Are you looking for a groundcover to plant in dry areas such as under a tree, or by a fence, or on the north side of your house that are in a mix of sun and shade? One solution would be to use two different groundcovers in an area like this – one for the sun and one for the shade.

But if you are looking for a single groundcover for the entire area, here are three plants that are native to the Chicago region and can thrive in sun to shade. They don’t grow taller than about 18 inches, keep their leaves year-round, are resistant to browsing by critters, and attract pollinators. All spread slowly by rhizomes, which are underground stems.

You will have the best success planting these ground covers from plugs or small plants rather than from seeds. You can source these plants from local native plant group that have sales in the spring or fall, or from online native plant nurseries.

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Full sun (at least six hours direct light daily) to partial shade (four to six hours light daily)

Bearberry is a very hardy low growing evergreen with reddish stems, up to 1 ft. tall and 3-6 ft in width. It provides year-round interest in the landscape, starting in May with dainty white to pink bell-shaped flowers pollinated by long-tongued bees (Anthophoridae). The flowers develop into red berries in the summer which feed birds and small mammals such as chipmunks and voles. The leaves are glossy dark green in the growing season and turn purplish bronze in the winter.

It’s best to consider the site carefully because once Bearberry is established, it can grow vigorously to form a dense mat and does not do well when transplanted. Note that Bearberry is not Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), an invasive shrub with dense foliage that can harbor Deer Ticks, the carriers of Lyme Disease.

Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

Full sun (at least six hours direct light daily) to shade (two to four hours sun)

Pennsylvania Sedge has evergreen grass-like arching leaves. Actively growing in the cooler spring and fall seasons, it forms clumps up to eight inches high. It blooms in early spring with small cream-colored tufted flowers on spikes not much higher than the leaves, pollinated by caterpillars and beetles. These flowers turn into a tiny brown seed capsule.

Pennsylvania Sedge can be used in dry shade providing a soft flowing texture. It can be used as a grass alternative, mowed to a two inches in height, but tolerates less foot traffic than turfgrass. In full sun, it will need to be watered often.

Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum)

Full sun (at least six hours direct light daily) to partial shade (four to six hours light daily)

Prairie Smoke provides year-round changing interest in your garden. One of the first native plants to flower in spring, it blooms with pinkish to red nodding flowers; these transform into pink plumes with wispy seed tails resembling smoke which can last over a month. It grows to about 18-inches with green fern-like leaves that take on a bronze hue in the colder months.

Prairie Smoke will flower best in full sun with reduced flowering in partial shade. Bumble bees (Bombus pennysylvanicus), especially the queens that have overwintered, are the main pollinator.

Consider these three groundcovers for those challenging dry shade areas! For more info on native plants, check out extension.illinois.edu/keywords/native-plants.

Have a question for the Master Gardeners? Residents can contact the Kendall County Master Gardener volunteers during the growing season on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. by calling 630-553-5823, stopping in at 7775B IL Route 47, Yorkville, or emailing uiemg-kendall@illinois.edu. For helpful hints on what to include in your email, please visit go.illinois.edu/HelpDeskMGdkk.

Sue Styer is a certified master gardener and naturalist volunteer with University of Illinois Extension serving DuPage, Kane, and Kendall counties.