Evergreen ground cover plants offer the ideal solution for grave planting because they all year round Look decorative, require little maintenance and make a grave look well-kept even in winter. A winter-hardy planting also saves the costs of new plants and therefore a lot of time. The range of ground cover plants is extensive, but some species/varieties are particularly suitable for planting at the grave, which stand out for their low maintenance and robustness.
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Table of contents
- Ground cover for the grave
- Sunny grave location
- Ground cover for shady, semi-shady grave locations
Ground cover for the grave
Sunny grave location
Andean cushion “Nana” (Azorella trifurcata “Nana”)
- Formerly called “Minor”.
- Growth: very flat, cushion-forming, densely growing ground cover
- Growth height: three to five centimeters
- Flowers: greenish-yellow
- Flowering time: May to June
- Fruits/berries: inconspicuous
- Characteristics: dark green foliage all year round, easy to care for, tolerates partially shaded location
- Plant quantity: 24 to 26 plants per square meter
Cranberry/cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
- Growth: ground-covering, very dense, spreading, upright stems, densely growing, evergreen ground cover
- Growth height: ten to 20 centimeters
- Flower: pink
- Flowering time: May to June
- Fruits/berries: edible, health-promoting fruits (harvest: mid-September to the end of October)
- Characteristics: green foliage all year round, very decorative, easy to care for, must be in a sunny location
- Plant quantity: six to eight plants per square meter
Fat leaf “Weihenstephaner Gold” (Sedum floriferum “Weihenstephaner Gold”)
- Very well known and widespread
- Growth: very dense, carpet-like, mat-like, clumpy
- Growth height: between ten and 20 centimeters
- Flowers: deep yellow – star-shaped
- Flowering time: July to August
- Fruits: capsules
- Properties: hardy, evergreen, requires little soil and care, no pruning required
- Plant quantity: five to eight plants per square meter
Cinquefoil feather carpet (Cotula potentillina)
- Growth: fast growing, carpet-like, light ground cover in suboptimal locations
- Growth height: five to ten centimeters
- Flowers: pale yellow to greenish-yellow
- Flowering time: July to August
- Fruits/berries: no fruit decoration
- Characteristics: alternate-colored, finely pinnately cut leaves, smells of honey, hardly requires any care in an optimal location. tolerates partial shade
- Plant quantity: six to ten plants per square meter
Tip: There are several types of feathered carpets to choose from that also make good grave plantings and require just as little care, such as the green and dark feathered carpets.
Hedge myrtle (Lonicera nitidia “Elegant”)
- Growth: densely shooted, slow growing
- Growth height: up to one meter without pruning
- Flowers: creamy white, inconspicuous
- Flowering time: May
- Fruits/berries: purple red
- Properties: high cut resistance, tolerates partial shade, low soil demands,
- Plant quantity: two to five plants per square meter
Small-leaved periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Growth: densely growing, low, carpet-like, slow growing
- Growth height: ten to 15 centimeters
- Flowers: violet-blue or white
- Flowering time: April to May, reblooming in autumn
- Fruits/berries: no fruit decoration
- Characteristics: dark green foliage, suitable location sunny to shady, requires nutrient-rich soil
- Plant quantity: five to seven plants per square meter
Red moss stonecrop (Sedum album)
- Very popular and widely used as grave planting
- Growth: carpet-like, creeping
- Growth height: five to ten centimeters
- Flower: white
- Flowering time: June to August
- Fruits/berries: capsules
- Characteristics: thrives optimally on poor grave soil, red, thick-fleshed leaves, hardy, low humus and nutrient requirements, prefers only sunny locations
- Plant quantity: six to ten plants per square meter
Summer heather (Calluna vulgaris)
- Growth: cushion-forming, densely bushy, flat, slow-growing, short in stature
- Growth height: eight to twelve centimeters
- Flowers: green, purple
- Flowering time: mid-August to mid-September
- Fruits/berries: no
- Properties: evergreen, tolerates partial shade, easy to care for, very hardy
- Plant quantity: seven to nine plants per square meter
Star moss (Sagina subulata)
- Moss-like, evergreen ground cover
- Growth: cushion-forming, densely bushy, flat
- Growth height: three to 18 centimeters
- Flower: white
- Flowering time: April to May
- Fruits/berries: inconspicuous
- Characteristics: evergreen, needle-like leaves, easy to care for, very hardy, likes rocky soil
- Plant quantity: 15 to 17 plants per square meter
- Recommended variety: “Irish moss”
Cranesbill (Geranium)
- Growth: cushion-forming, densely bushy, rigid-axled
- Growth height: ten to 20 centimeters - depending on the variety
- Flowers: pink to purple depending on the variety
- Flowering time: June to July/August depending on the variety
- Fruits/berries: beaked
- Characteristics: evergreen, depending on the variety also tolerates shade, easy to care for, loves dry and humus-poor soils
- Plant quantity: 24 to 26 plants per square meter
Sinnermann silverwort (Dryas x suendermannii)
- Growth: broad, cushion-forming, carpet-like, creeping
- Growth height: five to 15 centimeters
- Flower: white with yellow center
- Flowering time: June to July/August
- Fruits/berries: fruit decorations according to flowering time
- Characteristics: evergreen, extremely long-lasting, medium to dark green leaves, very easy to care for, pure sun lover
- Plant quantity: ten to 12 plants per square meter
Cotoneaster (Contoneaster dammeri radicans)
- Growth: very dense, growing moderately fast
- Growth height: between ten and 20 centimeters
- Flower: white
- Flowering time: May/June
- Fruits: red until winter
- Properties: leaves no room for weeds
- Plant quantity: five to eight plants per square meter
Tip: Among the Contoneasters (cotoneasters) there are other evergreen ground cover plants with the same properties that are suitable for grave planting. These include, for example, “dammeri Coral Beauty” and “dammerie Jürgl”.
Ground cover for shady, semi-shady grave locations
Fat Man/Shadow Green (Pachysandra terminalis)
- Growth: climbing and ground cover, spreading through rhizomes, growing low and mat-shaped
- Growth height: 20 to 30 centimeters
- Flower: white
- Flowering time: April to May
- Fruits/berries: No fruit decoration
- Characteristics: evergreen, robust, undemanding, for shady and semi-shady locations, ideal grave planting under/next to large trees
- Plant quantity: eight plants per square meter
- Recommended varieties: “Green Carpet” and “Compacta”
Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)
- Growth: low, mat-forming,
- Growth height: five to ten centimeters
- Flower: white
- Flowering time: May to June
- Fruits/berries: small, dark red, suitable for consumption
- Properties: very hardy, undemanding, easy to care for, only thrives in a partially shaded or shady location
- Plant quantity: twelve to 16 plants per square meter
Fairy flower (Epimedium)
- Growth: cushion-like, upright stems, weakly growing
- Growth height: ten to 40 centimeters – depending on the variety
- Flowers: white, pink, orange, yellow
- Flowering time: April to May
- Fruits/berries: No fruit decoration
- Characteristics: does not tolerate sun in winter, not evergreen, but summer or winter green
- Plant quantity: ten to 17 plants per square meter, depending on the variety
- Wintergreen varieties: Dainty Fairy Flower 'Niveum', Warley Fairy Flower 'Ellen Willmott', Warley Fairy Flower 'Orange Queen'
Common ivy (Hedera helix)
- Growth: climbing and ground-covering, fast and densely growing
- Growth height: uncut up to 500 centimeters
- Flowers: green-yellow for the first time after about ten years
- Flowering time: September to October
- Fruits/berries: blue-black spherical fruits
- Characteristics: evergreen, very undemanding, extremely long-lived, the most robust variety among the ivy, copes well in the shade
- Plant quantity: four to six plants per square meter
- Other ivy varieties for grave planting: Ivy Ovata, white-green ivy 'Glacier', Hedera hibernica
Native hazelroot (Asarum europaeum)
- Growth: very dense, spreading, creeping, mat-like, slow growth
- Growth height: ten to 15 centimeters
- Flower: brown, simple
- Flowering time: March to April
- Fruits/berries: capsules
- Characteristics: wintergreen, prefers partial shade, smells of ginger (root), requires humus-rich soil
- Plant quantity: twelve to 15 plants per square meter
Cat's paw (Antennaria dioica)
- Growth: very dense, spreading, upright stems
- Growth height: ten to 20 centimeters
- Flower: pink
- Flowering time: May to June
- Fruits/berries: no fruit decoration
- Characteristics: evergreen or silvery foliage all year round, prefers sunny to partially shaded, frost hardy, very easy to care for
- Plant quantity: around ten plants per square meter
- Note: cut off flowers and leaves after wilting
Cherry laurel “Mount Vernon” (Prunus laurocerasus “Mount Vernon”)
- Growth: compact dwarf shrub, flat in ground cover
- Growth height: 30 to 40 centimeters
- Flower: white
- Flowering time: May to June
- Fruits/berries: fruit decorations
- Characteristics: evergreen, very hardy, tolerates sun in summer - not in winter
- Plant quantity: three to four plants per square meter
Creeping juniper “Blue Carpet” (Juniperus squamata “Blue Carpet”)
- Growth: flat spreading dwarf shrub and ground cover, growing slowly and densely
- Growth height: uncut up to 50 centimeters
- Flowers: inconspicuous in greenish-yellow
- Flowering time: June/July
- Fruits/berries: orange seed coats
- Characteristics: evergreen or year-round steel-blue needle dress, tolerates grave planting in sun or partial shade, very hardy and undemanding, tolerates cutting
- Plant quantity: one plant per meter
Porcelain flowers (Saxifraga x urbium)
- Growth: carpet-like, dense,
- Growth height: five to 20 centimeters
- Flower: white, simple
- Flowering time: May to June
- Fruits/berries: capsules
- Characteristics: evergreen or grey-green foliage all year round, very hardy, ideal for stone graves
- Plant quantity: six to eight plants per square meter
Red carpet berry (Gaultheria procumbens)
- Growth: creeping, carpet-like, dense
- Growth height: ten to 20 centimeters
- Flower: light pink
- Flowering time: July to August
- Fruits/berries: red
- Characteristics: reddish foliage in winter, aromatic-smelling fruits (not edible), shiny summer leaf green
- Plant quantity: eight plants per square meter
Candytuft/Snow Cushion (Iberis sempervirens)
- Growth: very dense, spreading, upright stems, densely growing ground cover
- Growth height: 15 to 30 centimeters
- Flowers: white, rich
- Flowering time: April to May
- Fruits/berries: pods
- Characteristics: green foliage all year round, undemanding to soil, bee-friendly, ideal for planting in gravel soils
- Plant quantity: eight to ten plants per square meter
Spindle bush (Euonymus fortunei “Darts Blanket”)
- Growth: moderately fast growing, cushion-forming, carpet-like, creeping
- Growth height: uncut up to 50 centimeters
- Flowers: inconspicuous in greenish-yellow
- Flowering time: June/July
- Fruits/berries: orange seed coats
- Characteristics: evergreen, purple autumn foliage, tolerates grave planting in sun or shade, very hardy and robust
- Plant quantity: three to five plants per square meter
Tip: Great color contrasts can also be created with the spindle bush varieties yellow and white, all of which can be used as ground cover and climbing plants for the grave.
Table yew (Taxus baccata “Repandens”)
- Also called cushion yew and ground cover grater,
- Growth: flat, spreading, dense, slow growing
- Growth height: 40 to 60 centimeters
- Flower: light pink
- Flowering time: July to August
- Fruits/berries: red
- Characteristics: shiny, slightly prickly leaves, ideal for shady graves under trees, can also tolerate sunny locations, hardy but sensitive to late frost
- Plant quantity: one plant per square meter
- Caution: poisonous
Waldsteinia / Trefoil Golden Strawberry (Waldsteinia ternata)
- Growth: very dense, spreading, creeping, carpet-like, slow growth
- Growth height: ten to 15 centimeters
- Flower: golden yellow
- Flowering time: April to May
- Fruits/berries: No fruit decoration
- Characteristics: does not tolerate sun, evergreen, ideal plant for shady/sunny locations, tends to overgrow
- Plant quantity: eight to twelve plants per square meter
