Florida Full Sun Ground Cover

Florida Soil Types

• Florida soils vary widely throughout the state, from shallow sandy loams in the panhandle to calcareous rocky soils in the south. Soil pH can vary widely, too. Many ground covers suitable for Florida have a wide soil and pH tolerance; however, quite a few species have more specific requirements. Take a close look at the soil to determine its texture, and test the pH before selecting plants. The amount of lime or sulfur required to change the pH, if necessary, is determined by the soil texture and how much the pH level must be changed.

Long-Blooming Florida Ground Covers

• Blue daze (Evolvulus glomeratus) and trailing or weeping lantana (Lantana montevidensis) are excellent ground covers for sunny landscapes with nutrient-poor sandy soil. Blue daze grows to a height of 1 foot and width of 2 to 3 feet with fuzzy gray-green foliage. Throughout most of the year, it produces blue funnel-shaped flowers. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 or 9 to 11 where it grows best in full sun. Acidic to slightly alkaline soil with a pH between 5.6 and 7.8 is fine, and it will also grow in loamy soil as long as it drains quickly. It is highly tolerant of salty conditions. Trailing lantana grows to a height of 1 1/2 to 2 feet and width of 10 feet with deep green leaves. It produces purple flowers year-round in frost-free zones or from spring to first frost in cooler areas. A soil pH of 5.6 to 8.4 is fine, and it will also grow in loamy soil. It is hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11 and is drought tolerant.

Succulent Florida Ground Covers

• Beach bean (Canavalia rosea) is a good vine to use as a ground cover in sunny sites with nutrient-poor sandy soil. It is also commonly known as coastal jackbean, MacKenzie bean and bay bean. Individual semi-succulent stems can grow to 20 feet long. It has 2- to 3-inch-long, pale green fleshy leaves and blooms in purple-pink. The flowers are produced all summer and occasionally throughout the fall, winter and spring. It is hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11 and is extremely tolerant of salty conditions and drought. Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) is an annual ground cover that grows in full sun to a height of 6 inches and width of 12 inches with cylindrical, light green succulent leaves. It blooms from spring to first frost in various shades of orange, pink, purple, red, yellow or white, depending on the cultivar. Sandy, loamy, clay or gravelly soils are fine for this annual, and it is extremely drought tolerant. Both beach bean and moss rose thrive in soil with a pH of 5.6 to 7.8.

Conifer Ground Covers for Florida

• Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) and Parson’s juniper (Juniperus davurica “Parsonii”) are needle-leaved, conifer evergreens that are ideal for use as groundcovers in sunny Florida landscapes. They thrive in most types of soil, including sandy, rocky and clay, are extremely tolerant of drought and salty conditions and are not bothered by air pollution. Creeping juniper grows to a height of 1 foot and width of 6 to 10 feet but there are shorter and taller cultivars. “Blue Rug” (Juniperus horizontalis “Blue Rug”), for instance, grows to no more than 6 inches tall and has blue-green foliage. Parson’s juniper grows to a height of 2 to 3 feet and width of 4 to 10 feet with blue-green foliage. Creeping juniper is hardy in USDA zone 3 to 10, while Parson’s juniper is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 11. They both grow well in soil with a pH between 5.6 and 7.8