256 Landscape Design, Installation, and Management Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. or problem areas as well as to create areas requiring little or no maintenance once established. • As an attractive alternative to turfgrass on slopes that are too steep to mow easily. • As weed barriers by providing dense plantings that slow or eliminate weeds in areas, such as the fl oor of an outdoor room. • For erosion control by slowing water fl ow on slopes and/or drainage areas. A woody evergreen, such as a juniper, would be a good selection. • To landscape an area where turfgrass will not grow due to extreme site conditions. • In place of turfgrass in areas of the landscape that are too wet or have too much shade. • To create a landscape bed requiring little routine maintenance and where the height of plant material is important. The ground cover selected will depend on the intended function. Ground covers, for example, are commonly used in parking lot islands. The ground covers create a bed that requires little maintenance and the short height does not block the drivers’ view over the bed. The plants are also tall enough to deter people from walking through the beds. Some other types of plants can be modifi ed to serve as ground covers. Vines, for example, can be trained to cover an area. Com- mon ground covers include bugleweed, holly fern, and junipers, Figure 10-20. Vines A vine is a woody-stemmed plant with a growth habit of climbing or trail- ing. Vines attach to structures with tendrils, twiners, scramblers, clingers, and climbing stem roots and must have support or a structure to climb. The man- ner in which a vine attaches and its weight or the weight of its fruit may require a specifi c type of support structure. • Tendrils. A tendril is a modifi ed leaf that is used to climb by coiling around the support structure, Figure 10-21A. Structures should have thin poles or lattice or wire to make it easier for the tendrils to grasp. Grapes, passionfl ower, and sweet peas use tendrils to climb. PhotoTrippingAmerica/Shutterstock.com Figure 10-20. Ground covers are low growing and hug the soil, making them effective for erosion prevention. The dense growth habit of ground covers also prevents weeds. Christopher D. Hart O.C Ritz/Shutterstock.com J. Henning Buchholz/Shutterstock.com