I have a confession to make. I’ve been procrastinating on working on my very small front garden for the past three summers.
That’s strange for me because, when it comes to gardening, procrastination is not my default mode. Not at all, as you can see from my portfolio of garden projects on this website alone (plus the many projects I don’t document as well).
For now, I haven’t added more plants to this area because I don’t know what will do well in a small garden. And while I usually have too much information to sort through when I’m gardening, I didn’t find enough information about plants with shallow roots this time.
I had big plans for a lovely pollinator garden in this area when we first moved into this house. The soil must have been good because it looked healthy and there was already a climbing hydrangea there.
When I pulled back some mulch, I saw that there was more mulch below it, followed by a very thin layer of soil (no more than two inches), which I think is just mulch that has broken down over time.
Digging a bit deeper, I found a very thick plastic weed-suppressing tarp. I hate them so much, but this one didn’t look like it was going to fall apart right now.
Ok, I can remove that, I thought to myself. Let’s see what’s suppressing underneath. Lots and lots of sand! The tarp seems to be doing more to keep the sand together than to keep the weeds down. I really don’t know how deep the sand goes, but a bamboo cane seems to have shown that there is sand all the way down.
Perennial flowers with shallow root systems are ideal for many garden situations Their ability to thrive in compacted soil, slopes, and other problematic areas provides creative solutions for difficult landscaping projects This article explores the benefits of shallow-rooted perennials and offers tips for incorporating them into your garden design.
Why Consider Shallow-Rooted Perennials?
Perennial flowers and plants with shallow roots have extensive, spreading root structures that tend to grow horizontally rather than vertically down For example, varieties such as salvia, sedum, lavender, and coreopsis are notable for roots that spread close to the soil surface rather than deeply penetrating.
These shallow root systems offer important advantages:
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Erosion control: The dense, web-like roots stabilize slopes and help reduce soil runoff and loss. This makes them excellent choices for hillsides or areas prone to erosion.
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Thrive in compacted or rocky soils: Their roots don’t have to dig deep to find moisture and nutrients, so they tolerate compacted soils, shallow beds, poor soil conditions, and rocky ground.
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Low maintenance: Once established, shallow-rooted plants often need less watering and are lower maintenance. The extensive root network efficiently uptakes moisture from light rains and irrigation.
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Ease of transplanting: The compact root balls are less prone to damage during transplanting.
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Control invasive plants: Their dense spreading roots outcompete weeds and invasive plants like knotweed and bindweed.
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Complement deep-rooted plants: Shallow roots won’t compete for resources with deeper rooted tree and shrub roots.
Top Perennials With Shallow Roots
Here are some of the best shallow-rooted perennial flowers to consider:
Ground Covers
- Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata)
- Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
- Moss pink (Phlox subulata)
- Ajuga species
Ground cover perennials like creeping phlox form dense carpets of foliage and flowers that suppress weeds and control erosion on banks, slopes, and open areas. Their roots stabilize soil while their spreading foliage adds ornamental interest.
Herbaceous Perennials
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)
- Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
- Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
- Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
- Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)
- Thrift (Armeria maritima)
Many popular perennial garden flowers like catmint, sedum, lavender, and black-eyed Susan have fibrous, shallow root structures ideal for hellstrips, rock gardens, raised beds, and areas with poor or compacted soil. They bring color, texture, and interest to challenging spaces.
Ornamental Grasses
- Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens)
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Austrian copper sedge (Carex buchananii)
Ornamental grasses like little bluestem and blue oat grass have shallow roots that interweave densely to stabilize soil and control erosion. Their attractive seed heads and foliage add texture and movement to gardens and slopes.
Design Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips for effectively incorporating shallow-rooted perennials into your landscape:
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Use them on banks, berms, slopes, raised beds, rock gardens, and areas with drainage issues. Avoid deep-rooted trees and shrubs in these locations.
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Space plants 12-18 inches apart to form a dense, intertwining mat of roots and foliage that suppresses weeds.
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Apply a thin layer of compost or topsoil if the soil is extremely compacted or full of rocks and debris.
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Amend planting holes with compost when transplanting. Water deeply after planting.
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Allow several years to establish. Once the root system matures, water needs decrease.
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Shear plants like catmint and lavender halfway after initial blooms fade to encourage reblooming.
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Mix late and early blooming varieties for continuous color. For example, combine catmint and black-eyed Susan.
The Final Touch
Perennial flowers with shallow root systems offer versatile solutions for challenging planting sites where deep rooting plants would fail. Their ability to stabilize soil, thrive in adverse conditions, and complement deeper rooted plants expands design possibilities. With a range of colors, forms, and textures, shallow-rooted perennials add beauty to difficult spaces.
Sea pinks (Armeria maritima)
This plant is so cute! It has a lot of different names, like sea cushion, lady’s pincushion, sea thrifts, and pink thrifts. The plant came from a free plant library in my neighborhood. I kept it growing in a pot on my patio table. Since it was my first time growing it, I needed to learn a little more about it before adding it to my small garden.
I didn’t need to worry about it after all because it grows naturally in coastal cliffs and cracks where the ground is very shallow. Sea thrift is native to Northern Europe and the United Kingdom, but it’s also native to California.
It was mostly summer when the sea pinks that ended up in my shallow garden were in pots.
Unlike the other plants on the list so far, Armeria stays compact and evergreen (even through harsher winters). But even though it’s fairly hardy, too much moisture will kill it. It grows slowly in a mound-like shape with globe-like flowers hovering above the foliage starting in mid-spring.
Because it rains a lot here in the fall and winter, I saved the seeds in case the plant dies from too much water.
Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
The name of this one is rather confusing because it’s neither moss nor a rose. Its less showy cousin, the common purslane, is in the same family (Portulacea), so you may already know it.
However, as the name suggests, grandiflora will have beautiful showy flowers all through the summer. The tiny rose-like blooms come in different bright colors, such as yellow, orange, pink and deep red.
Garden centers will often sell mixed-color moss rose.
But the garden centers that I usually buy from don’t even bother with selling single colors. It only looks like portulaca mixes, where different colored plants grow together in one pot. That works perfectly for me, since I don’t have to pick favorites. And if you plan on starting it from seed, you’ll find the seeds mixed the same way.
The Portulaca grandiflora plant grows mostly as an annual and dies back when it gets frosty. But I’ve seen it reemerge from the ground in spring when the soil didn’t freeze very deep. Just in case, I plan on taking cuttings in the fall and overwintering some moss rose indoors. Even as an annual, it spreads quickly and sends out rich blooms that attract pollinators.
10 Beautiful Perennial Flowers for Shady Gardens! // PlantDo Home & Garden
FAQ
What perennial has shallow roots?
What annual flowers have shallow roots?
What flowers have shallow roots?
The list of perennial flowers with shallow roots includes Bleeding Heart, Creeping Phlox, Baby’s Breath, Sweet Woodruff, Rock Cress, Dwarf Crested Iris, Basket-of-Gold, Moss Phlox, Blue Fescue, Alyssum, and Silver Mound. Perennial flowers are a gardener’s dream.
Can you grow perennial flowers with shallow roots?
Here are just a few of the many perennial flowers that you can grow with shallow roots: Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) are perennial plants that typically bloom in the spring. They are named for their heart-shaped flowers, which range in color from white to pink. The roots of Bleeding Hearts typically grow to a depth of 12 inches.
What is a shallow rooted plant?
Erosion Control: Shallow-rooted plants are excellent for stabilizing soil and preventing erosion, especially in sloped areas or regions prone to heavy rains. Their roots bind the soil together, reducing runoff and soil loss.
Are deep rooted perennials drought tolerant?
For one, these plants are often drought-resistant. This is because they are able to better access water and nutrients from the soil when their roots are close to the surface. Additionally, shallow-rooted perennial flowers are often more heat-tolerant than their deep-rooted counterparts.
Do shallow root perennials work in a garden bed?
Shallow root perennials can work in a garden bed with flowers having deep roots. Instead of fighting each other for space, the different kinds of plants will better share their space. For gardeners, shallow root perennials are the perfect addition to their beds of flowers. Lavender is a very well-known perennial plant that has shallow roots.
Are shallow rooted plants a good choice?
Ease of Care: Gardens designed with shallow-rooted plants often require less intensive soil preparation and can be easier to maintain. These plants can thrive in shallow soils and may require less watering depth, making them suitable for raised beds and containers.