shade groundcover - Ask Extension
Would either Carex appalachica or pensylvanica work as a mowable ground cover? I have an area the mowers need to go through to get to a regular turf ...
Knowledgebase
shade groundcover #868495
Asked May 15, 2024, 8:50 AM EDT
Would either Carex appalachica or pensylvanica work as a mowable ground cover? I have an area the mowers need to go through to get to a regular turf area but it is very shady and the turf is not doing well.
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
We recently toured the terrific trial gardens of Mt. Cuba in Delaware and one of the native plants they grew and evaluated was Carex:
https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/carex-for-the-mid-atlantic-region/
Their favorite overall is Carex woodii, but pensylvanica did well too.
You can find their detailed research report here, and on page 20 you'll see how varieties did that were mowed:
https://issuu.com/mtcuba/docs/22034-carex_report-final121922?fr=sMWI3ZDU2ODU5NjY
They are particularly lovely when they are not mown so you could consider turning off the blade as you run through that area to get to your typical lawn.
Christine
https://mtcubacenter.org/trials/carex-for-the-mid-atlantic-region/
Their favorite overall is Carex woodii, but pensylvanica did well too.
You can find their detailed research report here, and on page 20 you'll see how varieties did that were mowed:
https://issuu.com/mtcuba/docs/22034-carex_report-final121922?fr=sMWI3ZDU2ODU5NjY
They are particularly lovely when they are not mown so you could consider turning off the blade as you run through that area to get to your typical lawn.
Christine
