Ground Covers to benefit my Palms?

[BayAndroid]

Hey guys, I'm wondering if there are some good ground covers you've used that would work well in a zone 9b climate, that would benefit my palm trees (specifically some king palms). I wonder if, A they would help hold and capture moisture to keep the ground from drying out as fast (we're in a drought in CA). I'm also interested in a ground cover that might be a good nitrogen fixer and actually benefit the palms by creating a nutrient rich environment for them to thrive on. 

Thank you!

[ahosey01]

12 minutes ago, BayAndroid said:

Hey guys, I'm wondering if there are some good ground covers you've used that would work well in a zone 9b climate, that would benefit my palm trees (specifically some king palms). I wonder if, A they would help hold and capture moisture to keep the ground from drying out as fast (we're in a drought in CA). I'm also interested in a ground cover that might be a good nitrogen fixer and actually benefit the palms by creating a nutrient rich environment for them to thrive on. 

Thank you!

Asian sweet potato vine (Ipomea batatas... I think...) might be able to do what you need it to do.  Ficus pumila if you don't mind trimming a LOT to control it and keeping it off any wood structures you own.

Edited May 19, 2022 by ahosey01

[Silas_Sancona]

24 minutes ago, BayAndroid said:

Hey guys, I'm wondering if there are some good ground covers you've used that would work well in a zone 9b climate, that would benefit my palm trees (specifically some king palms). I wonder if, A they would help hold and capture moisture to keep the ground from drying out as fast (we're in a drought in CA). I'm also interested in a ground cover that might be a good nitrogen fixer and actually benefit the palms by creating a nutrient rich environment for them to thrive on. 

Thank you!

Nitrogen fixers? look to Legumes..  If you can find it Sunshine Mimosa, Mimosa strigulosa is an excellent ..and drought tolerant ground cover that flowers and fixes nitrogen. Tough to find, but i know there is at least one mail order nursery in FL that has sold them. Another mail order place back east may sell it as well.

Unlike Creeping Fig, it won't take over, strangle other stuff, or compete for water/ fertilizer ( roots ).  Battled plenty of that stuff in San Jose.  Stay far away from Wedelia as well.. You'll quickly regret allowing it into your landscape. .
 

Clover could work too for fixing N ..but it will spread,  and doesn't look all that tropical.  You could add in low height perennial things, which would widen the " options - list".. 
 

[BayAndroid]

Ok, I'll look into these!

[amh]

59 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Nitrogen fixers? look to Legumes..  If you can find it Sunshine Mimosa, Mimosa strigulosa is an excellent ..and drought tolerant ground cover that flowers and fixes nitrogen. Tough to find, but i know there is at least one mail order nursery in FL that has sold them. Another mail order place back east may sell it as well.

Unlike Creeping Fig, it won't take over, strangle other stuff, or compete for water/ fertilizer ( roots ).  Battled plenty of that stuff in San Jose.  Stay far away from Wedelia as well.. You'll quickly regret allowing it into your landscape. .
 

Clover could work too for fixing N ..but it will spread,  and doesn't look all that tropical.  You could add in low height perennial things, which would widen the " options - list".. 
 

Mimosa nuttallii might be better for western states, but Mimosa strigillosa is an excellent recommendation.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, amh said:

Mimosa nuttallii might be better for western states, but Mimosa strigillosa is an excellent recommendation.

M. nutallii is a good sp. but is prickly.. and can grow to roughly 2 ft ( Don't think it is as grabby as M. borealis and our local sps. though )  M. strigulosa is pricker -less.  Should do fine up in the Bay Area.. Here, if planted in full sun/ provided very little water, strigulosa  might be a little trickier, though Boyce Thompson has some growing in a demo bed.  If i still have some, starting some seed i have today.

M. nutallii used to be listed as a variant of Mimosa quadrivalis  > and listed as such by many nurseries ( some still do ) https://www.prairiemoon.com/schrankia-uncinata-sensitive-plant-prairie-moon-nursery.html

..but evidently the " quadrivalis " portion of the species name was dropped back in 2020. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes?taxon_id=127390

[Kim]

Arachis glabrata (ornamental peanut, peanut grass) is popular in warm climates as an easy-care ground cover, and is a nitrogen fixer. Arachis glabrata

[96720]

I don’t know if it fixes nitrogen but I grow vinca minor have it mixed in with purple lantana I think it’s pretty neat!!

[amh]

On 5/19/2022 at 1:42 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

M. nutallii is a good sp. but is prickly.. and can grow to roughly 2 ft ( Don't think it is as grabby as M. borealis and our local sps. though )  M. strigulosa is pricker -less.  Should do fine up in the Bay Area.. Here, if planted in full sun/ provided very little water, strigulosa  might be a little trickier, though Boyce Thompson has some growing in a demo bed.  If i still have some, starting some seed i have today.

M. nutallii used to be listed as a variant of Mimosa quadrivalis  > and listed as such by many nurseries ( some still do ) https://www.prairiemoon.com/schrankia-uncinata-sensitive-plant-prairie-moon-nursery.html

..but evidently the " quadrivalis " portion of the species name was dropped back in 2020. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxon_changes?taxon_id=127390

More sticky than pokey, more live Velcro, but my skin might just be thick.

I noticed the name change recently, but primarily because I hadn't looked in about 30 years.

[Than]

I was looking for a topic like this. I am considering groundcovers and my question is this: even if a groundcover plant fixes nitrogen, won't it still compete with trees and other plants for other nutrients and water? 

My garden has vinca major already in some spots and tbh it looks nice and it is native here but I am afraid it may deprive trees and bushes from nutrients.

[SeanK]

On 5/9/2025 at 2:48 PM, Than said:

I was looking for a topic like this. I am considering groundcovers and my question is this: even if a groundcover plant fixes nitrogen, won't it still compete with trees and other plants for other nutrients and water? 

My garden has vinca major already in some spots and tbh it looks nice and it is native here but I am afraid it may deprive trees and bushes from nutrients.

I see many plantings in my area that are overly crowded. If rain is light, it cannot reach the ground. When the rains reach the soil, trees have to compete with an excess of shrubbery. 

"Less is more"; If we want to display a particular plant, better to do it with minimal distraction. I would just mulch and maybe a couple of annual flowers.

[Than]

46 minutes ago, SeanK said:

I see many plantings in my area that are overly crowded. If rain is light, it cannot reach the ground. When the rains reach the soil, trees have to compete with an excess of shrubbery. 

"Less is more"; If we want to display a particular plant, better to do it with minimal distraction. I would just mulch and maybe a couple of annual flowers.

That would be an advantage during rainy and cool winters tho. I guess one needs to find the right balance