Native Plants
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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Sunday - April 21, 2013
From: Indianapolis, IN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Erosion Control, Groundcovers, Shade Tolerant, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Shady Perennial Groundcover Suggestions for Indiana
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
Could you please recommend perennial groundcovers for Indiana that are low and leafy, self-spreading, non-invasive, deer resistant, and moisture tolerant; and that are good for erosion control on a shady, hillside, woodsy environment on various soils?ANSWER:
The first place to go to find a list of potential plants is our Native Plant Database. 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: Indiana, Habit – herb (for herbaceous, Duration – perennial, Light requirement – shade, Soil moisture – dry, Size characteristics – 0-1 ft.
The result of this search turned up 11 species (not all of these will work as groundcover plants). Next check this group of plants against the deer resistant list on our website.
The best prospects from this search are:
Erythronium albidum (white troutlily) Good groundcover for shady woodland sites, spreads by root offshoots and seed. white spring blooms, attractive foliage, suited to deciduous hardwood forests, non-invasive, not deer-proof (they will eat the leaves).
Mitchella repens (partridgeberry) Evergreen woodland creeper, fragrant white flowers during summer, very ornamental foliage, scarlet fruit, moisture tolerant, best for acidic soils, propagate by root division, seeds or cuttings. Not on the deer resistant list.
Pyrola elliptica (waxflower shinleaf) White fragrant flowers in summer, tolerant of deep shade, difficult to establish, propagate by root cuttings or runner division, prefers acidic soils. Not on the deer resistant list.
Rubus pubescens (dwarf red blackberry) Trailing bramble with white blooms and tart edible red fruit. Prefers rich, moist woodland soil. A good groundcover plant. Not on the deer resistant list.
You may want to include taller plants (1-3 feet) in your potential groundcovers list and this would include many more plants including Matteuccia, Osmunda and Pteridium ferns, Solidago (goldenrods), Vernonia (ironweeds), Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower), Chelone (turtleheads), Actaea (cohosh) and more.
From the Image Gallery
More Deer Resistant Questions
Deer resistant evergreen shrubs for Saratoga Springs, NY
April 20, 2009 - Deer resistant, evergreen shrubs for Saratoga Springs, NY.
view the full question and answer
Deer Resistant Vine for California
July 24, 2013 - What can I plant to cover a retaining wall in Redwood City, CA that will grow down on it (no dirt below) that deer will not eat? I have just about given up. I have tried jasmine and Gelsemium and regu...
view the full question and answer
Rattan vine for deer in Washington County, TX
December 17, 2010 - My property in Washington County has a lot of very old rattan vine, much of which is 3" in diameter. All of the leaf and berry production on these vines is well over 50' above the ground. I manage...
view the full question and answer
Plants with latex-containing sap
December 23, 2008 - Hi, I was on a nature hike this past summer in Yosemite, and our Ranger guide told us about latex in the Milkweed and the Western Dogwood being a defense mechanism against browsing by deer. I'm a lan...
view the full question and answer
Deer resistant, Shaded Privacy Hedge for Wakefield RI
September 12, 2013 - We recently removed the dead undergrowth of white pines that were used for privacy. We need advice as to what type of evergreen would be suitable for growth beneath the branches above. It is VERY shad...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |