Drought tolerant ground cover

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ashtondav
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Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby ashtondav » Mon May 22, 2017 7:34 am

Hi, I have a steep west facing slope (no shade)I want to cover in spreading, colourful plants. Preferably I would like to do this without extending the watering system.

Any ideas? Lavender and geranium both seem to not mind watering, as does the rosemary.

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby alisonb » Mon May 22, 2017 1:44 pm

We've got one which is a bit of a thug. It's common name is lions claws. Sorry don't know proper name. It's some kind of succulent, and gets pink or yellow large daisy flowers. Needs no watering and spreads quickly.
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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby Trooperman » Mon May 22, 2017 2:54 pm

Hi. Lavenders and Geraniums (Pelargoniums) are OK, but are expensive when covering a large area and are not self-spreaders. They are "ground covering" only in as much as anything planted in sufficient quantity would also fit that label. In using the accepted definition, you might like to consider Carpobrotus edulis or the "Hottentot Fig" which might be what alisonb is referring to. It used to be called Mesambrysanthemum. It can be invasive if left untended.
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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby northandsouth » Mon May 22, 2017 6:47 pm

alisonb wrote:We've got one which is a bit of a thug. It's common name is lions claws. Sorry don't know proper name. It's some kind of succulent, and gets pink or yellow large daisy flowers. Needs no watering and spreads quickly.
In Spanish,uña de leon. Yes it is a great ground covering succulent. The flowers tend to come in spring, at least in this part of the country. It grows wild along the edges of the beaches here seeing not a drop for months on end. Makes a great spongy carpet. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpobrotus_edulis

There is also a dark purple ground "coverer" whose name escapes me. It has thinner leaves, smaller flowers and is a nice contrast to the lions claw, plus it grows quickly.

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby gerryh » Tue May 23, 2017 8:48 am

Didn't know what it was called but we have some lions claw.
Very drought resistant, it just grows and covers the very poor rocky ground we have outside our terrace wall.
Easy to prune if it spreads too far.
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Gerry
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ashtondav
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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby ashtondav » Wed May 24, 2017 2:30 pm

Cheers everyone. Although not ground cover am I right in assuming oleander needs no or little water, as I see it growing in rocky campo ground an in the middle of motorways?

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby Trooperman » Wed May 24, 2017 3:25 pm

Yes! Oleander is pretty drought tolerant although in the campo and when growing wild, its presence usually indicates a water course (even if no water is discernable). Just noted some growing in the central reservation of the A92 motorway.....no watering hoses there I think!
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Flexo
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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby Flexo » Wed May 24, 2017 5:13 pm

Oleander is very toxic both to humans and animals. If you have children or pets you shouldn't plant it.

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby Floriana » Sat Nov 11, 2017 6:53 pm

Lions claw only flowers once. Bit boring after that.
Try Aptenia Cordifolia. Great ground cover, keeps weeds at bay, flowers constantly and the bees love it. I grow it around other plants to keep weeds down. When it creeps onto the patio, I just go at it with a large pair of scissors and give it a haircut! (it smells like peas when cut...... Find a friend who has some as it roots very easily - stuff a bit into the ground and water it and you will have a great display in no time. Or look for it in public tubs and troughs and pinch a bit.

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby jhonie99 » Sun Nov 12, 2017 5:05 pm

We grow..............carpobrotus (yellow and purple); malephora (yellow and reddish); aptenia (red).

Drought tolerant but need regular watering; otherwise they don't flower. I've noticed that in our desert conditions lots of carpobrotus have decided to die.

Oleanders also need plenty of water to flower and prevent disease (IMO).

Even cactus need water during persistent dry periods. Otherwise u just get a miserable dried up plant.

The last rain showers we had was Feb, 2017; The last decent ground penetrating rain was Oct. 2016. Watering is vital!!

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby El Cid » Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:20 pm

Our Oleanders flowered really well this year with their irrigation turned off. In fact, having reached 4m high I have just had them cut right back.

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby telboy » Mon Dec 11, 2017 1:22 pm

There is a plant called Belly Button (Aptenio in Spanish) a good ground cover succulent type plant which produces cerise daisy shaped flower and is self propagating.

terry

ashtondav
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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby ashtondav » Mon Dec 18, 2017 7:49 pm

As the OP , thanks for that. But where do you buy them. I've been googling belly button plant and Aptenia on and off all afternoon and cannot find a uk source. When in Spain I do visit the garden centres but usually fail to find these succulent type vigorous ground cover plants. Frustrating!

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby Gasman » Tue Dec 19, 2017 1:17 pm

Propagating succulents - Aptemia - Your best bet is probably just to pinch a bit overhanging a garden wall, or in a public place. It roots really easily and sometimes you can find bits that have self-layered where a trailing bit finds a suitable bit of ground and dampness to put down roots. Snip a few bits off, soak overnight in water, then lay on damp compost in a pot, pinning down with an opened paperclip might help the rooting process, and wait developments. When nicely rooted you can set them out on your dry patch and watch them spread.

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Re: Drought tolerant ground cover

Postby telboy » Thu Dec 28, 2017 2:20 pm

Ashtondav - Aptemia, never saw it when we lived in the UK however we lived up north where it is less likely to survive a UK Winter being a succulent. We have seen it in garden centres in Spain usually they are sold in a small pots and not in flower. As Gasman says his source is the best as in taking a cutting from a garden overhang or from a park/gardens/shopping complex carparks.

terry


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