Plants for Retaining Walls

Retaining walls may not look stunning on their own, but they perform a very important function in helping control erosion. If you’re someone who has a retaining wall running through their property, you can easily dress it up by adding plants around it that camouflage the wall or that provide visual interest by cascading down the side. We’re going to outline several functional and pretty plants for your retaining wall below.

1. Creeping Thyme
   This plant is very popular because it is a pretty cascading plant. It’s a low-growing perennial that creates a very dense mat of tiny leaves, and it’ll spread very rapidly over and down your retaining wall. It’ll thrive in a huge range of conditions, and it’s very easy to grow. There are also several types of creeping thyme available, and they offer different leaf textures and colors with hundreds of tiny flowers.

2. Cascading Rock Cress
   This plant is also called Aubretia, and it’s a plant that virtually anyone can grow. You’ll get a herbaceous perennial that thrives in rugged environments. It likes to be in at least partial sun if you can’t put it in a full sun location with well-draining soil. When it grows, it hugs the surfaces of walls and rocks. Over the years, this low-maintenance plant will give you a huge mat of flowers and green foliage with a very pretty but light scent.

3. Tumbling Losetto Tomato
   A tumbling tomato won’t give you coverage for your retaining wall all year-round, but they do produce delicious fruit in the summer months. To get the biggest visual impact, plant a row of cascading tomato plants along the top of your retaining wall. As they grow, they’ll spill over the wall with vibrant green leaves, cheerful yellow flowers, and then sweet and succulent red tomatoes.

4. Wave Petunia
   If you’re trying to cover your retaining wall as quickly as possible, it’s hard to beat the petunia’s speed. These are low-maintenance and colorful annuals that will spread up to four feet at full maturity, and they give you a stunning splash of colors. Petunias love to be in well-draining soil in a sunny location so they can be happy at the top of your retaining wall. They’ll also flower again and again throughout the spring and summer months without any deadheading.

5. Trailing Lobelia
   Most gardeners already know what lobelia is, and it’s a popular plant around the world. There are now over 400 lobelia types available, and it’s easy to find one to fit your growing zone. Trailing cultivars create a nice visual display with star-shaped, tiny flowers that cascade. They love warm locations, so you should put them in full sun for the best results. You can treat them as perennials in some zones, but they’re annuals in cooler zones.

Evergreen Landscaping Has Plants for Your Retaining Walls

Don’t leave your retaining wall bare and sticking out like a sore thumb in your yard or garden. Instead, contact the professionals at Evergreen Landscaping and allow us to help you choose the perfect plants to add visual interest and pops of color to your space all summer long.