Variegated Shade Ground Cover

Asian Gardens

• Asian gardens are filled with classical plants, pathways and water features. The designs bring a sense of peace to the visitor. One ground cover for this style garden is the “Snow N Summer” Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiatium “Snow N Summer”), which grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. This 4- to 6-inch-tall woody evergreen vine produces white tubular-shaped summer blossoms that age to yellow. New leaves grow in pink fading to white and developing a variegated white and green color.

  “Quicksilver” Chinese wild ginger (Asarum splendens “Quicksilver”) forms a spreading mat 6 to 12 inches tall in USDA zones 6 through 9. The 7-inch-long green leaves are marked with silver markings. Large brown flowers hide under the leaves throughout the spring.

Contemporary Gardens

• Contemporary gardens keep the design simple and understated. Ground covers creep throughout rocky areas and over container rims. Sun Stripe agapanthus (Agapanthus africanus “MonKageyama”) attracts butterflies to the garden all summer with blue, showy blossoms on 20-inch-tall stalks forming clumps 24 inches wide. The green straplike leaves are edged with cream-colored stripes. In USDA zones 8 through 11, this ground cover prefers morning sun and afternoon shade.

  Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei “Kewensis”) covers trailing stems carrying small evergreen leaves with white veins reaching 2 to 6 inches high in USDA zones 4 through 9.

Cottage Gardens

• Cottage gardens resemble storybook yards with old-fashioned plants. One ground cover is variegated Algerain ivy (Hedera algeriensis “Gloire de Marengo”), which grows best in USDA zones 7 through 10. This shade-loving vine grows glossy green heart-shaped leaves with creamy white markings. This climbing plant reaches 12 inches tall, stretching 40 feet long.

  Variegated bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria “Variegatum”) forms a dense low-growing mat of green leaves edged with white. In USDA zones 4 through 9, this plant spreads 12 inches wide and reaches 10 inches high.

Woodland Gardens

• Woodland gardens mimic natural areas of the forest. One showy ground cover that grows in the shade is the “Purple Dragon” dead nettle (Lamium maculatum “Purple Dragon”), which reaches 6 to 12 inches tall and spreads 18 to 24 inches wide. In USDA zones 4 through 9, deep purple flowers appear in the summer above silvery-white leaves with green edges. This is a good plant for constantly moist areas.

  Variegated Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla “Variegata”) grows well in USDA zones 3 through 9 with white and light green variegated leaves. This 18-inch-tall water-loving perennial spreads 12 to 15 inches wide. Azure-blue blossoms appear in the spring.