QUESTION: “I have a bank on one side of my property where I would like to plant a low growing, low maintenance ground cover. My goal is to not have to mow it, other than a spring clean up. The bank is in the open and faces to the east and is probably 250 sq ft or more. The previous owner attempted to start crown vetch but it didn't take and now I have just miscellaneous grasses and weeds that have to be mowed or they will overtake the area. Any suggestions?” - Randy Justice

ANSWER: Here are some plants that I suggest you should check out: phlox, vinca, pachysandra, purple wintercreeper, and liriope.

Bear in mind that it will take several years for them to fill in enough to shade out weeds. Liriope is the only one that would need a Weedeater run over it in early spring for clean up. Vinca, pachysandra and purple wintercreeper establish quicker when a thin layer of straw is put over the area for the first 6 weeks or so. It will help to keep heavy rainfall from washing them out and keep the plants cool during early summer and the moisture from evaporating out of the ground.

It doesn’t sound as if Randy has any horses grazing on his little bank, but here’s a note for other readers who might own horses. Crown vetch is toxic to horses because of the presence of nitroglycosides. If consumed in large amounts, it can cause slow growth, paralysis, or death. If you think this might pose a problem for you, go to this Web site co-hosted by the USDA and the University of Georgia: www.invasive.org/eastern/eppc/COVA.html

QUESTION: “last year I planted a Yoshino cherry tree in my front yard. This spring, it seemed to be doing well. It put out many leaves, and some new branches. We have been having a lot of rain lately.

“This morning I saw that it had some brown-leaved branches. I looked it over more closely, and I saw that it had some clumps of slime on its branches. Is my tree a victim of all the wet weather we have been having? Or is this caused by some other problem?” - Carlos

ANSWER: Yes, flowering cherry trees are sensitive to their environment and will “weep or seep” yucky stuff when there is too much rainfall or temperature fluctuations. This spring the southeast, where you are located, has experienced both. As we phase into what might be a drier summer, keep checking on the tree and apply supplemental water as necessary. Many trees have been stressed by a wet spring this year.

Following a recent Plant Man column, I received the following comment from a reader.

COMMENT: “You neglected in your article to explain that arborvitae screens are NOT appropriate where there are deer populations because the deer look at these plants as candy (and eat them like out-of-control kids in a candy store). If you are going to write something about a particular plant, shrub or tree, please include the Zone hardiness and deer resistance factor. It's only fair, and it will give people a better chance of success. Thank you.” - Barbara J. Kramer

ANSWER: You are quite right about how deer enjoy munching on arborvitae and I should have mentioned that (as I have in previous columns). Thank you Barbara for reminding me and other readers about that!

As for your comment about USDA zone hardiness, when Cheryl and I respond personally to e-mailed questions from readers, we discuss plants that are appropriate for that reader’s specific location wherever possible. This column is published in thirty-three states (and of course around the world via the Internet) so we tend to be a bit more general with information that appears here.

As Barbara points out, it is important to know if a particular plant will thrive in your location before you invest your time and money. Do some detective work online, or drop me an e-mail at steve@landsteward.org telling me where you are, and I’ll get back to you.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org