Image – Flickr/manual mv
Slopes can be a challenge for every gardener, because finding plants that can strengthen it and, moreover, look beautiful, is usually expensive. And it’s that, yes, we can take it for granted that if we don’t do something, the seeds of wild weeds will surely end up falling on this earth, germinating and covering them with green, but… is that what that we want ? It’s definitely an option, but we’ll give you another.
There is a series of plants for slopes that have great ornamental value. Trees, bushes (what we can call “false shrubs” or “pseudo-shrubs” because they never stop lignifying), also of course shrubby plants, and more. Here you have a small selection.
Agapanthus (African agapanthus)
Agapanthus is a rhizomatous plant with ribbon-like leaves that can measure about 30 or 35 centimeters in length. Once it reaches adulthood, its height is about 40 centimeterswe are therefore talking about a species that really does not take up much space, so it is interesting to put several specimens together.
Its flowers can be bluish or white and bloom during the summer. They come from a flower stalk that nearly doubles the height of the plant, so they can be seen from afar. It is frost resistant down to -4°C.
Cinnamon (Melia Azedarach)
Image – Wikimedia/Anna Anichkova
Cinnamon or melia is a deciduous tree that reaches a height of about 10-15 meters. It develops a very wide crown, up to 6-7 meters in diameter and can reach 8 meters. Its leaves are odd-pinnate and reach 40 centimeters long; They are green except in autumn, which turn yellow before falling.
It produces a lot of shade, so much so that it can be a perfect excuse to turn the slope into a corner for plants that don’t like too much direct sun, like ivy for example, or flowers like pansies. It resists frost well down to -12ºC. Of course, its life expectancy is about 20 years, but its growth is very fast.
Woody Cinnamon (Potentilla fruticosa)
Image – Wikimedia/Jerzy Opioła
The woody cinchona is an evergreen shrub that grows about half a meter, but can reach 100 centimeters in height. You have to take into account that it branches a lot, so if you want to put other plants next to it, you will have to do it at a distance of about 40 centimeters.
It blooms in spring producing many yellow flowers. These appear at the top of some branches and are about 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter. It resists down to -20ºC.
San Juan grass (Hypericum perforatum)
Image – Flickr/Ettore Balocchi
St. John’s wort is a perennial herb that reaches a height of 80 centimeters. It has green leaves and produces yellow flowers during the summer. It is a very beautiful, low-maintenance plant that looks great on sunny slopes.
It does not require much maintenance, although it is important that the ground is well drained so that it can grow. Resists down to -7ºC.
Maidenweed (vinca major)
Maidenweed is an evergreen shrub that reaches a height of 1 meter. Its leaves are green, about 6 centimeters long and end in a point. Its flowers are relatively small, about 3 centimeters in diameter, and lilac with a white center. These grow in the spring.
It is a plant that looks great on the slopes, where it grows without any problems. In addition, you need to take into account that it can be both in full sun and in partial shade. It resists down to -10ºC.
Soap dish in China (Koelreuteria paniculata)
The Chinese soap tree is a deciduous tree that reaches 7 meters high. Its crown is wide, but not too wide since it is about 3-4 meters wide. This one is populated with pinnate green leaves that are up to 40 centimeters long. But undoubtedly its greatest attraction is its flowers: they appear in spring, grouped in terminal panicles that can reach 40 centimeters in length, and they are yellow.
It is a very little or not at all demanding plant, which only needs to be in a sunny place and with a temperate climate, with frosts. It resists down to -18ºC.
Juniper horizontalis
Image – Wikimedia/David J. Stang
The Juniper horizontalis It is a low-growing evergreen conifer, since generally does not exceed one meter in height. The branches are very long, reaching 2-3 meters in length. As these grow on the sides, it is a plant that serves to cover the ground a little.
The most interesting thing is that it can be both in full sun and in the shade, and even near the sea. It tolerates drought well and frosts down to -10°C.
Lavender (Lavandula sp.)
All varieties of lavender make excellent slope plants. They reach an approximate height of 1 meter by more or less the same width, and bloom throughout the spring and summer. If you plant them in a sunny place, you will surely make the slope look spectacular.
And the best thing is that they are very resistant to drought, as well as frosts down to -7 ° C, so you don’t have to worry about anything.
Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)
Plumbago or blue jasmine is an evergreen shrub that not only grows quickly, but also “only” reaches a height of about 2 meters Provided you let it grow on its own. Still, it holds up very well to the waist, so you can have it lower if you want. It blooms in spring and summer, producing blue or white flowers.
Now, if you want her to be good, it is important that you put her in a sunny place, because in the shade she will have a hard time producing her beautiful flowers. Resists cold and frost down to -7°C.
Byzantine Stachys
Image – Wikimedia/Jean-Pol GRANDMONT
The Byzantine Stachys It is a perennial herb reaches a height of about 70 centimeters. Its stems are erect and these flowers and these are covered with grayish hairs that are soft to the touch. It doesn’t produce many leaves, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t pretty; in fact, not only is it, but it is also very easy to maintain.
But it must be in a sunny place and it must be watered fairly little, because if there is anything it can fear, it is excess water in its roots. It resists down to -10ºC.
What do you think of the embankment plants that we have presented to you here?