Some ground covers not only beautify your garden, but also your plates. Here we show you which ground covers are edible.
Weeds are really not one of our favorite visitors to the garden, after all it means that we have to invest a lot of time weeding or even use chemicals to keep our beds looking neat. If you don't feel like it, you can use ground covers: With their low, dense growth, the plants reliably suppress unwanted guests and are also extremely decorative. Conveniently, many types not only look good, but also taste delicious. Whether it's crunchy leaves, sweet berries or aromatic spices - you shouldn't miss these ten edible ground covers.
Edible ground covers: Our top 10
Edible ground covers are not only delicious, they are also practical. We have put together our top 10 for your garden.
1. New Zealand Spinach
New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) is a real insider tip for anyone who wants to harvest fresh vegetables without much effort: the annual leafy vegetable self-seeds and is good for sunny locations as very easy to care for. However, the plant only remains a ground cover if it is harvested regularly, otherwise it grows up to two meters high. The harvest of the New Zealand spinach is rewarded with delicious leaves, which - similar to spinach (Spinacia oleracea) - are good for salads, but also taste steamed.
2. Woodruff
Woodruff (Galium odoratum) with its unique aroma is a popular ingredient for sweet dishes, desserts, punch bowls and ice cream and is also popular with young and old. The plant does not look bad in the garden either: with its bright white flowers, it is a wonderful groundcover. The shade plant also enchants shady spots in the garden with its unique charm. However, the woodruff should only be consumed in moderation: the coumarin it contains can lead to symptoms of poisoning in large quantities.
3. Chickweed
Only a few plants do well in damp, shady spots - not so the chickweed (Stellaria media). Even in these unloved places, the herbaceous plant spreads without any problems. The leaves of the plant are ideal for salads and are not to be scoffed at when steamed. At the same time, chickweed is full of vitamins and minerals and is not only popular with people, but also with birds.
4. Creeping Rosemary
Mediterranean herbs can be found in every garden and spoil us with their wonderful aroma. So why not combine the beautiful with the useful? The creeping rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis 'Prostratus') does exactly that: Due to its creeping growth, the plant is ideal as a ground cover - at the same time the creeping spoils However, rosemary also has the usual great, intense aroma and is a wonderful spice for fish and meat.
5. Purslane
Hardy, undemanding and with a creeping habit - the purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a great ground cover plant for beginners and looks great with its white and light pink flowers . At the same time, purslane is also a great addition to the kitchen, it is perfect as a winter vegetable. You can enjoy purslane as a fresh salad or prepare it like spinach, which has given the plant the name "winter spinach". In addition, purslane is considered to be extremely he althy: with its many minerals and vitamins, the vegetable is the perfect addition to any diet.
6. Creeping Mahonia
The creeping mahonia (Mahonia repens) offers wonderful yellow flowers and a heavenly fragrance. With its bright flowers, the mahonia is a real eye-catcher, which is not only used by humans, but also by beneficial organisms such as bees. The berries of the plant are edible, but not everyone's taste, because they are considered to be very acidic. To soften the acidity a little, the berries are also often made into jelly or jam and are then real delicacies.
7.Gundermann
The ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea is a wonderful groundcover): It stays small, is relatively hard-wearing and also very robust. The plant with its small violet flowers is also not to be sneezed at visually. The leaves of the plant also impress with a great, intense taste: they are perfect for herb butter or salads.
8. Sweet Violet
Many think that ground covers look boring - an outdated prejudice, as the sweet violet (Viola odorata) impressively shows us. With their uncomplicated nature and creeping growth, the violets are perfect as ground cover, but they are anything but dull: blue-violet flowers are an impressive eye-catcher, while the smell of the aromatic plant beguiles the nose at the same time. But the violet is not to be scoffed at in the kitchen either: Candied, as a dessert, but also in salads, the violet is popular and not only provides the right taste, but also makes a wonderful decoration.
9. Nasturtium
If you are looking for an all-rounder for your bed, you have made the right decision with the nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus): Pretty flowers in bright colors make the plant a real feast for the eyes, at the same time Weeds are well suppressed, and the nasturtium is also considered to be extremely easy to care for. It is also not to be scoffed at from a culinary point of view: the leaves and flowers of the plant not only taste wonderfully spicy, you can also use the seed pod as a substitute for capers.
10. Wild Strawberry
Who could resist this treat? The wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is a great ground cover for those with a sweet tooth. Slightly smaller than the usual cultivars, the wild strawberry impresses with beautiful flowers and feels particularly at home in the shade. Although their fruits are also slightly smaller than those of the garden strawberry, they make up for this with a much more intense, sweeter taste. The leaves of the wild strawberry can also be used - for example, you can use them to make tea.
If you want to know which flowers are edible and should definitely find their way onto your plate, then have a look at our special article here.