Say Goodbye to Your Lawn - Discover the Eco-Friendly Alternative! (Phyla nodiflora ground cover)

Looking for a lawn alternative to grass, that is drought tolerant, a native wildflower, and a lawn alternative that you can walk on. Then check out this video where I will take you through a native groundcover project that I started one year ago using frogfruit aka turkey tangle aka fog fruit aka phyla nodiflora. See the amazing progress and insights.
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[@LaRa-youknowit]

“Keep your crazy in a box” lol

[@Hex262]

This might be my favorite video on this channel! I love that you laid out the pros and cons of frogfruit and showed us what it looks like in a mature stage. Now I know I might want to keep it away from a lot of other plantings. I've had frogfruit for a few years in a raised bed but only recently set some loose in a mulched portion of my yard. I am also likewise trialing beach duneflower, creeping sage and pineland lantana. Let us know which of these four groundcovers you feel performs best for you as a potential turfgrass replacement.

[@mokong4427]

Keep us updated. I live in texas. I hate lawns. Too expensive to maintain. Not to mention how much water are wasted. I think I found the groundcover I need. Thanks for the vid!

[@gcxred4kat9]

I'm in The Florida Native Plant Society and from St Pete as well. Since that area gets very wet certain times of year, you might wanna try bacopa monnieri. It's native and attracts many of the same butterflies and fun fact it's edible.

[@lisamay6769]

I love frog fruit! It grows great in Abilene Texas with little or no water. We have been in a drought for years and it still grows.

[@benkimhanson1903]

Frog fruit definitely spreads like crazy once it gets started. I started perennial peanut, sunshine mimosa and creeping sage all at the same time and they didn’t stand much of a chance agains the frogfruit. It does grow right onto the driveway though. I really like your videos, I have transformed my front yard into a butterfly garden and it has been so helpful learning about native wildflowers through your channel.

[@catherinecarreiro3955]

So I’m taking the leap here in Las Vegas. I hate rocks. Which raise the temps and aids to run off and does nothing for the wild life. I’m planting 2 kinds of ground cover at opposite ends to see how they do. In less traffic area I’m planting juniper horizontal which is drought resistant and a lovely blue green with blue flowers. I know I’m not in Fl ( yet) I still enjoy all your videos and information. Everglades tomatoes do well here. Thank you

[@JonLoeffler62]

Looking good Ms. Wild

[@janallyn6830]

Yep. I had the same experience with frogfruit in a wildflower area. It's good if you can use it as a monoculture/lawn alternative. River sage, Salvia misella, was also too rampant in my wildflower area and I had to rip it out.

[@julieallison5739]

In a wildflower bed, can frogfruit be trimmed back to maintain a neat distance or a kept in a controlled area? I looking to use it in pathways and a kind of boarder in my pollinator garden.

[@beckyp5376]

Thanks for talking about this plant. I've been wanting to get a few of these ever since I seen them at Little Red Wagon. I used to see this growing everywhere growing up. Now, not so much.

[@FaithVsFate]

This would be the opportunity to just place the wildflowers and others in the established frogfruit patch into beautiful decorative pots that are much higher than the frogfruit. Problem solved

[@emac543]

Thank you, I have been propagating frog fruit and was trying to find out how it would do next to my wildflowers and small shrubs. This was a big help.

[@mwnemo]

Thanks for the update! Looks like it will work as a lawn alternative. I planted some along with perennial peanut in a few dead spots in my lawn. All I want it a green carpet for that lawn spot.

[@LaRa-youknowit]

I have match stick, but I mow it, you can see the flowers when we come out of winter when I’m not moving, it’s all through the lawn, but it gets mowed

[@erikaerika7788]

Frogfruit is growing wild in my yard...but gets eaten by deer bunny n butterflies ..so hardly gets big ..i am trying to grow it in my patio as i have peakcok butterfly here

[@stevensparks19]

This video is so helpful. I’m in Maryland, zone 7B, and have been scouring the internet for a low growing ground cover that can tolerate foot traffic. This video has been the most informative video I’ve seen about this plant out there. I’m very excited to plant a couple in my front yard and watch it take off. Do you think it’s worth removing the current grass that’s there, or do you think the frog fruit would just outcompete it and kill it off for me?

[@yesidtac7863]

Muy buen vlog

[@snoopanoop7705]

Interesting

[@sauronwasright]

Thank you for the update. I've been looking forward to seeing how your frog fruit was doing. Also I wouldn't suggest it as a complete lawn alternative but if you wanted another native ground cover, to add alongside the frog fruit, I'd suggest Carolina ponysfoot (Dichondra carolinensis). It spreads via stolon and the leaves are small but its growth is rapid in the right conditions. The right conditions being the monsoon flood waters. It's edible and has cute little flowers to boot. If you don't mind the super weedy look (which I personally love) you could also use dollarweed (Hydrocotyle spp.). Which adds a much different texture, is edible, and can also handle wet conditions. Either of these would also be much less likely to take over your wildflower bed.

[@youtubesarasota5379]

So, what groundcover would you recommend in between native flowers? Mimosa or peanut or just mulch?

[@WildFloridian]

It is tricky. Native porter weed or beach verbena. They will generally keep some weeds out and let native wildflowers reseed. But they will let unwanted weeds in too. Native sunshine mimosa I’m testing in another bed. Perennial peanut isn’t native so I’m not testing it. The challenge with mulch is it blocks reseeding. I’m testing/observing about 10 different ground covers right now.

[@FrequentBreaks]

How well do you think it would do in shade? I have read that it prefers full sun but if it would stay green and cover the sand under my trees I’d be thrilled!

[@strokeandthegarden9496]

iv been getting rid of my lawn one row at a time.

[@nancycaldarola3090]

We are in zone 10a in Fl . Would u consider this a strong ground cover for a mid size extremely active dog. She runs and is a digger . We watch the grass and roots fly out of our Sandy soil as she runs . She has torn up the lawn. Looking for a solution that’s long lasting and comfortable to walk on barefoot

[@kareno8634]

*You Inspire and Revive the Dead.* ... I can definitely Feel the desire stirring again. {{sigh}} *Thank You!* 2:29 lol "in theory"... wonder if what said is How i'm interpreting? but .. 5:30 oh. haha I let mine seed, then collect it. WHY?! I Must ask myself. ugh Good News about having to "rip" 'Frogfruit' out, you have a place to move it. : }

[@chalkitup4827]

This is a question from an earlier video. I saw where you got whorled milkweed. Any regrets? I bought two, not knowing that they spread by rhizomes. Some sources say they spread by seeds? I'm worried about rhizomes as I have had trouble with other plants (I'm talking to you, Heliconia!). Should I dig them up and stick them in pots to be safe?

[@42captjoey]

Having a hard time finding frog fruit in eastern North Carolina does anyone have any advice. Wilmington NC

[@mollytrap]

Does it fix nitrogen I wonder?

[@scottburgle4889]

Since it’s a trailing plant if the neighbor would overspray herbicide (yuk), does that mean it could kill a large portion of the plant only if sprayed on the edges?

[@peachydiie]

What do you think of replacing your lawn with clover?

[@300tdavis]

Would you recommend frog fruit to cover backyard septic field in Florida zone 9a. Looking for something that can go all over yard but also cover new septic field if roots don’t go too far down. Any ideas are appreciated thanks in advance

[@WildFloridian]

Yes, absolutely. The roots only go about a foot deep. I just dug up that front patch shown in the video that got tall and it was only 12 inches deep at most.

[@lisabracken273]

All I can think is it a haven for snakes 😩

[@valchris11]

I want to love natives , but yikes! I am sticking with my grass for now. I would love to get a lawn alternative because I want to have less work.

[@Almiel0205]

How’s the side yard looking this year?

[@WildFloridian]

Mr. Cliff likes to let the frogfruit get leggy so it looks ok. He's been mowing it every 3 to 4 weeks. But the backyard... was all killed by Shiloh... except for one spot... and that has started to take off. Hopefully later this year I can show you how amazing it is looking.

[@BackyardFlorida]

I don't personally like Matchstick too well. It always seems to 'take over'. I've always considered it to be a weed.

[@WildFloridian]

LOL! You can see where it took over in my garden 😂😭😂

[@BackyardFlorida]

@@WildFloridian Yep.

[@jholcomb9052]

We are in zone 9a. Where would we find frog fruit to buy?

[@WildFloridian]

Native nurseries carry it. I got mine from Wilcox in Largo.

[@Sunjoy1]

​@@WildFloridian that was my question too..I'm in New Port Richey..alo I'd be planting it in weedy sand...will it do well??

[@sonnyamoran7383]

Can't do frog fruit. We have too many BAD snakes. And I have small dogs.

[@juanpinto5743]

Is it comfortable for walking on barefoot?

[@WildFloridian]

Huh… I haven’t tried. My guess it is equivalent to St. Augustine. Give me a minute I’ll go out and report back.

[@LaRa-youknowit]

Yes, I have tons

[@juanpinto5743]

@@LaRa-youknowitthank you!!

[@lindylou3519]

Nothing better than walking in thick, lush St Augustine grass barefoot. 😁