Care-free lawns: evergreen groundcovers

Vigorous and durable, evergreen ground covers are top plants for framing a lawn, masking the bases of trees or planting on slopes. They usually cannot withstand foot traffic, but they do an excellent job of edging walkways or other hard surfaces, provided you are willing to trim them back from time to time. Some of the most popular, effective and care-free evergreen ground covers are listed here.

English ivy (Hedera helix) has a well-deserved reputation for growing with such exuberance that it climbs trees and buildings, sometimes overwhelming them. However, when planted as a ground cover and trimmed two or three times a year to keep its edges neat, English ivy is well behaved.

The same can be said of English ivy's large-leaved and tender cousin, Canary ivy (H. canariensis), which grows from Zone 8. Because they are so persistent and deeply rooted, these ivies are the best evergreen ground covers for planting beneath trees that have extensive surface roots.

The best varieties for ground cover use have broad, dark green foliage, not small, divided "bird's foot" leaves. Ivy with divided leaves and those with variegated leaves are nice for filling small areas in shady places and growing in containers, but seldom give the thick coverage needed to control weeds.

Pachysandra, also commonly known as Japanese spurge, demands a shady site, soil of average fertility and regular moisture. When given these conditions, pachysandra is truly the queen of evergreen ground covers, willing to spread into an ankle-deep blanket of green, whorled leaves. Variegated forms are not as vigorous as the green-leaved types, but they are beautiful when put to work filling in between azaleas, rhododendrons and other shade-tolerant shrubs.

Often known as lily turf, this easy-to-grow ground cover has handsome grasslike foliage and purple flower spikes in late summer. The most common species, blue lily turf (Liriope muscari), grows into bigger and prettier clumps year after year. Creeping liriope (L. spicata) spreads via short, creeping stems, so it is the best type for covering a large space. Plant liriope in broad bands or use it as an edging between the lawn and a shrub bed or foundation grouping.

Periwinkle features glossy, dark green or variegated leaves and starry blue flowers in spring. This vining ground cover spreads by sending out long stems that develop roots wherever they touch the ground. It is an excellent choice for growing on slopes or beneath large shrubs, and can be planted with small daffodils and other spring bulbs.

Vinca minor is hardy to Zone 3 and stays evergreen even in cold climates. A larger cousin, Vinca major, is hardy to Zone 6 and makes a taller, coarser-looking ground cover.

When it comes to ground covers, the more space they cover, the greater their visual impact, and the more care-free your landscape will become. Instead of using small dabs of ground covers here and there, put these plants to work covering large areas that you don't need for outdoor living or don't want to mow.