Plants for slope stabilisation in part shade
Plenty of plants thrive on steep slopes, so even in these sometimes challenging conditions, it’s possible to create a full and attractive border that will help to stabilise your soil and reduce erosion and slippage
Quick facts
- Sloping soil can be prone to slippage
- The root systems of plants can be used to hold soil together and stabilise slopes
- Sunny slopes often receive more intense sunlight than level ground, requiring sun-tolerant plants
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The planting plan
This planting design for a challenging location provides a range of plants that, once established, will thrive in a sloping environment and help to stabilise the soil while providing a variety of interest throughout the year.
A simple planting plan helps to create depth, interest and good coverage in a border.
Plants for a slope in part shade
Choosing plants to stabilise semi-shady slopes
The main function of this scheme is to provide planting that can help to protect and stabilise the soil on a semi-shaded slope.
Aucuba and Berberis are tough, resilient plants that can cope with the shade and fast drainage often found on north-facing slopes.
The spreading habit of plants such as the Mahonia and Euphorbia help to protect the soil surface and can reduce soil erosion, which can be more pronounced on slopes with exposed soil. The Bergenia has a fairly shallow but spreading root system, which helps bind the soil surface.
The Ajuga helps to cover ground, reducing erosion and the drying effect of the wind on exposed soil. It will also help prevent unwanted plants from self-seeding by reducing areas of bare soil.
‘Right plant, right place’ is essential here, as plants unable to cope with the sharp drainage and part-shaded aspect will show signs of stress and will need more maintenance.
Additional organic mulching, preferably with homemade compost, can improve soil moisture retention and weed suppression. Mulches should be spread when the soil is already moist, to help trap some of that moisture before it dries out in summer.
1 - Euphorbia ‘Whistleberry Garnet’
2 - Berberis darwinii ‘Compacta’
3 - Aucuba ‘Crotonifolia’
4 - Mahonia ‘Apollo’
5 - Ajuga ‘Catlin’s Giant’
6 - Bergenia ‘Eroica’
2 - Berberis darwinii ‘Compacta’ – an evergreen shrub with small, densely-packed leaves that are tinged red in spring. Hanging sprays of small orange flowers with touches of red appear in spring, followed by bunches of blue-black berries.
3 - Aucuba ‘Crotonifolia’ – an evergreen shrub with large leathery leaves that are heavily spotted and blotched with deep yellow. Small purple flowers are followed by bright red berries when pollinated.
4 - Mahonia ‘Apollo’ – a low, spreading, small evergreen shrub with glossy deep green leaves that become purplish in winter. In early spring, large clusters of deep yellow flowers are produced in abundance, followed by black berries in late summer and autumn.
5 - Ajuga ‘Catlin’s Giant’ – a low-growing semi-evergreen perennial forming a mat of large, glossy purple-brown leaves, and upright spikes of blue flowers up to 30cm tall.
6 - Bergenia ‘Eroica’ – an evergreen perennial with vivid purple-pink flowers in spring that appear on tall red stems, held above bronze-green leaves that redden in winter. A very floriferous cultivar with good frost resistance.
About semi-shady slopes
The challenge of growing plants in sloping locations
By choosing plants that are adapted to semi-shaded sloping locations, you can keep your border looking good and growing well, and once the plants are established, this will reduce the need for additional resources such as watering.
Why choose a sustainable planting combination?
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