Leptinella squalida 'Platt's Black'

The tiny (3-6" tall) feathery leaves of this tolerant and low-maintenance groundcover are green with gray, purple and black tints; tiny yellow ?buttons? flowers in spring; delightful between stepping stones on 8" centers. S-PSh/M-D/GDr

Runners of dark green to black, ferny foliage make dense mats that can withstand regular foot traffic. Thrives in moist, well-drained soil, with regular water. Useful as a durable lawn substitute, edging or groundcover. Tiny, yellow, button-like flowers appear in early summer. Black Brass Buttons is an excellent choice for living patios. Tolerates varying amounts of foot traffic.

Ground cover, to only 2" tall, and spreading by runners with ferny foliage, very black in this cultivar. Sun to part shade in well-drained soil. Prefers summer moisture but tolerates low summer water. Good for rock gardens or cover for gravel mulch where the color makes a good contrast. Evergreen to 20F and frost hardy in USDA zone 8, recovering quickly.

Look like miniature ferns for the miniature garden! Serrated edges on tiny 1" long leaves. Plant turns greener in the shade and browner in the sun. Outdoors only!! Mat forming. 3" high at best. Cold hardy to zones 4 to 7. Heat zones 7 to 1. Evergreen. Part sun to part shade. Super tiny flowers in summer. Likes evenly damp soil. Invasive in some areas. Great in containers. Trim back runners in late spring to control growth.

While not entirely uncommon, this quaint groundcover is certainly deserving of praise & comment. I’d say it’s one of my favorite groundcovers - as it’s just so compactly growing, & the texture is so pleasingly like little black feathers. This New Zealand native is shallow rooted but not at all invasive. It’s malleable, & doesn’t get distressed over being dug up, divided up, & moved around. It’s evergreen (ever-grey?) in USDA zones 9 & up, & though it goes deciduous in colder places it returns easily. Its shallow-rootedness means that regular moisture is important, & occasional feeding is appreciated. Tolerates light foot traffic, & works extremely well between stepping stones so long as it gets regular water. The more light it gets, the darker the leaves will be. Though the foliage (& occasional, very inconspicuous yellow button flowers) never reach more than 2” in height, you can expect plants to spread to at least a foot.