Groundcover Garden

Most native groundcovers for Central Texas go dormant at some point in the year. By mixing winter-dormant and summer-dormant species, it’s possible to have evergreen groundcover year round. The groundcover garden has a sunny side and a shady side. On the sunny west side, frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) and Gregg mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) dominate during the summer and fall, while white yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and heartleaf skullcap (Scutellaria ovata) dominate during the winter. On the shady east side, frogfruit is paired with heartleaf skullcap, yarrow, Webberville sedge (Carex perdentata), and white avens (Geum canadense). A few non-native, well-behaved additions here are ‘Hot & Spicy’ oregano for sun, and ‘Country Girl’ mum for shade.