VOA健康报道2024--Tough Groundcovers for Dry Climate

Tough Groundcovers for Dry Climate

Trying to grow grass in the deserts or other dry places can seem like a losing battle. As a result, many people who live in such climates will use rocks, gravel¹, or man-made materials as groundcover instead of grass.

But there are several tough, low-growing groundcovers that perform well in dry climates. They may not be able to survive the foot traffic that fake grass can. But they appeal to environmentally helpful insects and in many cases make your property look better.

Groundcovers for dry climate

Desert marigold, or Baileya multiradiata, is one such plant. The groundcover has pretty yellow blossoms and silver leaves. They bloom in the spring. The plant requires very little water. However, it lives only one season. People who want desert marigold must plant it every year.

Gold Mound² lantana, known as Lantana camara, is a bushy plant usually just over a half-meter tall. Its yellow flowers bloom on and off from spring through autumn and it has low to moderate water needs.

Its relative, trailing lantana, or Lantana montevidensis, grows horizontally. Its purple blossoms brighten the garden year-round. The groundcover has moderate water needs. It favors full sunlight but can survive partial sunlight.

Trailing indigo³, or Dalea greggii, is another groundcover that grows well in dry climates. The long-lived plant has blue-gray leaves and pink or purple pea-shaped flowers. It blooms from spring through summer in full or partial sunlight. The plant, which can spread to three meters wide, has very low water needs but could use some watering while in bloom.

Silverbush, also known as Convolvulus cneorum, is a fast-growing evergreen⁴ that, in the desert, blooms for about two weeks in spring. The 60-centimeter-tall plant has yellow-centered white flowers with silver leaves.

White evening primrose⁵, Oenothera caespitosa, is usually covered in blooms from spring through summer. But they are only open from late afternoon into morning. The white blossoms develop to light pink, and then darken to deep pinkish-purple. The plant has moderate water needs and performs best in full sun to part shade.

Best time to plant

Early spring is the best time to plant these groundcovers in desert climates.

Gently loosen the soil to about 30 centimeters deep, removing stones and other hard material to permit a clear path for roots. Give some space between the plants. Add mulch or wood chips to keep soil temperature even, prevent weeds, and help hold water.

The best time of day to water the groundcovers is in the morning. To avoid root rot, water the groundcover only when, and as soon as, the soil is completely dry.

Words in This Story

fake - adj. not real; not genuine

bloom - v. to produce flowers

bushy - adj. thick and full

horizontally - adv. positioned parallel to the ground

afternoon - n. the part of the day between noon and evening

rot - n. process of slowly decaying

1 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

2 mound   

n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫

参考例句：

• The explorers climbed a mound to survey the land around them.勘探者爬上土丘去勘测周围的土地。
• The mound can be used as our screen.这个土丘可做我们的掩蔽物。

3 indigo   

n.靛青，靛蓝

参考例句：

• The sky was indigo blue,and a great many stars were shining.天空一片深蓝，闪烁着点点繁星。
• He slipped into an indigo tank.他滑落到蓝靛桶中。

4 evergreen   

n.常青树；adj.四季常青的

参考例句：

• Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。
• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

5 primrose   

n.樱草，最佳部分，

参考例句：

• She is in the primrose of her life.她正处在她一生的最盛期。
• The primrose is set off by its nest of green.一窝绿叶衬托着一朵樱草花。