Lamium on sandy hillside as groundcover?

[BoxMN]

I have an open spot on a hill, going down down near lake. It is very sandy, and I want to put something there to hold it together and look decent. I have some lamium (deadnettle)available and have read up on it. It should grow well, but wondering if anybdoy knows how good/deep the root system it. I know it can grow like crazy, but want it to grow like crazy AND have some support for soil.

I have some grasses planted and also some wild flowers, but they have not really taken off yet, and it seems like lamium would provide good ground cover.

Any thoughts? Or keep trying wild flowers, etc. but with dogs running, I think something more substantial like the lamium might help. Thanks.

[B. Amish]

do you know the exact species you're thinking of. some of the lamiums are quite invasive and non-native.

the grasses and flowers will take time (2-3 years if ther're prairie species), but if you plant a ground spreading lamium, it might smother out everything else.

[croixflats]

Over the years I have used Lamiastrum Galeobdolon 'Variegatum' False Lamium with great success on hills in the shade.

Verry tough plant and it will hold up to dogs . Grasses can grow along with the ground cover but as for the wild flowers they may be choked out over time.

[BoxMN]

Thanks BA. I just found out that it is not lamium but pachysandra, of the boxwood family. Seems like similar usage, but slower grower. Not sure if this is the right thing for my gig.

Any advice? I know I got some advice earlier here, but nobody really had specific other than ask DNR nad they don't really have anything for me... other than links that seem to go nowhere, heh. Asked local nursery and they just said to plant shrubs...

Here is image from a few years ago, only one I can find that shows the area on the hill. It is steeper than it looks.

pic of hill

[BoxMN]

Thanks CF, will look at that as well. Good to know it can handle dogs and let grass grow through.

[B. Amish]

how many square feet is the area? a good source for seeds and advice might be prairie restorations. they have a pretty informative HSOforum. they deal a lot with lakeshore plantings, prairie plantings, and rain gardens.

browse through their online catalog and you might get some ideas for what you may want to plant. they have a mix for short and dry wildflowers.

i would think that little bluestem and the gramma grasses would grow well there, they do take time though. if you get good soil contact with the seed, they will grow. after a couple years, burn it and it should really take off.

the grass seed will be much cheaper than the flowers. so maybe get the grasses going first and then handplant some flowers later.