Groundcover and low-growing 2ft plant - Plant Encyclopedia Results

Billbergia was established as a genus in 1821 by Thunberg. The name is a tribute to the Swedish botanist Gustav Johannes Billberg. The flowers range from virtually colorless to deep violet, some are night-bloomers and a few are fragrant. According to the petal habit Billbergias are divided into two groups: billbergia, in which the petals recurve slightly and helicodea, in which the petals coil back like a spring. The seeds are contained in hard berries just below the flowers. Pups are produced on short stolons so that a clump forms quickly. Billbergias in habitat are generally epiphytic and may also grow on rock. In culture some (B. nutans, B. pyramidalis) also thrive as terrestrials in ordinary (well draining!) garden soil. They prefer a small pot. Billbergias are usually grown "hard"-strong light to enhance leaf coloration and markings, little or no fertilizer to ensure that the plant does not outgrow its optimum size and color.

Most bromeliads are epiphytes in their native rainforest habitat. They have small roots, mainly used for anchoring themselves on trees, so these tree-dwelling plants gather moisture and nutrients through their leaves. You can encourage bromeliads to flower by adding a pinch of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to the water or fertilizer. Keep it in partial shade. Water the center of the rosette and keep room-temperature rainwater or distilled water in its urn (center of the rosette) at all times. Water soil just enough to keep the roots barely moist. Empty old water from the urn once a month and promptly replace it with fresh water. Do not soak base of plant, which can lead to root rot. In fall and winter, keep the soil slightly drier. Soil: orchid mix.

Billbergia have been crossed with Cryptanthus

and the resulting hybrids Cryptbergia are intermediate in habit between the two genera.

It was an early introduction elsewhere in the tropical world, where it soon escaped the confines of gardens and became a weed. L. camara is a prickly shrub, about 3-6 ft in height, with ovate rough leaves and almost continuous displays of blooms that appear as clusters made up of tiny florets. Orange or red-orange are the commonest colors, but there are cultivars with larger white, pink, or lemon-yellow flowers. People like having Lantana in a garden because of the pungent smell of the leaves, and appreciate the reliable display of bright flowers. In Thailand, several colors are sometimes grafted onto a single trunk and the result trained into a standard. Lantana always prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Propagation is by air-layering or from woody cuttings.

Herbaceous semi-evergreen perennial. Dwarf Plumbago has a beautiful bronze-red fall color, which contrasts beautifully with the sky blue flowers. It makes a good ground cover in rocky areas in full sun.

One of the most popular of all houseplant. The leaves are linear, 8-16 in long. Small white flowers are borne along outward arching wiry stalks. After blooming and fruiting, little tufts of leaves - baby spider plants - develop on the stalks. These little "spiders" take root wherever they touch the ground. The roots and rhizomes of the spider plant are fleshy and thickened, and serve as water storage organs for dry periods. The wild species has green leaves, but most cultivars are variegated.

This is one plant that really tolerates neglect! Spider plant is one of the easiest house plants to maintain and will thrive in an air conditioned room or a humid greenhouse. Full sun, or shade - spider plant hangs in there. Forget to water it? It will forgive you.

This is one of the finest plants for hanging baskets. Placed in a bright window, a spider plant will grow into a fountain of gracefully arching stalks adorned with miniature versions of itself. Water regularly, and fertilize with a liquid plant food every two weeks during the summer. Withhold fertilizer, and water less frequently in winter.

Spider plants may develop brown leaf tips if the soil is kept too dry or becomes too salty from watering with hard water. Prevent this by watering with rain water; cure it by leaching the roots thoroughly and repotting.

Although it will survive in shady spots, spider plant does best in bright light. If you want maximum growth and production of flowers and little plantlets, keep your spider plant in a very bright window, or hang it outside on the porch.

In frostfree climates, it is used as a groundcover, in borders and as edging around beds, walkways and paths.

Grown as a groundcover, Nertera granadensis (Coral Moss) will reach up to a maximum size of about 2ft tall and wide. To care for the plant in cooler climates, choose a sunny to semi-shaded spot with protection from cold winds. The soil should be fertile and light, with good drainage. Water regularly during the growing season, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged. Take care not to over water, as this can cause root rot.

Grown in Zones 9-11. In colder regions, use a pot with drainage holes for your Bead Plant and shift it indoors during winter months. When indoors, ensure the pot is in a light spot but out of direct sunlight. Keep the pot moist, but not soggy, and continue regular watering. During the colder months reduce watering.

It'll be a grat addition to you plant collection: A mat-forming plant that forms roots at the nodes of stems, growing well in a rock garden in areas where frosts are not likely. .

Humata heterophylla is a low growing, creeping, epiphytic fern species, it grows and works well in terrariums, vivariums, and orchidariums, where, providing this fern receives enough moisture, it can rather beautifully cover the base, or the sides and background.

Sageleaf Rockrose is a low, very erect shrub about two to three feet in height.

It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

The dried leaves are used as an adulterant for marjoram.

Despite its origin in the dry hillsides of the Mediterranean, Corsican Stonecrop grows in almost any well-drained situation where there is plenty of sun. This drought-tolerant succulent thrives with moderate water but is reasonably tolerant of dry conditions. It grows most vigorously in full sun and may require a bit of extra watering during windy periods and periods of high temperatures.

Corsican Stonecrop forms a low-growing carpet which makes it ideal for groundcover planting on slopes or banks. It grows to a height of 2ft with short flowering stems that carry white and off-white star-shaped flowers in the summer. Small shrubs of the same nature may reach up to 2-5 ft.

Growing Corsican Stonecrop in pots in cold regions requires a bit more attention. It can be placed in a bright, sunny spot but you must stop watering the pot as soon as temperatures drop. When the weather warms up, watering should be resumed. If growth is minimal and plants look withered during cold months, it is best to move them into a warmer area and then to a sunny spot once temperatures rise again.

This plant is best suited for USDA zones 9-11, but may remain evergreen if temperatures don't drop too low. Pruning will help to keep some of the older leaves in check and shaping is done in the spring when new shoots start to appear. Foliage will also benefit from a light application of liquid fertilizer which will help promote healthy growth.

Tropaeolum majus (garden nasturtium) is a fast-growing herbaceous annual native to the Andes from Bolivia north to Colombia. Cultivated varieties have hybrid origin, with possible parent species including T. minus, T. moritzianum, T. peltophorum, and T. peregrinum. Plants form trailing or compact mounds, with rounded, shield-shaped leaves attached at the center. The showy flowers, in shades of yellow, orange, and red, appear over a long season and are both ornamental and edible. Leaves and flowers have a peppery flavor and are commonly used fresh in salads and as colorful garnishes. Seeds can be pickled as a caper substitute.

Grow nasturtiums in full sun with moist, well-drained soil. Compact forms stay around 12 in tall and make colorful borders, while trailing types can reach several feet and are suited to hanging baskets, window boxes, or ground cover. The plants are low-maintenance, tolerate poor soils, and may self-seed in mild climates. Hardy as an annual in most regions; perennial in frost-free areas.

Vitex rotundifolia is a sprawling shrub 6 to 8 feet in diameter and 6 inches to 2 feet tall, but reaching 4 feet in height and 12 feet in width when protected from wind and salt spray. The round leaves are gray-green to silvery and 1 to 2 inches long. The foliage has a spicy fragrance. Vitex rotundifolia occurs on coastal sites such as sandy beaches, rocky shores, and dunes.