| In Southern California, turf grass can be pretty | | | | Grasses and Grass-Resembling Plants |
| impractical. Not only can it be hard to maintain, | | | | Of course, ideally, you'd be able to keep the look of |
| especially if you're trying to mow slopes and hillsides, it | | | | grass, while reducing its maintenance, and that's pretty |
| can be expensive to water and replace when planted | | | | much what you can hope for with Korean Grass |
| in unsuitable conditions where the light, temperature or | | | | (Zoysia sp.) and Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca). Blue |
| sea spray exposure would kill regular turf. Fortunately, | | | | Fescue will grow in tufts, though it can form turfs in dry |
| there are lots of varieties of groundcovers that you | | | | or sandy soils. However, Korean Grass looks best |
| can use to supplement turf grass, which are lower | | | | when mowed to a height of one or two inches. |
| maintenance and often use less water, which is a | | | | Although Korean Grass will tend to spread slowly, it's |
| precious resource, especially in SoCal. Here are some | | | | roots will grow deep. Another grass look-a-like is the |
| examples of groundcover you can replace your turf | | | | Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonica). Don't be fooled |
| grass with. | | | | by its name as it is actually a member of the lily family, |
| Ice Plant and Sedum | | | | but it sports two to twelve inch long blades that |
| A native to Southern Africa, Ice Plant is a staple in | | | | resemble grass. |
| Southern California because it is well adapted to our | | | | Ivy |
| sunny, drought-afflicted climate in Southern California. | | | | If succulents aren't your fancy, and you aren't trying to |
| Not only does Ice Plant work well on slopes where | | | | mimic the look of grass, why not give Ivy a try? If you |
| maintenance is often difficult, it sports a variety of | | | | are going for a more "traditional" look, plant some |
| fluorescent-colored flowers in purple, yellow, pink and | | | | English Ivy (Hedera helix) but if you want |
| even red. You can't go wrong with any species from | | | | delicate-looking Ivy, try the Needle Point Ivy (H. h. |
| the Lampranthus genus, like the Trailing Ice Plant (L. | | | | digitata). Not only does English Ivy grow on trellises, |
| spectabilis), there are other types like Disneyland Ice | | | | fences and walls, it also grows horizontally, allowing it |
| Plant (Delosperma alba), Rosea Ice Plant | | | | to provide great ground coverage. The Algerian Ivy |
| (Drosanthemum floribundum) and Red Apple Ice Plant | | | | (H. canariensis) resembles English Ivy, but its leaves are |
| (Aptenia cordifolia), if you're looking for bright red | | | | more widely spaced on its stems. |
| flowers. If you're looking for a succulent to grow in | | | | Paver, Flagstone and Stepping Stone Filling Plants |
| smaller spaces, go with a Sedum like the S. | | | | Finally, if you're looking for something to provide some |
| guatamalense, S. anglican, S. brevifolium, S. comfusum | | | | green "filling" between flagstones, pavers and stepping |
| and S. spurium species. | | | | stones, consider planting some Green Carpet (Herniaria |
| Gazania | | | | glabra) or some Thyme. Although Elfin Thyme |
| If you're tired of Ice Plant but are looking for a | | | | (Thymus serpyllum) produces a dense mat that is |
| drought-resistant, flowering groundcover, try planting | | | | good for artistically filling in the spaces between |
| some Gazania. It not only shares in common its origin | | | | flagstones, Wooly Thyme (T. lanuginosis) will form |
| with Ice Plant, but this Southern Africa native also has | | | | two to three foot wide, flat to undulating mats that a |
| flowers that come in a variety of different colors | | | | great for filling wider spaces like those between |
| including yellow, golden, orange, burgundy, sunburst and | | | | stepping stones. For palm tree sales and deals on |
| white. If you're looking for coverage of a large area, go | | | | other plants for your yard, check out your local garden |
| with Trailing Gazania, but if you're trying to keep a low | | | | center. |
| profile, plant some Clumping Gazania, instead. | | | | |