The Flowering Ground Cover You Should Grow For Healthy Soil

Whether you're looking for an alternative to traditional grass or you're simply looking for great ground covers for flower beds, there are an array of ground cover plants to choose from. With so many options to consider, it's a task in and of itself narrowing down your ideal choice. To simplify the decision, you should first understand what you're looking for when it comes to ground cover. If you're drawn to striking florals that bring several other benefits to your garden, everlasting sweet peas might be the perfect fit for you.

While a majority of sweet pea varieties are climbers, this particular type is considered an "explorer plant". That means it can sprawl out on the ground instead of needing the support of a trellis. Everlasting sweet pea (Lathyrus latifolius) is a perennial vine featuring dramatic, herbaceous tendrils and white to bright pink flowers. Its stunning blooms not only offer a marvelous show of flowers throughout the summer, but they also attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Additionally, sweet peas help enrich soil with nitrogen, an essential nutrient for other plants. 

The everlasting sweet pea is a member of the legume family. This type of plant maintains a symbiotic relationship with a bacteria called rhizobia. While most plants rely on decaying organic matter to sequester usable nitrogen, the sweet pea gets a helping hand from this bacteria. Rhizobia establishes itself in the root hairs of legumes, converting N2 into NH3 – a process also known as nitrogen fixation. The atmosphere is filled with N2, but most organisms can't process N2 into usable nitrogen. This is a major leg up for the everlasting sweet pea. After taking what it needs, it can also leave behind spare NH3 in soil that other plants will benefit from as well.

If you're eager to take advantage of this incredible ground cover plant, you're in luck. The everlasting sweet pea is fairly easy to care for in the right environment, sprawling out in bushy tendrils under most any condition. However, if you really want this plant to thrive, consider its ideal growing conditions. While this ground cover plant can grow in shade, it prefers full sun. Opt for well-draining soil rich in organic matter to encourage your everlasting sweet pea to grow abundantly throughout the season. This is one of the more drought-tolerant groundcovers you can grow in your yard and garden, but it will appreciate moderate watering throughout the week. Encourage more flowers to form by deadheading older flowers before they form seeds. Be warned that this plant can become weedy if untamed, and may be considered invasive in some areas, especially in the western United States. Once the season ends, it's a good idea to cut all the vines down to make way for new growth next year.