West Seattle hillside groundcover recommendations?
Looking for some advice from fellow Seattle gardeners!
We have a pretty large, steep hillside in our backyard in West Seattle that we’re hoping to plant this fall.
Right now it’s mostly bare soil covered with erosion-control jute.
The conditions are a little challenging: west-facing but partially shaded, very dry in summer, and the soil is pretty terrible — clay, compacted and rocky.
Because of the size of the hill, we’re hoping to find something that:
Is relatively inexpensive to plant across a large area
Spreads relatively quickly for erosion control
Is drought tolerant once established / doesn’t require much summer watering
Can tolerate partial shade and poor clay soil
Is ideally PNW native
Is low maintenance
Is non-toxic to dogs/wildlife
Bonus if it’s evergreen!
I’m currently considering a combination of California field sedge (Carex praegracilis) and kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), but I’m very open to other ideas — especially from anyone who has successfully covered a similar Seattle slope.
What would you plant here? And if you’ve done something similar, how densely did you initially plant it to balance cost with getting decent coverage within a couple of years?
Photos of the hill attached. Thanks!