Native Ground Cover Kit: Many people ask us about good native ground cover plants, and this new garden kit is curated to offer a unique grouping of 6 different plants with various textures and flowers. Each plant provides important ecological benefits to our native pollinators, and several are larval host plants for butterflies.
Approximate Garden Size: 3' wide x 5' long or 15 sq. feet
Design Tips:
- Prepare your garden site (follow the link for details)
- Partial shade and moist soil are ideal conditions for this grouping
- Group plants of the same species together
- Consider the height of each plant—position taller plants at the back and shorter plants at the front.
- Plant 1 sq foot per plant
Kit Contents:
6 varieties, 15 total plants. Details for each variety are listed below and all plants are pictured to the left on your screen in this order:
2 - Canada Anemone
2 - Penn Sedge
2 - Wild Geranium (Cranesbill)
3 - Wild Ginger
3 - Wild Petunia
3 - Wild Strawberry
Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Sun -Part Shade - Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist, Sandy soil
Height: Up to 30"
Bloom time: April - June
Bloom Color: White
Deer: Resistant
Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Pollinator Benefit: Xerces Society: Supports Conservation Biological Control (A plant that attracts predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects.)
Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylanica)
Native Perennial Sedge
Light: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dry to moist soils.
Height: Up to about 20 inches tall.
Bloom Color: White, Green, Brown
Bloom Time: May–July
Bloom Notes: Bloom time refers to the fruiting period for Carex spp.
Resistant to Deer
Attracts: Birds w/ seeds and nesting material
Pollinator Benefits: Larval host plant; supports native bees with nesting material and pollen
Wild Geranium, aka Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium, moist
Height: 2'
Bloom Time: April to June
Bloom Color: White, Pink, Purple
Deer: Resistant (Also resistant to rabbits!)
Attracts: Birds, native bees
Pollinator benefits: Xerces Society rating: Special Value for Bumble Bees; Special Value to Native Bees (Recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.)
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) Note 2 photos: leaves + bloom at plant base
Native Perennial
Light: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil Description: Moist, rich soils. pH of 6 to 7 best.
Size Notes: Up to about 8 inches tall.
Leaf: Medium green
Bloom Color: Red, Green, Purple, Brown
Bloom Time: Apr, May, Jun
Fruit: Brown
Deer: Resistant
Attracts: Butterflies
Pollinator Benefit: Larval host for Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly
Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Partial Sun/Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium, moist
Height: Up to 2'
Bloom Time: June - August
Bloom Color: Purple
Deer: Resistant
Drought: Somewhat tolerant
Attracts: Butterflies
Pollinator benefits: Excellent nectar source for butterflies and native bees; Larval Host for the Common Buckeye butterfly
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Sun, Part shade
Soil Moisture: Dry to Medium-Wet
Soil Type: Thrives in a wide range of soils: acid to lime, rich to poor, sand to clay
Height: low, ground cover
Bloom Time: May-June
Bloom Color: White
Deer: Resistant
Attracts: Butterflies & bees; berries attract birds and other wildlife
Pollinator benefit: Larval Host for Grey Hairstreak and Grizzled Skipper butterflies; early nectar source; good for native bees