2023 What Groundcover Plants Pair Well With Sunroses: Expert Tell You

Best Companion Plants for Sunroses

Lavenderlavender, a common companion plant for sunrose, shares similar growing requirements and flower timing. Lavender prefers well-drained soil and full sun exposure like Helianthemum, the genus of sunroses. They also bloom during summer for contrasting color and aroma.

Other suitable flowering plants to pair with sunrose include thyme thyme, alyssum alyssum, and fig marigold due to their longevity and minimal resource demands. Ornamental grasses like liriope liriope provide visual interest and cover ground near sunroses.
More comprehensive information and care guidelines can be read here.

sunrose, thyme, brown gingers in white box — *Photo by* *Sincerely Media* / *Unsplash*

Low-Maintenance Groundcovers That Complement Sunroses

Several drought tolerant and adaptable plants make ideal low-growing groundcover companions for sunroses. Creeping juniper creeping juniper thrives in hot, dry environments and forms a compact mat of woody scales for a distinct textural contrast. Another reliable choice is fig marigold fig marigold, a short perennial with bright green foliage and golden yellow daisy-like flowers that bloom summer through fall.

Woolly thyme woolly thyme and ajuga ajuga also work well as evergreen groundcovers around sunroses. Both plants spread rapidly via above-ground stems and stolons to fill in open areas:

Woolly thyme features gray-green foliage and tiny pink flowers, providing year-round visual appeal.
Ajuga sports blue or purplish leaves throughout the seasons along with clusters of small blue flower spikes.

Once established, these groundcovers require little care besides periodic pruning and shearing to maintain their compact form. They feature a spread twice as wide as their height, allowing them to blanket the soil around clusters of upright sunrose plants.

sunrose, thyme, red and white ice cream on white ceramic plate — *Photo by* *Jojo Yuen (sharemyfoodd)* / *Unsplash*

Enhancing the Beauty of Sunrose Beds with Groundcover Selections

By incorporating groundcovers with contrasting characteristics, the visual appeal of sunrose plantings can be significantly boosted. Consider pairing sunroses with:

Society garlicSociety garlic society garlic for its green and white variegated foliage that stands out beside the dusty green leaves of Helianthemum.
Crested iris for its tall fans of narrow blue or purple leaves and June bloom time – after sunroses have finished flowering in spring.

For seasonal interest, also look for groundcovers like:

Lilyturf with straplike gray-green leaves in spring changing to burgundy in fall.
Starjasmine featuring small white flowers in winter when sunroses are dormant.

Such combinations of:

Foliage color and texture
Flowering timing
Growth form

Create a dynamic landscape design where contrast rather than match is key. The rugged clumps of sunrose serve as anchor plants surrounded by a low carpet of ever-changing companion groundcovers. Compared to singly planted beds of Helianthemum, these mixed plantings exhibit greater visual complexity and aesthetic rhythm.

sunrose, thyme, purple flower on black textile — *Photo by* *Sigmund* / *Unsplash*

Creating a Vibrant Tapestry with Sunroses and Companion Groundcovers

A thoughtful blend of sunroses and low-growing companion plants can transform an ordinary landscape into an appealing tapestry of interwoven colours, textures and forms. By combining plants with:

Contrasting foliage: for example, the dusty green leaves of Helianthemum paired with the variegated white and green blades of Lamb’s earsLamb’s ears.
Offset bloom times: such as sunroses flowering in spring alongside Verbena bonariensis Verbena bonariensis which blooms from summer through fall.
Complementary flower colours: like the orange daisy blooms of Helianthemum combined with the purple flowers of Hen and chicksHen and chicks.
Varying heights and growth habits: for instance, the clumping mounds of sunroses paired with sprawling mats of Woolly thymeWoolly thyme.

A mix of sunrose cultivars with different characteristics can also increase diversity, as can alternating sections of contrasting groundcover combinations.

The result is a low-maintenance, ever-changing living carpet that: