The Seven Samurai of Weed Control

Researchers from Cornell University found these perennials to be super weed suppressors. Meet the seven samurai of weed control:

1. 'Emerald Blue' moss phlox
(Phlox subulata)

• Full sun
• Mat-forming habit
• 4 to 6 inches tall; 24 inches wide
• Hardy in Zones 3 through 9
• Good spring and summer coverage; declines slightly in fall
• Lavender-blue flowers in April and May
• Native; evergreen
   

Photo: (cc) Ajari/Flickr

2. 'Thriller' lady's mantle
(Alchemilla mollis)

• Full sun to shade
• Clumping habit
• 12 to 18 inches tall; 24 inches wide
• Hardy in Zones 4 through 7
• Dense canopy of broad, scalloped leaves
• Pale yellow flowers from late spring to early fall
   

Photo: (cc) Leonora Enking/Flickr

3. 'Walker's Low' Catmint
(Nepeta x faassenii)

• Full sun to light shade
• Upright habit
• 18 to 24 inches tall; 18 inches wide
• Hardy in Zones 3 through 9
• Rapidly growing foliage produces dense cover by late spring
• Light blue flowers from late June to mid-September
   

Photo: (cc) Andrea/Flickr

4. 'Golden Fleece' Dwarf Goldenrod
(Solidago sphacelata)

• Full sun to light shade
• Upright habit
• 18 inches tall; 24 inches wide
• Hardy in Zones 3 through 8
• Dark green foliage
• Bright yellow flowers throughout summer, into early fall
• Exceptionally stress-tolerant; native
• Attracts butterflies
   

Photo: (cc) Susi von Oettingen/USFWS

5. 'Albiflorus' Creeping Thyme
(Thymus praecox)

• Full sun to light shade
• Mat-forming habit
• 2 inches tall; 18 inches wide
• Hardy in Zones 5 through 7
• Vigorous spreader; thickens again in early fall after floweringv Needs to be weeded during first year because of low growth habit
• Tiny white blooms in late spring and early summer
• Pleasant-smelling, evergreen
• Good for relatively dry conditions or on well-drained slopes, not for wet areas
   

Dig Deeper: How to Grow Thyme

Photo: Photo(cc) Margot Here/Flickr

6. 'Herman's Pride' False Lamium
(Lamiastrum galeobdolon)

• Light shade to full shade
• Clumping, or restrained spreading, habit
• 12 to 18 inches tall; 18 to 24 inches wide
• Hardy in Zones 4 through 9
• Fast-growing dense canopy spreads by stolons, particularly in second year
• Maintains mottled yellow-green foliage throughout growing season
• Pale yellow flowers from late spring through midsummer
   

Photo: (cc) Dean Morley/Flickr

7. 'Majestic' Lilyturf
(Liriope)

• Light shade
• Clumping habit
• 8 to 12 inches tall; 6 to 12 inches wide
• Hardy in Zones 4 through 10
• Dark green grasslike foliage emerges in late spring
• Violet-blue flower spikes in July and August
• Flowers followed by blue-black berry clusters
• Evergreen
   

Photo: (cc) Leonora Enking/Flickr

Continue Reading: 8 Weeds You Can Eat