Another Wonderful Groundcover - Golden Groundsel, Packera species

In April of last year, I profiled one of my favorite groundcovers - Robin's plantain (Erigeron pulchellus).

Well, here's another beauty - golden groundsel.

There's just one problem, I've ordered and planted two species of golden groundsel (they have the same common name) - Packera aurea and Packera obovata.

And I can't tell them apart in my garden. Or perhaps only one species survived? Don't know. But whichever I've got, it's doing lovely, especially on the shady northern foundation next to an arrowwood viburnum, but also in the far back bed where it gets full sun pretty much all day.

Versatile? You bet.

Beautiful? Yep.

I missed taking a pic of the yellow blooms for this post, but I still got the fluffy seedheads and the lovely foliage.

It's more or less evergreen here, though it can get tattered in a harsh winter like the one we just hand. So far) the old foliage seems to decay naturally and unobtrusively, never building up into an unwieldy mush (as with lamb's ears) or hanging on in a frazzled way (as with say cranesbill geraniums).

The yellow flowers attract little pollinators, and the white seedheads that follow are fluffy and charming. It mostly spreads by underground rhizomes, though occasionally I think I've found a seedling or two nearby to the parent plant. It does tolerate transplantation, although it tends to sulk for a while as it gets established.

In my heavy soil, it has spread by a measured pace so far. You can take a look back at this April 2017 post to see just how much ground it has covered in the last 16 months or so.

I do worry that it will be harder to control in the long run. Where it's relatively easy to uproot Robin's plantain, I tried digging up Packera in a couple places where I thought it was not growing so well only to find that I missed root particles that came back stronger than ever. So consider that a bit of a warning.

On the other hand, I don't think I'd mind having a lot of Packera in my landscape. It's certainly low growing enough that I don't think it would compete with bushes, shrubs or even taller, sturdier, deep-rooted perennials like Baptisia or Solidago. But I'm not sure. It will be interesting to see what happens as it starts to bump up against lawn grasses and/or other groundcovers like Erigeron.

For now, it would be one of my top groundcover suggestions to anyone gardening within the native range of the lovely golden groundsels.

One of the Best Groundcovers - Erigeron puchellus, Robin's plantain

I've sung the praises of groundcovers for years.

But it's hard to find the right groundcover - one that is assertive enough to spread and block weeds, but not so aggressive that it rampages over the landscape.

I tend to prefer and seek out native plants -- because I think they contribute to a 'sense of place', because I think they tend to fit into an intricate web of ecosystem services that I only dimly understand, and because I don't worry about messing up any wild spaces if the plants spread outside the garden.

Of course, I also want the plant to look good! Gardens should have aesthetic beauty too!

For a groundcover, I'd love to have an evergreen - something that's capable of tolerating Tennessee winters - multiple nights in the 20s, teens, even single digits. (It rarely gets below zero degrees Fahrenheit here, but it does happen occasionally.) And then something that can take hot, humid, droughty Tennessee summers without wimping out.

Surely if a plant filled all these criteria, it would be famous! People would be shouting its (slightly unwieldy) name from the rooftops, draping it with garlands and crowning it with honors.

Or not.

In this case, hardly any seems to have heard of Robin's plantain (Erigeron pulchellus), despite the fact that it's native throughout much of the Eastern and Central U.S. and thus is probably growing (literally) right under our noses. Or our feet.

It's a lovely plant - splendidly fuzzy and touchable. Unlike that other fuzzy, touchable groundcover - lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina) it doesn't turn to mush in the winter. (It does get tattered, but I say tatters are better than mush.)

And the old foliage tends to decompose quickly on its own, again unlike lamb's ears, where the detritus just builds from year to year.

So far, I've only trialed Robin's plantain in partial to heavy shade. It seems to tolerate heavy clay soil just fine. It can even grow on a slope beneath an eastern red cedar in what must be pretty dry conditions (to put it mildly).

So yeah, it's Tough with a capital "T".

But I've found it easy to pull (unlike say exotic Ajuga) and relatively easy to transplant. It does seem to do best when transplanted in early-to-mid autumn -- past the heat of summer but with some time to settle in and put down roots before the real winter chill sets in.

Without further ado, here are some glamour shots of this lovely creature:

Here she is in February. A little tattered, but not bad, considering evergreen plants here in Tennessee have to endure harsh sub-freezing temperatures without the insulating snowy blanket that protects plants in white winter areas.

Here's Robin's plantain doing its best Venus flytrap impersonation.

Here you can get a good sense of the plant's capacity to cover ground and block weeds.  In my experience, Robin's plantain is not aggressive at all. I don't think gardeners would have much trouble keeping it from invading lawns. (Although how much better to replace parts of a lawn with Robin's plantain... That's my plan, to dig out strips of the lawn as Robin's plantain approaches. And it grows so low to the ground that I can't imagine it would be a threat to any shrubs or taller perennials.

The flower stems can be a bit droopy and wavy at first, but they tend to rise upright and erect as they come into bloom.

I believe the flowers bloom for about 3-4 weeks. They do attract small pollinators, so that's another major bonus if you're trying to grow a garden that is welcoming and supportive for wildlife!

If you garden in the Eastern or Central U.S., you may be able to find Robin's plantain at a nearby nursery that specializes in native plants.

Otherwise, you could try ordering it from a mail order supplier. If you live in the South, I'd recommend Mail Order Natives. If you garden in the North, I'd suggest trying to find a supplier that would probably carry a more local ecotype.

Good native groundcovers - Robin's plantain and golden groundsel

I've trialed a lot of groundcovers and made a lot of mistakes over the past 6 years in my efforts to find that magical plant that will cover ground and suppress weeds, but not be too aggressive/invasive or too much work to maintain.

Here are two promising evergreen / semi-evergreen candidates that have performed well so far. The fact that they are both native to this part of Tennessee is a big bonus.

Packera obovata, golden groundsel, fully evergreen through this past (relatively mild) winter. 
(I tried growing another Packera - P. aurea - last year, but it did not seem as tolerant of heat and drought, even in partial shade, as P. obovata.)

Erigeron pulchellus, Robin's plantain As you can see, the Robin's plantain gets a bit more tattered over the winter compared to the golden groundsel. Still, in my experience over the past few years, the old foliage tends to decay naturally without any intervention on my part, and the plants will look much better soon as new foliage appears. (Yes, the flower head here looks a little strange...a bit like a conjoined twin. That's not the normal flower appearance, as you can see below, but it's not that uncommon either with Robin's plantain.)

I think golden groundsel needs partial to full shade in hot summer climates like Tennessee, and Robin's plantain also thrives in some shade, but I'd like to try it in sunnier spots too to see how it performs. It's relatively easy to divide and transplant Robin's plantain in early spring or early autumn, but I've learned the hard way that divisions are unlikely to survive if you wait too long in either season.

Shots in the Garden April 2016 Edition - Ajuga, Erigeron pulchellus, Agastache, Ninebark, Epimediums, Clematis, Viburnums, Blanket Flower and More!

All photos taken in the Garden of Aaron on April 20, 2016...

New redbud (Cercis canadensis) leaves against a cerulean sky.

Some of the Ajuga flowers spikes (here on A. tenorii 'Chocolate Chip') are starting to fade ... 

But the flowers of other Ajuga (such as this large patch of A. genvensis and A. reptans) are still going strong. Strangely, while Ajuga flowers seemed to attract bumblebees last year, I have not seen any bees visiting the Ajuga this year, despite the fact that the patches have grown in the interim and that larger flower patches usually do a better job of attracting pollinators.

One more patch of Ajuga (A. genevensis). This patch is in shade most of the day, although it does get strong late  afternoon sun. The other photos above were of Ajuga in mostly full sun situations. As you can see, this is an adaptable genus that grows well (in my experience) in sun or shade. I've had pretty good luck with all three species, although A. genevensis seems more dependable and a bit more cold-hardy than the common A. reptans. Ajuga reptans also seems somewhat susceptible to sudden (fungal?) dieback, whereas I have not had this problem so far with either A. genevensis or A. tenorii. All three seem to do a pretty good job of blocking weeds. I'm not sure yet whether they will play nicely with other perennials, although strong growers (such as Platycodon grandiflorus, balloon flower) seem to be able to push right through the Ajuga.

Flower clusters on Prague viburnum (Viburnum x pragense). Although the flowers are pretty, they are unscented and do not seem to attract any pollinators. Still, Prague viburnum seems to be a tough, largely evergreen (in zone 7) and fast-growing plant that has a place in border / privacy plantings.

First flower opening on Gaillardia x grandiflora (blanket flower).

Most of the emerging foliage looks fantastic on the chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus)...

....but I have notice some stunted, curled and blasted looking foliage among the healthy leaves. Any idea what could be causing this problem?

Love this soft, ferny, feathery patch of Coreopsis verticillata (threadleaf coreopsis), a regional native.

On casual inspection, this lavender hedge looks full, lush and healthy...

But peek behind the hedge, and you'll find lots of woody growth with foliage just on the tips.

I do wonder if I should have pruned my lavender back hard earlier in the spring? There was one section of the shrub that was mainly dead branches, though I did notice a bit of fresh growth near the base. So I gave that section a rejuvenation pruning as a test, and now I can see loads of fresh new growth emerging from the hard-pruned area. It makes me think I should try giving the whole shrub a hard prune next spring. Or is it not too late? Maybe I should/could still give it a hard prune now?

Any idea what this might be? Whatever it is, it's getting swamped by a large patch of Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (aromatic aster). 

The 'Crystal Fountain' clematis is starting to bloom...

Here's one 'Crystal Fountain' flower that is unfolding in an unusual asymmetrical fashion.

A month ago, lamb's ear looked like something the cat dragged in. I asked for advice on whether to prune selectively or leave it alone. By default (I got sick and was unable to work in the garden for a couple of weeks), I left it alone. As you can see, it now looks fantastic without any intervention on my part.

I love the fresh new foliage on the Alleghany viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides 'Alleghany'). Although some flower clusters on this plant have already bloomed, here you can see a cluster of buds that are getting ready to burst. In other words, the shrub has a nice, extended flower season. (Although as with the Prague viburnum, the flowers have no detectable scent and do not seem attractive to pollinators in my garden.)

Does this spell trouble? I suspect that voles have tunneled under the Alleghany viburnum. I hope they don't start snacking on its roots. Well, maybe it's just a chipmunk? Or a mouse hole?

Here's a cute little patch of self-sown Johnny jump-ups! 

The Natchez mock orange (Philadelphus x virginalis) is loaded with buds this year. This will be its third year in the garden. It's grown a good bit since I bought the rootbound 1-gallon shrub in the bargain section of a local nursery. Here's a look at the mock orange during its first year in the garden in 2014.  I'm pretty impressed with its toughness and perseverance. It tends to leaf out relatively early, which is also nice.

The pink azaleas (not sure of the variety since they were here when we bought the house, but they are repeat bloomers) are in bloom. Pretty flowers, but apparently have zero interest to pollinators.

Here's a shot you won't see in any nursery catalogs. I like to show not just the pretty side of a plant, but also its drawbacks. This is the same azalea, and as you can see, it's still hanging onto dried, dead flowers from last autumn. Not a pretty sight. IMHO, the tendency of azaleas (at least exotic evergreen azaleas like the ones I have) to hold onto their persistent dead flowers is a significant aesthetic demerit. 

Epimedium x perralchicum 'Frohnleiten' in flower and with lots of beautiful new rosy foliage. In previous years, I've followed the suggestions of many published experts to cut back the old foliage before the new growth emerges. This year, I decided to experiment with cutting back the old foliage on half the patch and leaving the old foliage on the other half. Well, as you can see, the old foliage (solid green in the photo, a bit tattered) does not seem to have hurt or hindered the emergence of new foliage. Although, it is also true that the new foliage is more prominent and thick on the edges of the patch, rather than in the center where I left the old growth. It will be interesting to see whether the old foliage persists throughout this year or fades away and decomposes as the new growth takes center stage. I'll try to report back later on the results of this experiment.

Here's another Epimedium species I planted last year. I think this one is Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum'. The new foliage is quite charming on this one too. Unlike Frohnleiten, I think Sulphureum went totally deciduous last winter.

The 'Natchez' crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia 'Natchez') are leafing out really nicely this year.

From a distance, I'm not sure if I like the ultra-dark foliage on this 'Diablo' ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diablo'), but the golden highlights on the emergent foliage against the dark background of mature leaves sure is gorgeous up close.

Now that the blooms have faded, I'm having fun finding the adorable baby crabapples (including one here with stamens still attached) on the 'Sugar Tyme' crabapple tree.

It's been a long wait, but I've spotted new growth emerging on the native rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos). This is the 'Luna Pink Swirl' cultivar that I've had for a few years. I planted a straight species plant in more sun last autumn. Looking forward to seeing how that one performs this year. I think these plants love wet areas, but they seem to have surprisingly decent drought tolerance in my garden too. Even though this plant dies to the ground each year, I like to leave some of the old stems standing both because it helps mark the location of the plant (important especially since this plant emerges a bit late in the season - I don't want to accidentally forget where I planted it and dig it up while trying to plant something else in the same spot) and also because I think the sturdy old stems might offer some protection to the soft, tender emergent new growth.

Beautiful ruby-red new growth on this unknown crape myrtle.

Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas blue star) took a couple of years to settle in, but it seems to emerging strongly this year. It looks like it might even flower for the first time in my garden! 

Need a little (or a lot) of chartreuse in your garden? You can't go wrong with Agastache foeniculum 'Golden Jubilee' (anise hyssop) - tough, dependable, beautiful, with long-lasting lavender flower spikes that attract pollinators, seeds that attract goldfinches and incredible minty-scented foliage. I like the straight species just as much. Not only does Agastache come back year after year, but it also self-sows, giving you new volunteers that seem to accept transplantation well. I suppose some people might think Agastache self sows a bit too enthusiastically, but that has not been my experience. In any case, it's easy to grub out any unwanted seedlings. And even established plants can be pulled with little effort.

I'm going to finish on a high note with Erigeron pulchellus (Robin's plantain), a native groundcover in the aster family. I've been a bit discouraged/worried this spring by the relative lack of pollinators I've seen in the garden. Even plants that usually attract pollinators (Ajuga, redbud, crabapple) don't seem to have drawn in many bees, wasps, flies or butterflies. So I was really overjoyed to see lots of pollinator activity around this cheerful patch of Robin's plantain. (Note the bright yellow pollen on the pollinator pictured above!) In my experience, Robin's plantain will spread at a moderate rate. The foliage gets tattered by the end of the winter, but it stays semi-evergreen here in Tennessee and does a good job of protecting the soil and suppressing weeds. It does not seem to suffer much damage from herbivores, perhaps because the stems and foliage are pubescent (covered in downy fuzz).  So far, I've only trialed this plant in partial shade settings, where it has thrived. Missouri Botanical Garden says it is easily grown in full sun, so I guess I'll try that next - probably transplanting pieces from this main clump in the fall and perhaps buying some more quarts via Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, one of my favorite mail order plant sources. Missouri Wildflowers recommends light to medium shade for Erigeron pulchellus, so I don't know who to believe, but I think it's worth trialing it in some sunnier spots.

Incidentally, there's a wild Erigeron (I think perhaps the native E. annuus, eastern daisy fleabane) that has popped up in my garden too this year. I see the same flower (I think) growing wild along some of the roadsides near here. It's very pretty, and although some people would probably call it a 'weed', I think I'll let it stay in my garden. (Though perhaps I'll come to regret that...)