The Garden Gate: Selected Plants for Special Situations

Selected Plants for Special Situations

Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
Remember to check a reliable reference for hardiness in your USDA Hardiness Zone.

Easy to grow
Drought-resistant
Full sun
Sun or partial shade
Tolerate deep shade
Tolerate traffic
Tolerate occasional traffic
Nooks and crannies
Lawn alternatives (large)
Slope stabilizers
Drape and trail

Easy to grow

Ajuga reptans -- Bugleweed
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi -- Bearberry
Baccharis pilularis 'Twin Peaks -- Dwarf coyote brush
Cotoneaster Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata' -- Wintercreeper
Hedera -- Ivy
Hypericum calycinum -- Aaron's beard
Juniperus -- Juniper
Liriope spicata -- Lilyturf
Ophiopogon japonicus -- Mondo grass
Pachysandra terminalis -- Japanese spurge
Potentilla verna -- Spring cinquefoil
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' -- Dwarf rosemary
Sedum -- Stonecrop
Trachelospermum -- Jasmine
Vinca minor -- perwinkle
Drought-resistant

Aegopodium podagraria -- goutweed
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi -- Bearberry
Artemisia -- Dusty-miller, wormwood
Baccharis pilularis 'Twin Peaks' -- Dwarf coyote brush
Cistus -- Rock rose
Coronilla varia -- Crown vetch
Cytisus -- Broom
Festuca ovina glauca -- Blue fescue
Genista -- Broom
Helianthemum nummularium -- Sun rose
Hemerocallis -- Daylily
Juniperus -- Juniper
Lantana
Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta' -- Ribbon grass
Phyla nodiflora -- Lippia
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' -- Dwarf rosemary
Santolina chamaecyparissus -- Lavender cotton
Sedum -- Stonecrop
Verbena peruviana -- Peruvian verbena
Full sun

Achillea tomentosa -- Woolly yarrow
Arabis -- Rock cress
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi -- Bearberry
Artemisia schmidiana -- Angel's hair
Baccharis pilularis -- Dwarf coyote brush
Ceanothus -- California lilac
Cerastium tomentosum -- snow-in-summer
Cotoneaster, low-growing
Cytisus -- Broom
Helianthemum nummularium -- Sun rose
Juniperus -- Juniper
Lantana
Phlox subulata -- Moss pink
Phyla nodiflora -- Lippia
Pyracantha koidzumii 'Santa Cruz' -- Santa Cruz pyracantha
Rosa -- Rose
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' -- Dwarf rosemary
Santolina chamaecyparissus -- Lavender cotton
Sedum -- Stonecrop
Sun or partial shade

Aegopodium podograria -- Goutweed
Ajuga -- Bugleweed
Bergenia
Campanula -- Bellflower
Cyrtomium falcatum -- Holly fern
Dichondra micrantha -- Dichondra
Epimedium -- Barrenwort
Fragaria chiloensis -- Wild or sand strawberry
Hedera helix -- English ivy
Hypericum calycinum -- Aaron's beard
Liriope spicata -- Lilyturf
Mahonia repens -- Creeping mahonia
Ophiopogon japonicus -- Mondo grass
Paxistima canbyi -- Canby, pachistima
Polygonum -- Knotweed
Sagina subulata -- Irish and Scotch moss
Trachelospermum -- Jasmine
Tolerate deep shade

Adiantum pedatum -- Five-finger fern
Asarum -- Wild ginger
Athyrium goeringianum -- Japanese painted fern
Convallaria majalis -- Lilly-of-the-valley
Dryopteris -- Wood fern
Epimedium -- Barrenwort
Galium odoratum -- Sweet woodruff
Hedera helix -- English ivy
Pachysandra terminalis -- Japanese spurge
Sagina subulata -- Irish and Scotch moss
Sarcococca hookeriana humilis -- Small Himalayan sarcococca
Viola odorata -- Sweet violet
Tolerate traffic

Ajuga -- Bugleweed
Chamaemelum nobile -- Chamomile
Dichondra micrantha -- Dichondra
Duchesnea indica -- Mock strawberry
Juniperus horizontalis 'Blue Rug' -- Blue rug juniper
Phyla nodiflora -- Lippia
Sagina subulata -- Irish and Scotch moss
Veronica repens -- Speedwell
Zoysia tenuifolia -- Korean grass
Tolerate occasional traffic

Achillea tomentosa -- Woolly yarrow
Arabis alpina -- Rock cress
Armeria maritima -- Common thrift
Cerastium tonientosum -- Snow-in-summer
Lysimachia nummularia -- Moneywort
Mentha requienii -- Corsican mint
Phlox subulata -- Moss pink
Potentilla -- Cinquefoil
Thymus -- Thyme
Vinca minor -- Periwinkle
Nooks and crannies

Alyssum saxatile -- Madwort
Arabis -- Rock cress
Armeria -- Thrift
Campanula -- Bellflower
Chamaemelum nobile -- Chamomile
Erodium chamaedryoides -- Heron's-bill
Herniaria glabra -- Rupturewort
Heuchera sanguinea -- Coralbellis
Iberis sempervirens -- Evergreen candytuft
Lamium maculatum -- Spotted dead nettle
Lysimachia nummularia -- Moneywort
Mentha requienii -- Corsican mint
Sagina subulata -- Irish and Scotch moss
Sedum -- Stonecrop
Sempervivum tectorum -- Hen-and-chickens
Soleirolia soleirolii -- Baby's tears
Lawn alternatives (large)

Aegopodium podograria -- Goutweed
Ajuga reptans -- Bugleweed
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi -- Bearberry
Baccharis pilularus 'Twin Peaks' -- Dwarf coyote brush
Cornonilla varia -- Crown Vetch
Dianthus deltoides -- Maiden pine
Dichondra
Duchesnea indica -- Mock strawberry
Euonymus fortunei -- wintercreeper
Festuca ovina glauca -- Blue fescue
Fragaria chiloensis -- wild strawberry
Hedera -- Ivy
Hypericum calycinum -- Aaron's beard
Juniperus -- Juniper, low-growing
Lantana
Liriope spicata -- Lilyturf
Lonicera japonica -- Honeysuckle
Pachysandra terminalis -- Japanese spurge
Phyla nodiflora -- Lippia
Polygonum cuspidatum compactum -- Fleece flower
Potentilla -- Cinquefoil
Sedum -- Stonecrop
Trachelospermum -- Jasmine
Vinca -- Periwinkle
Zoysia tenuifolia -- Korean grass
Slope stabilizers

Akebia quinata -- Five-leaf akebia
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi -- Bearberry
Baccharis pilularis 'Twin Peaks' -- Dwarf coyote brush
Ceanothus griseus horizontalis -- Carmel creeper
Cistus -- Rock rose
Coronilla varia -- Crown vetch
Cotoneaster, low-growing
Hedera -- Ivy
Hemerocallis -- Daylily
Hypericum calycinum -- Aaron's beard
Juniperus -- Juniper, low-growing
Lantana montevidensis -- Lantana
Lonicera -- Honeysuckle
Lotus berthelotii -- Parrot's-beak
Parthenocissus quinquefolia -- Virginia creeper
Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta' -- Ribbon grass
Polygonum cuspidatum compactum -- Fleece flower
Pyracantha koidzumii 'Santa Cruz' -- Santa Cruz pyracantha
Rosa -- Rose, low-growing
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus' -- Dwarf rosemary
Vinca -- Perwinkle
Drape and trail

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi -- Bearberry
Artemisia -- Dusty-miller, wormwood
Campanula -- Bellflower
Cerastium tomentosum -- Snow-in-summer
Cotoneaster, low-growing
Euonymus fortunei -- Euonymus, in variety
Hedera -- Ivy
Juniperus -- Juniper, low-growing
Lotus berthelotii -- Parrot's-beak
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Postratus' -- Dwarf rosemary
Trachelospermum jasminoides -- Star jasmine
Verbena peruviana -- Peruvian verbena
Vinca minor -- Perwinkle

Garden Gate Homepage