Groundcover Recommendations – Driveway Middle Strip

Groundcover for drivway strip

Q: What low ground cover would you recommend for a driveway middle strip? 

A: I’m seeing Asiatic jasmine, Trachelospermum asiaticum, used more and more as a successful groundcover. It’s not the same as Confederate jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides. Despite the name, neither one is true jasmine. Asiatic jasmine stems are woodier than Confederate jasmine. It’s less likely to climb an arbor unassisted but it covers the ground densely. I’ve never noticed it blooming while on the ground, probably due to yearly pruning, but a neighbor has the vine on a foot-tall fence and it blooms reliably each year. Asiatic jasmine tolerates a bit of foot traffic. It is tough, deer-proof, and readily available. To keep it neat, use shears or a string trimmer to cut it down to six inches in early spring each year.

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