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The best plants for erosion control are those ground covers or shrubs that are vigorous, attractive, and have a root system effective at holding back soil on a hill. They should have spreading foliage to slow the velocity of heavy rain. If you live in deer country they should also be plants that deer tend to resist eating. The following list gives you a variety of choices, each of which meets these criteria.
In your plant selection, aim for a balance between beauty and practicality. The prettiest plant you find in a garden catalog will disappoint you if you grow it under the wrong conditions (too much shade or sun) or to serve a function it is not suited to serve.
You also have to strike a balance between beauty and vigor, since you may not want to create a landscape-maintenance nightmare by introducing plants to your yard that are going to spread beyond the bounds you intend for them. Some of the best plants for erosion control will be too aggressive for some homeowners, so evaluate the selections on a case-by-case basis.
Few landscaping issues are more pressing and more challenging than erosion control, particularly when you are trying to protect a steep slope from eroding. In addition to growing perennial ground covers and shrubs, such as deutzia, that will spread and strike down roots to retain soil, consider creating terraces. The average DIY’er is quite capable of making terraces via small stone retaining walls on a gradual slope, but, for steep slopes in imminent danger of eroding, the job is best left to pros.
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01
of 10Creeping Junipers
Creeping junipers are among the ground covers that like a lot of sun. Happily, they stay short (generally no more than 1 foot) and they’re cold-hardy (many being suited to zone 3 to 9). Juniperus plants give you landscape color year-round because they’re evergreen. There are several cultivars, including:
- ‘Blue Rug’ (J. horizontalis Wiltonii): valued for its blue foliage
- J. horizontalis ‘Prince of Wales’: one of the shorter kinds, being just 6 inches tall
- J. horizontalis ‘Lime Glow’: for those who prefer yellowish-green foliage
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02
of 10Vinca Minor (Periwinkle)
In contrast with creeping juniper, Vinca minor is one of the ground covers that can take shade. But, like creeping juniper, it’s a short (3 to 6 inches) evergreen.
Another of the convenient features of creeping myrtle (zones 4 to 8) is that it’s a drought-tolerant ground cover. Steep hillsides can be some of the least accessible areas of a landscape for homeowners, meaning that watering plants in such spots can be problematic. Plants that are naturally drought-tolerant take some of the pressure off you to care for them.
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03
of 10Forsythia
Don’t think that you are limited to ground covers (perennials and small shrubs that grow horizontally) in fighting erosion (although, in some cases, for aesthetic reasons, you may prefer shorter plants). In fact, in severe cases of erosion where you need quick results, shrubs can be the best plants for erosion control: They can strike bigger, tougher roots down into the soil. They can form tenacious root systems that are great at retaining soil.
Forsythia (zones 5 to 8, 4 to 6 feet tall) is one such plant, a shrub that flowers in early spring. The weeping form (Forsythia suspensa) can be a particularly good choice for retaining soil on a slope: Where the drooping branches touch dirt, they will strike down roots, thereby acting as ground covers.
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04
of 10Japanese Spurge
Like creeping myrtle, Pachysandra terminalis is a short (6 inches), evergreen ground cover for shade. Japanese spurge (zones 4 to 8) is considered a foliage plant. Although it does put out small, white flowers, they add little value. The leaves have a leathery feel and look that lends further interest to your property.
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05
of 10Spotted Dead Nettle
What Lamium maculatum has over Japanese spurge is the combination of nice leaves and pretty flowers. It has silvery foliage, and flower color, depending on cultivar, is usually white, pink or purplish. This foot-tall perennial tolerant of full shade is hardy in zones 4 to 8.
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06
of 10Border Grass
Liriope spicata looks like an ornamental grass but isn’t. This perennial (1 foot in height, zones 4 to 10) is actually in the asparagus family. Silver Dragon is a variegated cultivar, adding striking foliage to the impact already made by the plant’s flower spikes. Grow it in partial shade.
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07
of 10Black Mondo Grass
Tolerant of sun or partial shade, Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens (6 inches tall) is grown for the black color of its grass-like blades. Even the berries that sometimes succeed its flowers are black. In a sunny spot, grow this zone-6-to-9 oddity as a companion plant for Sedum rupestre Angelina; the gold color of the latter’s leaves will create a striking contrast.
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08
of 10Creeping Phlox
In addition to controlling erosion, Phlox subulata steals the visual show when in bloom with its carpet of brightly-colored flowers. When you see the blossoms on this short (6 inches) creeping plant for zones 3 to 9, you know that spring is underway.
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09
of 10Interrupted Fern
For a change of pace, try a wild plant on your shady slope. The rhizomes that allow Osmunda claytoniana (2 to 3 feet tall, zones 3 to 8) to spread are excellent for retaining soil and thereby minimizing erosion. Tolerant of wet soils, it’s also a great choice for damp hillsides.
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10
of 10Rockspray Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster horizontalis (zones 5 to 7) is another choice from the shrub world that is among the best plants for erosion control. You’ll like its horizontal plant form if you’re looking for a selection that doesn’t get too tall (3 feet) but that spreads and puts out big, tough roots that will stabilize the ground on a slope. Like Forsythia suspensa, its branches root where contact is made with the soil. Its fall color and red berries are each a pleasant bonus.
Flowering Ground Covers
When growing conditions permit, there’s nothing like the showier flowering ground covers to blanket a hillside. When in bloom, they make a powerful statement in the landscape. If you have sufficient room, consider growing a mix of them with different blooming periods. This way, you can stagger your display rather than having to endure periods during the spring and summer when your slope is devoid of floral color. Even those that lack root systems vigorous enough to retain soil can serve a purpose: Intersperse them between the better erosion-busters to add greater beauty to the slope.
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