Philodendron as ground cover

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Old 04-16-2019, 07:38 AM
starflyte1 starflyte1 is offline
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Default Philodendron as ground cover

I want to fill an area with ground cover. There is already quite a bit of philodendron growing in the area. Does it make a good ground cover? Or, do snakes like it? Is it too aggressive? It is in a curbed area.

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Old 04-16-2019, 08:09 AM
Bonnevie Bonnevie is offline
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at my old house those plants grew to be as high as the house. it cost me a lot to have them removed. I'd be wary.
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Old 04-18-2019, 11:53 PM
big guy big guy is offline
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If it is sunny, try mimosa strigillosa. Pretty, hug the ground, blooms little pink puffs of flowers. Hardy. Powderpuff Mimosa - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
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Old 04-19-2019, 02:11 AM
Midnight Cowgirl Midnight Cowgirl is offline
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Not a good choice as a ground cover.
It can be invasive, will grow/climb up trees and eventually smother them, and cannot take any foot traffic.
Yes -- it would be a favorite for slithering snakes and other small critters.
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Old 04-19-2019, 05:39 AM
Villageswimmer Villageswimmer is offline
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Agree on powderpuff mimosa. Other good ones are Asiatic Jasmine and Perennial Peanut. You’ll see Perennial Peanut in some of the medians planted by TV. It has a dark waxy foliage and bright yellow flowers.
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Old 04-19-2019, 08:15 AM
starflyte1 starflyte1 is offline
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Thank you for the suggestions, but I left out an important fact. The area gets no sun due to north side location and big oak trees.

Mimosa strigillosa sounds very pretty though for some other spot. I will check on Asiatic Jasmine and Perennial Peanut. Thank you.
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Old 04-19-2019, 09:41 AM
Ozzello Ozzello is offline
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WIll not likely become invasive without a LOT of shade..as in a full canopy oak shading the entire area. Also will likely freeze back or even die in many of our winters in TV.
As a fan of the plant as a groundcover, you could plant it in the spring, have a great look through to winter, and sprig out from the survivors the following spring, as frost will surely destroy a portion every year.
A full sun location will not work well no matter what, and it is an acid loving plant and will not like the alkalinity of your natural soil or growing over rocks..so.. mulch only and a lot of shade or choose something else.

Depending on sun and if you have stone or mulch, I would use a minima or Asiatic jasmine, or aptenia ice plant (my favorite). Not a fan of per. peanut or mimosa strigillosa for the typical Village home landscapes, as in smaller bed areas and with the alkaline soil you have, they would be a difficult plant to keep looking good most of the year. They look a little like you planted something from the woods in most home locations I see.

Minima jasmine is the best bet if you want to do this only once and you are not sure on what your sun or soil. It does have a couple veriegated varieties for some color.

Last edited by Ozzello; 04-19-2019 at 09:52 AM.
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Old 04-19-2019, 10:36 AM
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aninjamom aninjamom is offline
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I used to have a front yard with 4 oak trees, pretty much nothing would grow in the dry shade. I got a bromeliad as a gift, and in a few years had my whole front yard full! (Not in the Villages.) They grow, spread, and bloom, but easy to control. As long as they have some water in the center cup, they survive heat, drought, and deep shade.
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Old 04-19-2019, 01:57 PM
Midnight Cowgirl Midnight Cowgirl is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aninjamom View Post
I used to have a front yard with 4 oak trees, pretty much nothing would grow in the dry shade. I got a bromeliad as a gift, and in a few years had my whole front yard full! (Not in the Villages.) They grow, spread, and bloom, but easy to control. As long as they have some water in the center cup, they survive heat, drought, and deep shade.
Excellent suggestion!

Yes, the flowers last a long time, then die. But there are always a few pups produced on each plant when that happens. The only thing I would add to that is to not plant too many varieties -- only a few, perhaps, depending upon the size of the area to be covered. Otherwise, it can look like a hodge-podge.
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