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Q: What are Jeepers Creepers® plants for? |
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A: These plants are for all kinds of great uses, including edging borders or paths, planting between flagstones in patios or walkways, replacing lawns, growing on slopes or in difficult dry areas, massing as a groundcover or just tucking into odd corners here and there. Try out our handy Search feature to help you find the best plant to suit your needs. |
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Q: Are these the ones that come back every year? |
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A: Yes. Jeepers Creepers® plants are hardy perennials. If you select varieties rated hardy to your region, then they should come back each year. Some types will even stay evergreen. See the question below about winter hardiness. |
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Q: Which Jeepers Creepers® are winter hardy in my region? |
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A: Each region offers a different set of winter weather conditions, and it can make a big difference which plants you select to begin with. Our site provides a range of USDA Hardiness Zones for each plant listed. If the plant is listed hardy in Zones 4 to 9 and you live in Zone 6, then it should do just fine, because your Zone falls within the range. The same plant would not be the best choice for a garden in Zone 2 or 3.
USDA Zones are based on the "average annual winter temperature", so if you know how cold it gets in your area during winter, it should be easy to figure out your Zone. You will find an of Interactive USDA Hardiness Zone Map here, or check out the Agriculture Canada Hardiness Zone Map. For Canadian gardeners, it's wise to figure out your hardiness zone in both systems, since they do differ. |
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Q: Which ones are good for sun or shade? |
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A: Our handy Search feature allows you to pull up various Jeepers Creepers® plants based on your available light conditions. It's always a good idea to try and match the plant requirements to your site conditions as closely as possible. |
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Q: How tall do these get? |
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A: Each type of Jeepers Creepers® is assigned a height range in both inches and centimeters. This is to help you find the best plant for the job you have in mind. For planting between flagstones in a pathway, for instance, you're going to want to select very short plants or people will be tripping on them. Another alternative is to mow your plants to keep them short, but choosing a plant that gets to the right height to begin with is a lot less work. |
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Q: How quickly will they spread? |
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A: We've rated the plants on this site by their approximate rate of spread (slow, medium, fast) and also given the approximate range of spread in both inches and centimeters. If you plant them about the same distance apart as they will grow in width, the plants should eventually join together to form a solid patch - on average after about two growing seasons. Obviously, the faster the rate of spread, the more quickly this will happen. If you choose a slow-spreading plant and want faster results, just place them more closely together at planting time. |
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Q: Can I plant these between paving stones and walk on them? |
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A: By all means! Choose low-growing selections that are also rated medium or high for Foot Traffic. These plants will fill in the gaps between stones but still stay low enough to avoid tripping pathway users. Be aware, however, that plants do not give the same grip as stone, so pathways may become somewhat hazardous when wet. In regions with regular winter snow, plants can also interfere with snow removal or cause a buildup of ice. |
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Q: I'd like to put in a lawn substitute. Which Jeepers Creepers® plants would work well, and how many would I need? |
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A: Using our Search feature, select the option for "Which Jeepers Creepers could I use to Replace my lawn", then hit Search. A list of suitable candidates will appear, then you will need to sort them according to your hardiness zone, light and soil moisture conditions to find the best fit.
For plants rated as fast growing they should fill in to form a solid patch in about two years if spaced at the same distance apart as the range of spread. Closer planting will give you a faster fill. First, figure out the square footage of your area. If the range of spread indicates 12 inches you will need 1 plant per square foot. See under Planting Tips for a handy plant calculator chart. |
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Q: If I use Jeepers Creepers® as a lawn substitute, do I have to mow them? Will it last forever? |
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A: If you choose plants that are low growing to begin with, little or no mowing will be required. Some taller types will tolerate mowing, particularly Creeping Chamomile and Snow-in-Summer. Mowing either of these right after blooming will encourage a dense and compact habit. If you intend to walk on your plants, be sure to choose something with a "high" rating for foot traffic.
So far as lasting forever, there are very few perennials that are as sturdy as lawn grass, particularly if you plan to walk on them a lot. In time, most Jeepers Creepers® are going to develop patchy areas, just like your lawn does. These areas will need to be replanted to fill in the gaps. However, with little or no mowing required, and low fertilizer needs, Jeepers Creepers® plants are a good alternative for areas like difficult-to-mow steep slopes. |
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Q: Do Jeepers Creepers® take a lot of work to maintain? Do I need to water them a lot? |
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A: These plants are going to need the most amount of attention in their first year, while they are getting established. Regular watering is a good idea, especially during periods of extended drought. Even plants rated as drought tolerant will need a bit of coddling to help them develop a strong root system, so weekly watering for the first month is a good idea, or twice a week during hot weather. Daily watering is something to try and avoid. That can result in weak and floppy plants, or possibly lead to root rot.
We highly recommend mulching around your plants, using about a one inch layer of weed-free organic matter. Bagged bark mulch, sterilized bagged compost or manure, pine needles and many other mulching products are available at garden centers. Be careful not to place mulch directly over your new plants. Mulching around them is good, but taper the mulch down to nothing as you approach the plant stems or leaves. Mulch not only helps to conserve soil moisture, but it can help to discourage weed seeds in your soil from germinating. Any weeds that you notice should be removed while still small. Doing this by hand is the easiest method, and it's a quick and easy task if you catch the weeds early. Plan to do a weed inspection every two weeks during the first season, and once a month or so in future years. |
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Q: What about using landscape fabric underneath my Jeepers Creepers® plants? |
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A: Landscape fabric can work well around trees and shrubs but it's usually not a good choice for perennial plantings. The fabric acts like a collar, preventing the growth crown from increasing as it wants to. Many of the Jeepers Creepers® plants are mat-forming, crawling along the ground and rooting in as they grow. Landscape fabric makes it difficult for them to form new roots, so open patches might show up after a few seasons. When this occurs, adding more plants to fill in those open spaces becomes extremely difficult to do when landscape fabric is in the way. |
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Q: Are any of these plants good for deep shade under my Crimson King Maple? |
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A: Growing anything in the extreme conditions of dry shade under dense maples (also pines, spruce, cedars and other shallow-rooted large trees) is difficult. A little groundcover finds it very hard to compete with the thirsty root system of a huge tree. Look for plants that are rated as both drought tolerant and suitable for partial or full shade.
Plants rated for average to moist conditions will grow fine if you are willing to commit to watering them weekly throughout the growing season. If you go away for extended periods during the summer then a mulch of pea gravel, bark mulch or other decorative material might be a better choice for those dry, shady parts of your garden. |
