Ground cover plants are the unsung heroes of garden design. They help fill empty spaces, suppress weeds, prevent soil erosion, and soften harsh landscape edges — all while adding texture, color, and beauty to your garden beds. Whether you need a low-maintenance filler, a flowering carpet, or greenery for shady spots, there’s a ground cover to suit your space. Here are eight excellent ground cover plants to create lush, beautiful garden beds you’ll love year-round.
1. Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Creeping thyme is a hardy, aromatic ground cover that forms a dense mat of tiny green leaves, which release a pleasant scent when stepped on. In summer, it’s covered with small purple, pink, or white flowers that attract bees and butterflies. It thrives in full sun, is drought-tolerant, and perfect for planting between stepping stones or along garden borders. Its low-growing habit and ability to handle foot traffic make it an ideal choice for cottage-style or herb gardens.
2. Sedum (Sedum spp.)
Sedums, or stonecrops, are popular ground covers thanks to their thick, succulent leaves and tolerance for poor soil and drought. Low-growing varieties like Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’ or Sedum acre spread quickly to form dense mats of foliage in shades of green, red, and bronze. They produce clusters of tiny star-shaped flowers in summer, adding seasonal color. Sedums are perfect for rock gardens, slopes, or areas with full sun and minimal water, offering both beauty and easy care.
3. Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Sweet alyssum is a dainty, flowering ground cover that fills garden beds with clusters of tiny, fragrant blooms in shades of white, pink, and purple. It thrives in cool weather and quickly blankets bare spots with delicate flowers, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Its fine texture makes it perfect for edging paths, filling spaces between taller plants, or cascading from containers. Sweet alyssum reseeds readily, providing color year after year with minimal effort.
4. Hosta (Hosta spp.)
Hostas are a shade-loving favorite known for their lush, textured foliage in shades of green, blue, and variegated patterns. While primarily grown for their beautiful leaves, they also produce spikes of lavender or white flowers in summer. Hostas fill garden beds beneath trees or along shaded walkways, creating a cool, serene atmosphere. Available in a wide range of sizes and leaf shapes, they pair well with ferns and shade perennials for layered, sophisticated garden beds.
5. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)
Creeping Jenny is a fast-spreading ground cover with vibrant chartreuse leaves that brighten shady and moist areas of the garden. It trails beautifully over walls, containers, and along paths, providing a colorful contrast to darker foliage. In late spring and summer, it produces small yellow flowers. Creeping Jenny grows best in partial to full shade but can tolerate sun with adequate moisture. Its vigorous growth makes it excellent for covering large areas or creating eye-catching borders.
6. Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Bugleweed is a tough, low-maintenance ground cover prized for its dense foliage and spikes of blue, purple, or pink flowers in spring. Its leaves range from glossy green to deep burgundy, adding rich color to garden beds year-round. Ajuga thrives in both sun and shade, adapting well to various soil conditions. It’s ideal for filling spaces between stepping stones, under shrubs, or along shaded paths. Bugleweed’s spreading habit suppresses weeds effectively while providing lush, ornamental ground cover.
7. Liriope (Liriope muscari)
Also known as lilyturf, liriope is a grass-like perennial that forms clumps of arching green or variegated leaves. In late summer, it produces spikes of purple or lavender flowers, followed by black berries. Liriope is highly versatile, thriving in sun or shade and tolerating drought, poor soil, and heavy foot traffic. It’s often used as a border plant, edging along walkways, or ground cover beneath trees. Its resilience and attractive appearance make it a reliable choice for low-maintenance gardens.
8. Vinca Minor (Periwinkle)
Vinca minor, or periwinkle, is a vigorous, evergreen ground cover that spreads rapidly with trailing stems. Its glossy, dark green leaves form a dense mat, while its violet-blue flowers appear in spring and sporadically through summer. Periwinkle thrives in partial to full shade and is perfect for covering slopes, shady beds, and difficult areas beneath trees. It suppresses weeds effectively and requires little care once established. Its year-round greenery and cheerful flowers add charm to shaded garden spots.
Conclusion
Ground cover plants play an essential role in creating well-balanced, beautiful garden beds. From the scented carpets of creeping thyme to the lush leaves of hostas and the vivid hues of creeping Jenny, these 8 ground covers offer a variety of textures, colors, and benefits. Whether you need to brighten a shady corner, cover bare soil, or add softness along a path, these plants will help you craft a garden that’s both practical and gorgeous, with minimal upkeep.