoil Feather Carpet
- Growth height only five to ten centimeters, growth width 30 to 40 centimeters
- Flowering period July to August
- Flower color light money
- Expels extremely quickly and can therefore quickly cover larger areas
- tolerates drought very well
- evergreen and hardy
Cotula squalida –Feather pads
- reaches heights of up to
- Flowering period from June to August
- Flower color yellow
- Location can be sunny to partially shaded
- requires little water
- hardy
Cyclamen –Cyclamen
- Growth height of ten to 15 centimeters
- Flowering period September to November
- Flower color from white to pink to dark red and purple tones
- resistant and easy to care for
- some varieties are hardy
Ground cover from D to L
Delosperma cooperi –Red ice plant
- about ten to 15 centimeters high
- Flowering period mainly between May and June, but possible until October
- need sufficient water and fertilizer for flowering power
- strong growth
- Flowers only open at midday
- Flower color pink to purple with white flower center
- hardy
Dianthus cultivars –Cushion carnations
- ground covering variants up to 20 centimeters
- well suited for sandy soils
- Flowering period May to September
- Flower colors white, pink, red, blue, violet and multi-colored variants
- hardy
Geranium –Storksbill
- Growth height varies depending on the species between 15 and 100 centimeters
- Flowering period is very long and extends from May to October
- Flower color white, pink, red, violet and blue are possible
- well tolerated by drought
- completely hardy
Helianthemum –Sun Beauty
- Growth height of up to 20 centimeters
- Flowering period from May to August
- Flower color yellow, pink or red
- prefer humus substrate
- hardy and wintergreen
Isotoma fluviatilis –Gaudich
- Growth height of up to 15 centimeters, growth width of up to 60 centimeters
- Flowering period from April to September
- Flower color blue
- prefers well-drained, loose soil
- hardy
- Synonyms: blue bob head
Lithodora diffusa –Stony Seed
- Growth height 15 to 20 centimeters, growth width 20 to 30 centimeters
- Flowering period from April to July
- Flower color white to gentian blue
- decorative funnel-shaped flowers
- evergreen and hardy
Lobularia maritima –Beach Silverwort
- Growth height of up to twelve centimeters
- Flowering period from June to September
- numerous flower colors, depending on the variety
- fast and dense growing, therefore ideal for larger areas
- hardy
- Synonyms: King's Carpet
Ground cover from O to V
Origanum vulgare –Oregano
- Growth height ten to 15 centimeters
- Flowering period from June to July
- golden yellow flower color
- attracts bees
- smells like lemons
- hardy
- Synonyms: Polsterdost
Phlox subulata –Carpet phlox
- about ten centimeters high
- lush blooms from April to June
- Flower colors white, purple, red, pink, blue
- Substrate should be sandy and well-drained
- hardy
Potentilla fruticosa –Fingerbush
- depending on the variety, growth height of up to 30 or up to 130 centimeters
- Flowering period June to October
- Flower colors white, yellow, salmon
- compact growth
- lush carpet of flowers
- hardy
Salvia nemorosa –Steppe sage
- up to 40 centimeters high
- cushion-forming variant of sage
- can easily tolerate sun and drought
- Flowering period June to September
- Flower color bluish-violet
Sedum acre –Hot Stonecrop
- Growth height of five to ten centimeters
- Flowering period June to July
- Flower color yellow
- ideal for nutrient-poor soils
- hardy
Silene schafta –Autumn Catchfly
- Growth height of only eight to twelve centimeters, growth width of 20 to 25 centimeters
- Flowering period from August to October
- Flower color pink
- delicate and slow growth
- evergreen and hardy
Teucrium chamaedrys –Edel-Gamander
- up to 25 centimeters high
- Flowering period from June to August
- Flower color pink to purple
- prefers well-drained, sandy soil
- hardy
Thymus citriodorus 'Aureus' –Lemon thyme
- Growth height of ten to 15 centimeters
- Flowering period from June to July
- Flower color light pink
- edible and can be used as a spice
- hardy and evergreen
Veronica –Honorary Award
- up to ten centimeters high
- ideal for drought and blazing sun
- Flowering time depending on the species between May and August
- Flower colors pink, pink, violet, blue
- hardy
Vinca minor –Evergreen
- Growth height 15 to 20 centimeters, growth width of 30 to 40 centimeters
- Flowering period March to June
- Flower color white, light blue or purple
- bears fruit from June to July
- hardy
