In contrast, passively cooled homes use landscape material to direct breezes into the home. Paved surfaces absorb the sun's heat and radiate it back into the immediate environment. Paved areas also store heat, radiating warmth long after sundown. These surfaces around the home can contribute substantially to summertime heat loads. Planting ground covers around paved areas can help to reduce these temperatures.
Ground covers are low-growing plants which can be used to cover an area in the landscape.
Turfgrass is undoubtedly the most commonly used ground cover. No other plant material can withstand as much foot traffic as turfgrass. While turf makes an excellent choice for recreational areas, it doesn't grow well in dense shade and is difficult to establish in extremely wet or dry areas. Evidence indicates that taller ground covers with their larger leaf surface, can provide even more cooling than shorter ground covers such as mowed grass. There are several alternative ground covers that adapt well to conditions unsuitable for turf.