Trampweed: What Every Gardener Should Know About This Naturalized Ground Cover
If you’ve ever walked through disturbed soil areas in the southeastern United States and noticed small, mat-forming plants with tiny white flowers, you might have encountered trampweed (Facelis). This unassuming little plant has quietly made itself at home across the southern states, and while it’s not a native species, it’s become part of the landscape fabric in many areas.
What Exactly Is Trampweed?
Trampweed is an annual forb – basically a non-woody plant that completes its entire life cycle in one growing season. As a forb, it lacks significant woody tissue and keeps its growing points at or below ground level. Don’t let the name fool you though; while it can handle some foot traffic, it’s not quite as tough as its moniker suggests.
This low-growing plant originally hails from South America, particularly Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. However, it’s adapted well to life in North America and now reproduces on its own without any human help.
Where You’ll Find Trampweed
Trampweed has established itself across eleven states in the southeastern and south-central United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. It tends to pop up in disturbed soils, open areas, and places where other vegetation is sparse.
Should You Plant Trampweed in Your Garden?
Here’s where things get interesting. Trampweed isn’t typically something you’ll find at your local nursery, and there’s a good reason for that. While it’s not classified as invasive or noxious, it’s also not particularly showy or beneficial compared to native alternatives.
The Pros:
- Extremely low maintenance once established
- Tolerates poor soils and disturbed areas
- Forms a dense mat that can help prevent erosion
- Thrives in zones 7-10
The Cons:
- Not native to North America
- Limited aesthetic appeal with small, inconspicuous flowers
- Provides minimal benefits to native wildlife and pollinators
- Can spread readily in suitable conditions
Growing Conditions and Care
If trampweed does appear in your landscape (which often happens naturally), it’s quite adaptable. It prefers full sun and can tolerate various soil types, including poor or disturbed soils. As an annual, individual plants will die after one growing season, but they typically reseed readily.
The plant generally thrives in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10, which aligns with its current distribution across the warmer parts of the United States.
Better Native Alternatives
Since trampweed offers limited benefits to native ecosystems, consider these native ground covers instead:
- Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) – provides berries for wildlife
- Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) – evergreen with bright red berries
- Native sedges (Carex species) – excellent for various conditions
- Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) – beautiful heart-shaped leaves
The Bottom Line
While trampweed isn’t harmful enough to warrant removal in most cases, it’s not something most gardeners would intentionally plant. If you’re looking to create habitat for native wildlife or add interesting texture and color to your landscape, native alternatives will serve you much better. However, if trampweed has already established itself in disturbed areas of your property, it can serve as a low-maintenance ground cover while you plan for more intentional plantings.
Remember, every plant choice is an opportunity to support native ecosystems. When possible, choose plants that have evolved alongside local wildlife – your local pollinators and birds will thank you for it!
