Many ground covers provide little more than green, but goldenstar (Chrysogonum virginianum), also known as golden knee, lights up the garden with showy, bright yellow, 1 1⁄2-inch-wide, star-shaped flowers from May to October. The blooms rise several inches above the low-growing, foot-tall foliage, creating a striking display, especially tucked away in the shade. Native from Pennsylvania to Florida, and south to Louisiana, goldenstar grows up to 18 inches per year, forming a dense, easy-to-manage mat that attracts pollinators when in bloom. Tolerant of part to full shade and adaptable to medium to wet, well-drained soils, it thrives in woodland gardens, rain gardens, or shaded borders, is virtually hands-off, and is one of the easiest groundcovers to start from seed.
Zones: 5 to 9
Size: Grows up to 1 foot tall and 1 1/2 feet wide
Lightrequirements: Part to full shade
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