Blue Star Creepers — Shady Area In Zone 5

Question

I’m thinking about planting Blue Star Creepers in our backyard under a cotton wood tree — so while we live in Zone 5 and have hot dry summer days and clay soil, the area is mostly shade, but getting some morning light and early evening light. Your site says they do well in full sun and full shade, but then another site says they need full sun. So, I’m confused. For our zone and in a primarily shaded area, would you recommend Blue Star Creepers or Early Snow Glories??? P.S. Our zip code suggests we are in Zone 6 but we are not, every nursery around here says that is more west of us and that we are zone 5. 🙂 Thank you!

Answer 1

I tend to agree with the zone 5 sentiment. I feel that setting the zones higher right before entering the solar minimum was a bad move. You used to be zone 4! By the middle of this solar minimum, you may be there again…

For now, I would stick with zone 5.

With that being said- Blue Star Creeper will grow there. It is a very hardy plant. It will not be happy during colder years, or colder than average winters, but it will bounce back through the summer. Here is an article that will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lawn-substitutes/blue-star-creeper-lawn/blue-star-creeper-plant.htm

You do have several other choices. Most will prefer full sun, but most will do just fine in shade, as well. This article will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/gardening-by-zone/zone-5/ground-covers-in-zone-5.htm