I thought I'd highlight one of the more rampant foliar aspects of my garden - a groundcover that can be found in almost every one of my beds. It is a native plant that initially appears as a few widely spaced plants, sprouting here and there.
But its amazing trait is that if simply ignored, it will quickly produce a thick verdant cover completely crowding out all your other garden plants. Though squirrels have been known to bury the occasional seed, these individual plants are nothing compared to the creeping wonder that readily sprouts from the roots of the adult plant.
Unfortunately, to produce truly amazing beds of this plant, they must develop naturally from the roots of the much larger adult plant. You can plant an adult specimen, but will likely have to wait for decades to get the full benefit of its ground cover.
Yes, I'm describing the wondrous Live Oak (Quercus virginiana). The adult trees naturally shade out almost all other plants, and quickly suck moisture from the soil, thereby depriving it from other more tender plants. This "bare" area, of course, cries out to the gardener to fill it with exotic and beautiful plants - never understanding that if they are just patient (or even if they are not), soon root sprouts will appear.
And if the gardener is distracted for a few moments, they will explode into luxuriant growth and quickly bury all those costly and lovingly tended plants - quickly making them obsolete.
Sigh...where are my pruners? Looks like a long day of snipping.
