Perennial Peanut is an excellent replacement for grass.
Due to the year-round watering restrictions imposed on South Florida homeowners, necessitated by rapid development and limited water supplies, you may want to replace your water thirsty lawn with a groundcover. May I suggest Perennial Peanut as an excellent, almost totally carefree lawn replacement.
Perennial peanut prefers full sun, hot, humid weather and long days, which makes it perfect for South Florida's brutal summers. While it will tolerate partial shade, it will not grow as thickly.
Perennial peanut grows well in South Florida sand. It can become yellow in highly alkaline soils, or soils with too much phosphorous content. As a legume, it fixes nitrogen to the soil, so does not need extra nitrogen fertilization.
Perennial peanut is very salt tolerant, and has been grown in coastal locations and even on Key West without being negatively affected by salt spray, or even short periods of saltwater flooding.
This beautiful groundcover spreads by underground rhizomes, and if grown in optimum conditions, may only need to be mowed once a year.
Perennial peanut saves valuable South Florida resources, such as water and energy, and because it isn't invasive, it has little to no environmental impact. Not only is it tough enough to walk on, it's edible flowers taste like peanuts.
Could you imagine a more perfect ground cover for South Florida yards? You can learn more about Perennial Peanut by visiting the Florida UF/IFAS Extension Site.
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Comments
Hi Deb.
Wow! You've got some great gardening content here! You're a model for other Examiners.
Elizabeth Kelly
Nashville Healthy Food Examiner (and AC pal)
Good for the soil, easy on the watering, and a great looking plant. Something to consider for sure.
Jackie DiGiovanni
I had heard that Perennial Peanut was invasive, especially in Central FL. People not recommending it like before due to aggressive nature in the garden and adjacent to public lands.
not a comment as much a a plea for help. i planted perennial peanut in an area where it was difficult to mow. thinking it would make a good ground cover. it is but i have an addition i am a snow bird and did not realize i should have had my landscape person mow the plants now i am back in florida and have a area full of grass and weeds along with the peanut. which at this point is long stems with leaves on th ends do you have a answer as what i should do. it i cut it back to the ground will it come back the way aspargus fern does. or do i have to get new plants thank u angie sweeney
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