The fastest spreading shade ground cover plants you can grow are Bugleweed and Creeping Jenny. Both fill bare ground in record time. Bugleweed can cover a bed within one to two growing seasons when conditions suit it well.
I watched my Bugleweed spread across a ten foot bed in about eighteen months. The plants sent out runners in every direction. Each runner rooted where it touched soil and made new plants. By fall of year two I had full coverage where bare dirt once showed.
Stolon spreaders like Bugleweed move fast for a simple reason. Their runners grow above the soil surface. When those runners hit moist ground they send down roots right away. Quick spreading ground cover shade plants use this trick to claim new territory fast.
Rhizome spreaders like Wild Ginger move slower. Their stems grow below the surface through the dirt. They push through soil bit by bit each season. This takes more energy than running along the top. You wait two to three years for these plants to fill the same space.
Creeping Jenny matches Bugleweed for speed in moist shade. The golden or green leaves spread like a living carpet. Each stem can grow two to three feet in a single season when water stays steady. This plant fills gaps between stepping stones faster than most options.
LawnStarter notes that Bugleweed covers areas fast through stolon growth. It takes just one to two seasons for full coverage. The purple flower spikes add bonus color in spring. Several leaf colors exist from green to bronze to purple.
Fast spreaders come with a warning though. These plants don't know where you want them to stop. They creep into lawns and smother slow growing neighbors. You need a plan for fast ground cover for shade before you plant it.
Install edging or a mowing strip between fast spreaders and areas you want clean. Check the borders every few weeks during growing season. Pull any runners that cross the line before they root and make more plants. This takes just minutes but saves hours of pulling later.
Match your need for speed against your need for control. Fast spreaders work great for large areas away from lawns and flower beds. Slower spreaders fit better near places you want to keep neat. Pick the right plant for each spot and you get coverage without the headaches that come from plants running wild.
Read the full article: 10 Top Ground Cover Shade Plants
