Pensacola News Journal

For:  Saturday, Jan. 11,2003

By:   Daniel E. Mullins

        Extension Horticulture Agent

        Santa Rosa County

A Native Ground Cover that is Worth Looking For

            The use of a ground cover in the landscape has become more popular in recent years.  The term “ground cover” means different things to different people.  It is sometimes defined as any low growing plant that can be used to cover an area of the landscape. 

            Based upon this definition lawn grass would technically be considered a ground cover, but that is not the gardener’s definition.  Horticulturally, a ground cover is made up of low growing plants that are used where turfgrass is undesirable or will not grow well.

            Selecting the right ground cover for a given situation depends upon several factors including the mature height required, soil condition present and the amount of sunlight that is available.  Our Extension publication on this subject lists 33 different species of ground covers for our area.  They range in mature height from 2 inches to 3 feet.  Light requirements of the listed species vary from full sunlight, to partial shade to full shade and soil requirements range from moist to dry. 

            Someone recently requested a list of native ground covers.  Of the 33 listed, only 7 are natives.  One of the species listed is especially interesting.  The partridge berry, Mitchella repens, is one that been largely overlooked.

            Partridge berry has many desirable characteristics.  It is a creeping ground cover that forms a dense mat with a mature height of only 2 inches.   It is a broadleaved evergreen plant with dark glossy green foliage.  Leaves are only about one-half inch wide and long.  Once plants reach a mature stage, red berries are produced that linger through the winter.

            This ground cover performs best under full to partial shade and moist, acid soil conditions.  A well maintained planting can tolerate some foot traffic.

            The biggest challenge with partridge berry is not growing it, but finding it.  To my knowledge, it has been recommended for at least 30 years by Extension, yet is still difficult to find in nurseries.

            Where a low growing, evergreen ground cover is needed for a low or moderate light condition, partridge berry might well be worth the effort.  It would be ideal to find it being grown in 3 or 4 inch containers and to transplant at a spacing of 12 to 18 inches.

            Light fertilization and irrigation will encourage individual plants to creep and form the matted growth that is most desirable.  Two growing seasons are generally required by this and many other ground cover plants before they completely cover the area.

            Additional information is available about ground covers for our area.  Contact you local Extension office or go online.  Visit the University of Florida’s Electronic Data Information Source at   http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.  There are over 4,000 documents at this site and you can search according to subject matter.  Most of the gardening publications can be found under Environmental Horticulture.

             The ground cover publication can be found by the title or by the Circular number.  It is “Enviroscaping to Conserve Energy:  Ground Covers for North Florida, Circular EES-37.