Perfect Perennial Pairings: Living Mulch in the Shade

The practice of adding wood mulch to our garden beds is deeply integrated into the culture of gardening and landscaping, but what if there was an easier, more ecologically beneficial way to keep weeds out and moisture in? We encourage you to give living mulch a try! By adding low growing ground covers to your garden beds as a wood mulch replacement, you will reap numerous benefits such as weed suppression, soil enrichment, moisture retention, and the expansion of wildlife habitat. Save your back and your wallet too by making the swap! Here are three prefect perennial pairings that you can incorporate into your shady garden beds, or under trees as a wood mulch replacement.

Sweet Woodruff (Gallium Odoratum)

Attributes

An herbaceous mat-forming perennial groundcover with whorls of deep green leaves and sprays of fragrant white flowers.

Growth Habit

Low, spreading

Soil Type

Loam, will tolerate sand, clay

Bloom Color

White

Size

6-12” H x 6-12” W

Bloom Time

Late spring to early summer

Use

Groundcover for woodland gardens, pathway edging, and other shady areas of the landscape

Maintenance

Prune in early spring if desired to maintain shape and vigor

Benefits

Deer and rabbit resistant, black walnut tolerant, attracts pollinators

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

Attributes

An MN native herbaceous perennial with pairs of downy, heart-shaped green leaves and unique cup-shaped red flowers.

Growth Habit

Low, spreading

Soil Type

Loam, clay, sand

Bloom Color

Red

Size

4-6” H x 6-12” W

Bloom Time

Early spring to mid-spring

Use

Fantastic as a lush groundcover in woodland gardens, natural areas, stream and pond margins, or other moist shady sites

Maintenance

Divide every 3-4 years in early spring or fall, if necessary, to prevent overcrowding

Benefits

Deer and rabbit resistant, wet tolerant, erosion control, weed suppression, native

Allegheny Spurge (Pachysandra procumbens)

Attributes

A semi-evergreen subshrub groundcover that gently spreads to form a lush carpet of matte blue-green leaves mottled with silver and white. Blooms lightly fragrant early spring white bottlebrush flowers.