CONSERVATION CORNER

TURF SUBSTITUTES LOW WATER USE ALTERNATIVES TO LAWNS

Not very many people are aware of the many attractive ground cover substitutes for Kentucky bluegrass. The following alternatives use considerably less water than lawns, require less maintenance (little or no mowing), and provide an attractive flower show when they bloom. The following list of turf substitutes is designed to get you started. Additional research may be needed to determine if any of these are right for you.

• Achillea (Yarrow) - at least a couple mat forming varieties, white or yellow flowers
• Aegopodium (Bishop's Weed) - shade tolerant with white umbel-like flowers
• Antennaria (Dwarf Pussy Toes) - small flowers, attractive vegetation
• Artemesia (curlicue sage) - frothy, curled, silver foliage about 8 inches deep
• Bellium (Mat Daisy) - shade-tolerant, white flowers, blooms spring through summer
• Cerastium (Snow in Summer) - 6 inches deep with white flowers
• Ceratostigma (Plumbago) - shade-tolerant, deep blue flowers, mahogany-red fall foliage
• Chasmatophyllum - succulent, bright yellow flowers
• Delosperma (Hardy Ice Plant) - flowers are fuschia-purple and blooms all summer
• Eriogonum (Buckwheat) - tight to loose mats, flowers white, yellow, or red
• Helianthemum (Rock Rose) - 4 varieties; pink, yellow, rd, and orange flowers
• Lamium (Dead Nettle) - shade-tolerant, yellow flowers
• Marrubium (Horehound) - small flowers, attractive vegetation
• Penstemon (Beardstongue) - interesting mat-forming variety
• Phlox - tight, low mats and a variety of flower colors
• Symphytum (Comfrey) - shade-tolerant, clear blue nodding flowers
• Tanacetum (Tansy) - silver-white leaves, yellow button flowers
• Thymus (Thyme) - at least 5 varieties, flowers range from white to purple
• Veronica - at least 2 varieties, blue flowers
• Vinca (Periwinkle) - shade-tolerant evergreen with blue flowers

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