Groundcovers for a Hill

Finding the right groundcover to plant on a hill is a common problem. Here is a typical question:

"My hill is about 200 feet wide and it extends back 5 feet. This is in full sun and it will have some foot traffic, which ground covers would you suggest?"


When choosing groundcovers, I look for plants that are spreading in nature and generally care-free. Here are some to consider for this case:

Dwarf abelia
Forsythia
Creeping raspberry
Winter jasmine
Asiatic jasmine
Chrysoganum 'Eco Lacquered Spider' (also called "Green n Gold")
Groundcover strawberry
Carolina jessamine
Creeping juniper
Ornamental grasses (hardy fountain grass, maidengrass, Northern sea oats, etc.)
Spreading monkey grass ( Liriope spicata

Footstones could be provided to direct foot traffic off of the plants.

Remember that NO PLANT will prosper on an eroded clay bank. All of the plants mentioned above MUST have a big pocket of loamy soil in which to grow initially.