Crevice gardening can be a blast, especially in a small garden. Here are 11 of my recommended plants to help fill it.
It's helpful to think about which kinds of plants would do well in your crevice garden. Is your garden rainy and warm, or hot, dry, and brutally cold, like mine?
Although most crevice gardens showcase alpines and succulents, just because a plant is technically an "alpine" or a "succulent" doesn't mean it will do well in your space.
In fact, many alpine plants actually need a lot of water, relying on thick snowmelt in their native environment as a constant source of moisture. Others are perfectly adapted to dry conditions but are native to areas like New Zealand or Africa and would quickly die on a -10-degree F winter night.
In this post I'll introduce you to some of the crevice garden plants I love in my tiny (soon-to-be-expanded), dry (non-irrigated), zone five crevice garden.
What is a crevice garden?
Crevice gardening is a form of rock gardening that uses skinny, vertical rocks to create slots and crevices to hold soil. The idea is to replicate the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, and rocky outcroppings.
When done with a little intention, even the smallest little crevice garden can make you feel like you are boulder hopping at 13,000 feet. They're just magic.
For an in-depth look at crevice gardens, check out The Crevice Garden by Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs. You can also
get inspired by the YouTube videos by Plant Delights Nursery or the Botanical Garden in Chyenne, Wyoming. Those are the resources I started with, and they definitely left me inspired!
Why would anyone want to make a crevice garden?
Like rock gardening in general, crevice gardening is one of those niche hobbies that if you know, you know. You know? Us rock gardeners might rationalize and say that it conserves water or preserves endangered species or shows off native plants (which it does!). But deep down, I think we just have an affection for those smol lil plants growing on the sides of cliffs or in the narrowest of canyons. If you're someone who stops to admire a bit of bearberry or pine tree growing out of the crack of a boulder, you're in good company. I can't imagine anything more whimsical or awe-inspiring than a rock fern obstinately growing in a shady column 300 feet above the ground on Devil's Tower.
I love how a crevice garden highlights and literally elevates these tiny plants that otherwise would be completely lost in my busy garden. Even lifting them a foot off the ground invites you and your friends to stop for a moment to appreciate something that would easily be missed. Crevice gardens are also often sparsely planted, allowing plenty of space for each plant to stand out against a beautiful rock backdrop.
Tl;dr, we just like the plants, that's all.
Soil for crevice gardens
I have a bit of a contrarian perspective on soil for crevice gardens. In short, I don't think you have to use free-draining soil, or even that you should. In my experience, the drier your climate, the heavier the soil or mix you can use. I mixed sand, gravel, and coco coir into my crevice garden, thinking that I needed to increase the drainage of my naturally heavy soil. But when I expand the garden, I'll just use my native soil.
Just because a plant can grow in mostly sand or rock dust doesn't mean it has to (or even wants to!). I see the same native alpine plants growing in thick clay beds and pure rock dust, equally happy. However, I only receive about 20 inches of rain a year. If you live in a rainy environment, consider adding a considerable amount of sand, grit, or gravel to increase drainage.
But if you live in a drier climate, just use what you got! It's easy to overthink this stuff, especially when enthusiasm gets the best of us, but there's a lot of value in keeping it simple (and inexpensive).
My advice is to use what ya got and let the crevices provide the drainage for you.
What makes a good plant for a crevice garden?
If you live in a drier climate like mine (say 25 inches of rain a year or less) the best plants for a crevice garden are drought tolerant and hardy to your zone. All my recommendations are hardy to Z5a.
So how do you tell if a plant is drought tolerant? You can always learn by googling the plant, but here are a few characteristics to look for.
Small or divided leaves (think thyme)
Leaves that store water (sempervivums, cacti, and sedums)
Leathery/waxy leaves (oregon grape, bearberry)
Huge taproot (oregon grape, lupine)
Fuzzy leaves (increase humidity and act as sunscreen, like lamb's ear)
Silver color reflects heat (artemisia, sage, lamb’s ear)
Now let's check out some of the awesome Zone 5 crevice garden plants I'm growing right now.
11 Cold hardy crevice garden plants
1. Armeria 'Victor Reiter' Sea Thrift
I grow Armeria maritima 'Victor Reiter.' It's described as especially compact, and I think it resembles a particularly healthy clump of grass in early spring. In June, light pink flowers pop from the top and their seed heads remain on the plant for a long time.
It's a California native, which signals to me that it might not be able to take our brutal winters or freeze-thaw cycle, despite its Z4 designation. I did spot some at the Cheyenne WY botanical garden, which gives me hope.
Zone 4-8
Full sun
3-6" tall
Hot, dry site
2. Catananche caerulea Cupid’s dart
Cupid’s Dart is a perennial wildflower in the daisy family native to the Mediterranean. It's grown for its tall stems and bachelor button-type flower, which blooms for a long time. Because of the long stem, it can create grass-like movement in an other-wise stale garden.
I plan to replace the corn flowers (bachelor's buttons) with cupid's dart next year. Apparently, it's short-lived, so I'll collect seeds in the fall.
Zone 4-7
Full Sun
12-24" tall
Hot, dry site
3. Artemisia (wormwood)
Artemisia 'Silver Brocade' is mostly white, with a hint of minty green. It looks so fresh in the landscape! Its fuzzy leaves create a thick mat that can crowd out weeds. Artemisia is generally easy to propagate via cuttings.
I really like this variety, but it's a bit too big for a small crevice garden. I'll likely move this plant to act as groundcover somewhere else and replace with something daintier, like 'Sea Foam.'
Zones 3-8
Full sun
6-12" tall
Hot, dry site
4. Teucrium Gray Creeping Germander
Gray Creeping Germander looks similar to lavender with its thin, grey leaves. But unlike lavender, which tends to stay upright, this plant creeps along the ground, making it a great ground cover or addition to a crevice garden.
Hardiness is a concern here in zone 5a, so it's important to plant in a protected spot.
Zones 5-10
Full sun
4 " tall
Hot, dry site
5. Alan’s apricot delosperma
This lovely little succulent only resembles Carpobrotus edulis, or the invasive ice plant that has taken over the California coast. Unfortunately, it was stuck with the same common name.
Delosperma 'Alan's Apricot' is a lovely shade of peach while the succulent leaves are a pretty shade of plump green. This well-behaved and award-winning cultivar is safe to plant and--unlike many Delospermas, is hardy to Zone 4.
It's perfectly situated for a rock garden or crevice garden. In fact, it may not survive if planted directly into garden soil, as the plant will rot quickly during the spring freeze-thaw cycle. I've found it easier to grow than D. cooperi.
Zone 4-10
Full sun
2" tall
Hot, dry, elevated site
6. Actostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry, Kinnikinnick)
Bearberry is a low-growing, creeping perennial and one of the few non-coniferous plants that is actually evergreen in zone 5 (likely evergreen colder, but I'm not positive) making it an incredibly valuable plant for dry, cold northern gardens. Various species are native around the globe, but in the mountain west they love wooded ponderosa pine forests and rocky soils.
Growers often say it prefers sandy soil, but that hasn't been my experience. In my native environment it grows happily in loam and in my garden it is content in silty loam. It can take a bit to get established, but once it is, it would prefer that you let it be to slowly create a deep green, ever-green mat in sun to part-sun.
Zone 2-6
Full to part-sun
6" tall
Dry site, water until established
7. Antennaria
Antennaria sp. is likely my very favorite ground cover. It's short, silvery, and spreads readily-yet-politely. Easy to establish, quick to flourish, happy in full sun to part shade.
But its most notable superpower is its ability to grow into a thick mat without choking out its neighbors, making it one of the most useful groundcovers around. Easy to grow, quick to spread and well behaved? I don't know why it isn't more popular than it is, but I'm guessing it won't stay a secret much longer.
Zones vary by species
Full sun to part shade
3" tall
Site conditions may vary
8. Mahonia repens, Creeping Oregon Grape
Just because other varieties of mahonia get more attention doesn't mean you shouldn't grow this western native charmer. Honestly, it's my favorite out of the bunch. Drought-tolerant, un-picky about soil type, and slow growing, it's been a true pleasure to watch it slowly colonize under my garden pines.
Like bearberry, Oregon grape is one of the very few perennials that are actually evergreen to -25 degrees F. And if your site does get cold enough, the waxy green leaves will turn a brilliant, bright red, which glows against a snowy garden bed. A truly western plant, I believe the Black Hills (where I grow) is its most easternly native habitat.
The only drawback of this plant is that it is tough to establish and difficult to grow in garden centers, so it is not widely available. If you can get your hands on it, it's a tough little gem that deserves a place in your crevice garden.
Zone 5a, possibly 4b
Part sun to shade
6" tall
9. Optunia brachyclada 'Blue Gumby'
The cutest, bluest, bestest cactus you've ever seen is opuntia brachyclada 'Blue Gumby.'
Until I discovered the folks at Cold Hardy Cactus, I had no clue that anything other than prickly pear would grow so far north. Whoa, was I wrong.
This blue little friend looks like a wacky-wavy-inflatable-arm-man while it's small. Even though there is zero movement to this plant it's inexplicably dynamic, enthusiastically waving at passersby.
Zone 5
Full sun
6" tall
Hot, dry, protected site
10. Thyme
Any kind of thyme will look beautiful in a crevice garden, but particularly the creeping varieties. I grow creeping thyme, wooly thyme, and a new-to-me-plant, juniper thyme.
I find thyme very easy and rewarding to grow, but if you've struggled in the past, consider silver nailwort instead. It doesn't have pretty purple flowers, but it is one of those plants that is so easy to grow you can plant it and forget it.
Zone 4-9
Full sun
1" tall
Hot, dry site
11. Sedums and Sempervivums
Just because they are expected and easy to grow doesn't mean they don't deserve a spot in your crevice garden.
Inexpensive to buy, easy to grow, and simple to propagate, what's not to love?
I'm a bit of a sedum nut, honestly. I grow so many varieties I can't keep them all straight. I'm not sure I've found a variety I don't like, but here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing:
Taller varieties need much more water than the creeping varieties.
The yellow sedums need a hint of protection and will burn if placed in the hottest sites.
'Old Man's Beard,' 'Coral Carpet,' and 'Blue Spruce' are a few of my favorites (but they are all good)
Final Thoughts on Crevice Gardening
If you love alpines and succulents or enjoy the challenge of composing vignettes in rock gardens, you'll likely find inspiration in crevice gardening. In my experience, it has renewed my passion for native plants and allowed me to garden more vertically in my small backyard.
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