Erosion Control Shade Plants

Kinnikinnick

• Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is also known as bearberry, mealberry, hog cranberry and sandberry. This evergreen grows six to 12 inches tall and spreads 15 inches wide. The leaves are shiny, dark green and .5 to 1.5 inches long. They turn bronze or red in the autumn. The flowers are white to pink and urn-shaped. The blossoms bloom in the spring followed by small red berries. Kinnikinnick forms dense mats. It thrives in sandy or rocky soil and dislikes excessive summer heat.

Wintercreeper

• Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei ‘Coloratus’) grows to 6 inches tall. This broad-leaved evergreen spreads at the rate of 18 inches per year. The leaves are glossy, dark green that turn purple in winter. Planting the wintercreeper in the shade will prevent the leaves from suffering sunburn. Wintercreeper tolerates trimming to keep it low to the ground.

Creeping Oregon Grape

• Creeping Oregon grape (Mahonia repens) is also called creeping mahonia. It is an evergreen that reaches 10 inches in height and spreads four to five feet wide. Yellow flowers appear in the spring while blackish berries follow in the summer. The holly-like leaves are one to three inches long and dull green. They change to a reddish color in the autumn. Creeping Oregon grape spreads by underground runners. This plant is drought tolerant, but it does not like excessive summer heat.

Periwinkle

• Periwinkle (Vinca minor) grows four to six inches tall. This rapid growing evergreen has shiny, dark green oval-shaped leaves. The funnel-shaped flowers are about .5 inches across, white or purple in color and bloom in the spring. Periwinkle spreads throughout large areas.