I need a type of plant for this purpose?

Question

I want to replace an entire lawn. So I need something that:

1. Will never grow taller than 6 inches tall, without any tending

2. Will spread readily, and develop strong roots

3. Will tolerate winters that get down to 0 Fahrenheit (occasionally, at least the roots)

4. Are perennial

Bonus points if it fits all of those criteria, and has edible flowers/leaves/fruits (something I can pick off without digging it up and killing it).

Thanks a bunch.

Answer 1

try grass...!  wat stupid Q!!!....?

Answer 2

Not a stupid question at all. This problem has taxed gardeners since their were lawns. The favourite for me would be a chamomile lawn, although it does not meet all your criteria as it would produce white flowers during the summer that might require cutting.

Finding any plant that will meet all your requirements may prove very difficult. If there were an easy option to grass I think it would be widely used.

Answer 3

You can try a yarrow lawn (Achillea).

The variety Achillea x lewisii 'King Edward' is a dwarf one that only gets 4-6" tall with a pale yellow flower rising above it over green foliage. It's hardy to USDA Z4 and is drought tolerant and can tolerate mowing and walking on. (This is sometimes listed as Achillea tomemtosa 'King Edward'.)

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...

The variety Achillea kellereri is another dwarf one that gets 6-8" tall with creamy white flowers rising above it over gray foliage. It's hardy to USDA Z5 and is drought tolerant and can tolerate mowing and walking on.

http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_P...

To get it started you would have to grow it on and divide it until you have enough to cover the area you want. They spread about 12". Yarrow can be dried for flower arranging and has medicinal properties as an herb.

If you want to search for other options, try this site out: www.stepables.com and click on "find plants" to begin your search.

Hope this helps!