Low-growing, drought-resistant groundcover for full sun, zone 7B

10 years ago

Hello there,

I'm trying to find an alternative to the tall fescue that is the primary choice of lawn groundcover here north of Charlotte, NC. I am looking for something that doesn't need as much mowing as grass does, something that is hardy (I have two young children and a female dog) and something that will grow in full sunlight. Daily watering (until established, if needed, or even beyond) isn't a problem, as we have a well, but I'd ideally like something that won't have to be mowed often.

I'm leaning towards silver carpet. Will it grow in the reddish soil we have here? I was thinking of micro clover, but I don't know if it would do very well in full sunlight. I can't do wildflowers all over because though I would love to offer bees a happy place, I can't do that with my groundcover because of the kids.

I'd love your suggestions, and also your thoughts on where to source the seed (sod is beyond our budget currently) and how to prepare my lawn. I've attached a photo of our poor lawn as it is at the moment—we just moved in in April.

Thanks for any advice!

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Comments (4)

laceyvail 6A, WV
10 years ago
Grass is the toughest groundcover there is if dogs and children will be playing on it.
bittenkitten
Original Author
10 years ago
All right... what sort of grass, though? We currently have fescue which requires a great deal of water and which needs to be overseeded every year, neither of which is appealing. Plus, it's definitely not low-growing!
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
10 years ago
Lacey's point is well made :-)) There really isn't any other type of groundcover more suited to this large expanse of real estate than turf grass nor would be as well-suited to play and traffic from kids and pets. Turf grasses - lawns - are really the ultimate in low maintenance and inexpensive GC's to cover large, mostly flat, open areas.

I'd suggest you contact your local extension office as to what sort of grasses would work best for you - they could differ considerably depending on location and I am not familiar enough with your area and its climate to make specific suggestions. Most areas that tolerate or recommend cool season grasses recommend blends or mixes of various types of grasses that offer different characteristics at different times of the year. Cool season grasses - if appropriate to your area - offer the benefit of going dormant in summer so mowing frequency is reduced during that period. They also require less water during this period of dormancy as well, as long as a somewhat dried, browinsh look is tolerated. They green up again promptly with cooler temps and more rainfall in fall. But also start growing again as well :-) Sorry, but you cannot escape the need for frequent mowing unless you select some sort of meadow grass.
bittenkitten
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, gardengal48—your answer was informative. I actually did end up contacting the local extension, and they suggested Zoysia grass: it's very tough and durable, holds up well to pet urine, and also does have the added advantage of growing only to about 3" in height, and so doesn't require frequent mowing, and spreads laterally. It's not cheap, but in the long run should be more economical that fescue. It's a warm season grass, though, so we're trying to get some plugs in quickly. We haven't time to completely eradicate our current lawn, so I'm thinking of putting some plugs into the bare patches in our lawn and letting them creep slowly outward for this season, and then put in more plugs next summer.