Hi - I’m hoping all you lovely Houzz folks can help me figure out what kind of native ground cover to plant in a problem area.

I have a strip between my house and some hedges that is mostly shaded. The soil is clay and is very compacted after having work done on my house last year. The strip is approx 15 feet x 3-4 feet wide. It needs to be somewhat accessible for annual heat pump inspection and so I can clean my window wells. It is a magnet for the dreaded fig buttercup invasive.

I’d love some suggestions for a fast-growing dense native ground cover or mix of ground covers for biodiversity.

Thanks!