Chrysogonum virginianum var. australe - GREEN AND GOLD (spreading form)

Reliable native groundcover with star-shaped yellow flowers and shiny deep green leaves. This perennial forms a low growing mat that spreads quickly by above-ground rhizomes (but can be easily controlled). Var. australe is a more prostrate and fast-growing form. It's similar to the variety ‘Allen Bush’, but has shorter flowering stems. The species, by contrast, spreads more slowly by underground rhizomes. Can be used as groundcover, in woodland gardens, front of borders, woodland garden edges, rock gardens, native plant gardens or naturalized areas.

The green mat of leaves prepares a nice base for taller plants; good companions can be native perennials like Actea pachypoda, Amsonia, Aquilegia canadensis, Asarum, woodland Asters, Cunilla origanoides, Dicentra formosa, Dodecatheon, Geranium maculatum, Heuchera, Tiarella (and Heucherella), Iris cristata, Mertensia virginiana, Monarda bradburiana, Penstemon smallii, Penstemon calycosus, Stylophorum diphyllum, Trillium, Carex pennsylvanica and other sedges.

Good non-native perennial companions can be Bergenia, Brunnera, Ceratostigma, Geranium, Helleborus, Hosta, Liriope, smaller ferns or grasses like Hakonechloa, Carex, etc.

Blooming Time: May, but some flowers appear 'til October
Size: 6” tall, 12” wide and spreading (spacing about 10-13”)
USDA Zones: 5 to 8
Culture: half sun, half shade, shade, average soil or drained soils, acidic to neutral. With constant moisture it can grow in full sun, too.
Moisture Needs: medium-dry, medium
Origin: Native wildflower to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi (distribution map - plants.usda.gov)
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: 3.5" x 4" perennial pot (1.22 pt/580 ml)