Groundcovers and Vines - the UC Davis Arboretum
Groundcovers and Vines - the UC Davis Arboretum Groundcovers and Vines - the UC Davis Arboretum
12 Recommended Plants for Central Valley Gardens GRoundCoVERS And VinES Cerastium tomentosum – snow-in-summer: Gives a cool look to hot Central Valley gardens; can thrive in low to medium amounts of irrigation; silver foliage good for contrast with green-leaved plants. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides – dwarf plumbago: Attractive groundcover with clusters of intense blue flowers in summer and continuing into fall; leaves turn a colorful maroon in autumn; tolerant of sun or shade. Lessingia filaginifolia var. californica ‘Silver Carpet’ – silver carpet California-aster: California native plant; light-purple flowers attract butterflies and other beneficial insects; looks good spilling over low walls or down steps. Ribes viburnifolium – evergreen currant: California native plant; good shade-tolerant groundcover under native oaks and in other dry, shady areas; shiny and fragrant foliage looks attractive all year; attracts hummingbirds and beneficial insects. Salvia spathacea – hummingbird sage: California native plant; leaves have a pleasant, fruity fragrance; excellent drought-tolerant groundcover for sun or partial shade; attracts hummingbirds. Teucrium chamaedrys ‘Nanum’ – dwarf germander: Low-growing groundcover with dark-pink flowers in early summer; one of the few groundcovers that does well in both full sun or part shade; good for planting under roses and other shrubs; attracts beneficial insects. Aristolochia californica – California pipevine: California native plant; leaves provide food for pipevine swallowtail butterfly larvae; versatile plant that can be used as a climbing vine or a groundcover. Clytostoma calystegioides – violet trumpet vine: Vigorous climber for covering walls and fences and can also be grown as a groundcover; trumpet-shaped violet flowers with purple veins blossom in late spring to summer; attracts hummingbirds. Hardenbergia violacea – lilac vine: Vigorous evergreen vine can be used to cover an arbor, pergola or wall; small, purple, pea-like flowers bloom in late winter to early spring; other cultivars have white or pink flowers. Mandevilla laxa – Chilean jasmine: Attractive, twining vine; clusters of white, funnel-shaped flowers blossom in the summer with a delightful tropical fragrance; tolerant of both full sun and partial shade.
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Recommended Plants for Central Valley Gardens<br />
GRoundCoVERS And VinES<br />
Cerastium tomentosum – snow-in-summer: Gives<br />
a cool look to hot Central Valley gardens; can thrive in low to<br />
medium amounts of irrigation; silver foliage good for contrast<br />
with green-leaved plants.<br />
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides – dwarf plumbago:<br />
Attractive groundcover with clusters of intense blue flowers in<br />
summer <strong>and</strong> continuing into fall; leaves turn a colorful maroon<br />
in autumn; tolerant of sun or shade.<br />
Lessingia filaginifolia var. californica ‘Silver<br />
Carpet’ – silver carpet California-aster: California native<br />
plant; light-purple flowers attract butterflies <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r beneficial<br />
insects; looks good spilling over low walls or down steps.<br />
Ribes viburnifolium – evergreen currant: California<br />
native plant; good shade-tolerant groundcover under native<br />
oaks <strong>and</strong> in o<strong>the</strong>r dry, shady areas; shiny <strong>and</strong> fragrant foliage<br />
looks attractive all year; attracts hummingbirds <strong>and</strong> beneficial<br />
insects.<br />
Salvia spathacea – hummingbird sage: California<br />
native plant; leaves have a pleasant, fruity fragrance; excellent<br />
drought-tolerant groundcover for sun or partial shade; attracts<br />
hummingbirds.<br />
Teucrium chamaedrys ‘Nanum’ – dwarf<br />
germ<strong>and</strong>er: Low-growing groundcover with dark-pink flowers<br />
in early summer; one of <strong>the</strong> few groundcovers that does well in<br />
both full sun or part shade; good for planting under roses <strong>and</strong><br />
o<strong>the</strong>r shrubs; attracts beneficial insects.<br />
Aristolochia californica – California pipevine:<br />
California native plant; leaves provide food for pipevine<br />
swallowtail butterfly larvae; versatile plant that can be used<br />
as a climbing vine or a groundcover.<br />
Clytostoma calystegioides – violet trumpet vine:<br />
Vigorous climber for covering walls <strong>and</strong> fences <strong>and</strong> can also<br />
be grown as a groundcover; trumpet-shaped violet flowers<br />
with purple veins blossom in late spring to summer; attracts<br />
hummingbirds.<br />
Hardenbergia violacea – lilac vine: Vigorous<br />
evergreen vine can be used to cover an arbor, pergola or wall;<br />
small, purple, pea-like flowers bloom in late winter to early<br />
spring; o<strong>the</strong>r cultivars have white or pink flowers.<br />
M<strong>and</strong>evilla laxa – Chilean jasmine: Attractive, twining<br />
vine; clusters of white, funnel-shaped flowers blossom in <strong>the</strong><br />
summer with a delightful tropical fragrance; tolerant of both full<br />
sun <strong>and</strong> partial shade.
arboretum<br />
location<br />
size<br />
WFG groundcover<br />
RRS groundcover<br />
MWB groundcover<br />
MWB groundcover<br />
MWB groundcover<br />
RRS groundcover<br />
bloom<br />
season<br />
spring,<br />
summer<br />
summer,<br />
fall<br />
spring,<br />
summer,<br />
fall<br />
exposure<br />
Pruning<br />
needs<br />
water<br />
needs<br />
water<br />
instructions<br />
little or none water deeply<br />
every one to<br />
two weeks<br />
cut to ground<br />
in winter<br />
for tidy<br />
appearance<br />
prune lightly to<br />
remove seed<br />
heads<br />
water deeply<br />
once or twice a<br />
month<br />
water deeply<br />
every two<br />
weeks<br />
spring little or none water deeply<br />
once or twice a<br />
month<br />
winter,<br />
spring<br />
spring,<br />
summer,<br />
fall<br />
remove old<br />
flower stalks at<br />
end of season<br />
mow in early<br />
spring to<br />
maintain a<br />
compact form<br />
MWB vine winter little or none;<br />
train stems<br />
up trellis or<br />
support<br />
ATG vine spring prune in winter<br />
to shape<br />
AC vine winter,<br />
spring<br />
ATG vine spring,<br />
summer<br />
trim to fit<br />
available space<br />
annually; cut<br />
back after<br />
bloom to prevent<br />
tangling<br />
little or none;<br />
prune in winter<br />
to shape<br />
water deeply<br />
every one to<br />
two weeks<br />
water deeply<br />
once or twice a<br />
month<br />
water deeply<br />
once or twice a<br />
month<br />
water deeply<br />
once or twice a<br />
month<br />
water deeply<br />
once or twice a<br />
month<br />
water deeply<br />
once or twice a<br />
month<br />
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