Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Thursday - July 18, 2013

From: Pensacola, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Groundcovers, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Poolside Groundcover Suggestions for Florida
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

I live in Milton, FL near Pensacola. We just had a pool installed and now want to put groundcover around the perimeter. It will be an area about 70 feet long and 10 feet deep. It will be full sun. We would like something that is evergreen and possibly flowers. There is concrete around the pool so this area will not have to be walked on although that would be a plus. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you for your help.

ANSWER:

The first place to go to find a list of potential groundcover plants for around your pool is our Native Plant Database.  Finding native plants that can be walked upon with any frequency is going to be a big challenge though.
Use the Combination Search feature instead of Recommended Species. This will provide a bigger selection with much more choice to narrow down. The volunteers and staff at the Wildflower Center who maintain the database have partners in different regions to help with these recommended species lists based on what is easy to access in local nurseries.
Under Combination Search, select the following categories: Florida, Habit (herb for herbaceous), Duration –Perennial, Light Requirement – Sun, Leaf Retention – Evergreen, and Height Specifics ( 0-1 ft.). You can narrow down this search further by indicating blooming time and color, soil moisture (dry, moist or wet).
Follow each plant link to our webpage for that plant to learn its growing conditions, bloom time, etc. At the bottom of each plant webpage, under Additional Resources, there is a link to the USDA webpage for that plant. Take a look there for more specific details about suitability before you put them on your final planting list. Think about including plants that have interest during a variety of seasons and that have more than one attractive feature (flower, fruit, foliage, etc.) so you can get more benefits out of fewer plants. 
This search resulted in 5 plants:

Antennaria plantaginifolia (plantain-leaf pussytoes) A low, colony forming plant with basal leaves and crowded flowers heads that look like cat paws. May grow better with a little shade.

Asplenium trichomanes (maidenhair spleenwort) A short, evergreen fern. Prefers moist conditions.

Callirhoe involucrata (winecup) Purple, cup shaped blooms in the spring and early summer.  Plant sprawls along the ground. Very drought tolerant and needs well-drained soil.  May go dormant in the summer. Prolong the growing season by deadheading the spent flowers before seed forms.

Callirhoe involucrata var lineariloba (poppy mallow) White or white with pink streaked flowers in spring. The trailing form would work well as a groundcover. Very drought tolerant.

Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf coreopsis) Very drought tolerant. Spreads by self seeding. Deadhead to prolong the blooming into summer. 

 

 

From the Image Gallery


Woman's tobacco
Antennaria plantaginifolia

Winecup
Callirhoe involucrata

Winecup
Callirhoe involucrata

White poppymallow
Callirhoe involucrata var. lineariloba

White poppymallow
Callirhoe involucrata var. lineariloba

Lanceleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata

Lanceleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata

More Herbs/Forbs Questions

Flowers for sunny and shady gardens in Cedar Hill TX
March 30, 2010 - Last year I spent way too much on flowers for my sunny and shady flower beds. They all died from the heat, even after constant watering. What flowers could I plant in sunny and shady flower beds that ...
view the full question and answer

Non-native citronella mosquito plant wintering inside in Charlotte NC
October 20, 2011 - Can I bring the citronella mosquito plant in the house over the winter, or should it be planted outside. I live in Charlotte, NC.
view the full question and answer

Need some help with my Mexican Bush Sage in Rockport, TX.
July 07, 2011 - My Mexican bush sage looks leggy,ratty and sparse. It's planted in full sun and was cut back to the ground in early spring. My soil is sand and I've watered it sparingly as we've had no rain. I'm...
view the full question and answer

Are dusty millers perennial in Dubuque, IA?
April 24, 2009 - I have dusty millers in my front yard. Last fall I did nothing with them as I wasn't sure if they will return or not. Do the dusty millers continue to grow year after year and should I cut them dow...
view the full question and answer

Plant for full sun behind waterfall
March 21, 2009 - I have a 24 inch waterfall around my pool. I need to plant something behind it. I have full sun and hot Texas weather. I will be watering everyday, so what do you think would grow well in this area?
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.