Looking for some low-maintenance shrubs and groundcovers to use in your garden? Take a closer look at these two hardy options.
'Gro-Low' Sumac
Hardy to USDA Zone 6, 'Gro-Low' sumac (Rhus aromatica) (figure A) is a fast- and low-growing shrub or groundcover with fragrant leaves. Although it is related to poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, it isn't poisonous and won't cause skin rashes.
This selection is great for controlling erosion, stabilizing a slope or filling in an area quickly. It has a sprawling habit so roots grow quickly wherever its branches touch the ground. Its trifoliate leaves, or leaves of three (figure B), are unlike those of other sumac and are fragrant when crushed. It's tolerant of drought and most soil conditions, grows in sun to part shade and requires very little maintenance. On average, 'Gro-Low' will grow only two feet tall, but it may have a tendency to get much larger. Prune it back hard in spring to rejuvenate plants or maintain their overall size.
'Diablo' Ninebark
Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) (figure C) is a deciduous shrub native to the northeastern U.S. and hardy to USDA Zone 2. It gets its name from the peeling layers of bark on its stems (figure D). 'Diablo' is an excellent selection whose tri-lobed leaves have a reddish-purple color that hold up even in the heat of summer, especially if given some afternoon shade. It also produces small clusters of tiny white flowers in spring that contrast well with the dark foliage. Ninebark will grow six to ten feet tall and wide, but it can be pruned to just about any height.
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