If you’re dreaming of a lush, beautiful garden that doesn’t demand endless weeding and watering, ground cover plants are the perfect solution. These hardworking plants spread naturally, creating a dense, carpet-like layer that helps retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and add texture and color to your landscape. From sun-loving varieties to shade-tolerant favorites, these plants are ideal for anyone looking to simplify garden maintenance while still enjoying a vibrant, eye-catching yard. Here are nine fantastic ground cover options to consider!
1. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Creeping Jenny is a cheerful, fast-spreading ground cover plant known for its trailing stems and small, rounded leaves. Its vibrant chartreuse-green foliage turns golden-yellow in fall, creating a colorful carpet year-round. Creeping Jenny thrives in both sun and partial shade, making it a versatile option for various spots in your landscape. It’s perfect for filling gaps between stepping stones, trailing over garden walls, or softening the edges of flower beds. Low-maintenance and quick to establish, this plant also helps control soil erosion on slopes.
2. Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis)
Blue Star Creeper is a delicate yet hardy ground cover, adored for its tiny, pale-blue star-shaped flowers that bloom from spring to fall. Its dense, mat-like foliage stays green and neat throughout the growing season, tolerating light foot traffic. Perfect for filling the spaces between pavers, pathways, and garden borders, Blue Star Creeper is adaptable to sun or partial shade. This fast-growing, low-maintenance plant spreads gently, covering bare ground with a soft, flower-dotted carpet, making it a favorite for whimsical cottage gardens.
3. Irish Moss (Sagina subulata)
Irish Moss is a charming ground cover that forms a soft, lush green carpet resembling a thick lawn. Its tiny, needle-like leaves stay vibrant all year, and in spring, it surprises with petite white flowers. Ideal for cool, moist areas, Irish Moss thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. It’s perfect for lining pathways, rock gardens, and shaded garden corners. Once established, it requires very little upkeep, needing only occasional trimming to maintain its tidy appearance.
4. Sedum (Sedum spp.)
Sedum, also known as stonecrop, is a popular low-maintenance ground cover with a wide range of varieties. From creeping types with tiny leaves to taller, upright selections, Sedum plants are drought-tolerant and thrive in poor, rocky soils. The succulent foliage comes in shades of green, blue, and even purple, often turning reddish in cooler weather. Most Sedums produce clusters of star-shaped flowers in late summer, attracting pollinators. Their resilience and beauty make them a perfect choice for sunny slopes, rock gardens, and dry areas.
5. Ajuga (Ajuga reptans)
Ajuga, or bugleweed, is a hardy, fast-growing ground cover valued for its colorful foliage and spikes of blue, purple, or pink flowers in spring. Its glossy, spreading leaves come in various shades, from deep green to bronze and burgundy. Ajuga thrives in partial to full shade, making it ideal for under trees, shady borders, and difficult-to-plant areas. It suppresses weeds effectively and requires minimal care once established. Ajuga’s ability to handle poor soils and moderate foot traffic makes it a versatile landscaping ally.
6. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
Sweet Woodruff is a delightful, shade-loving ground cover known for its whorled, bright green leaves and tiny, star-like white flowers in late spring. This fragrant plant has a fresh, hay-like scent, especially when dried, and historically was used in sachets and potpourri. It’s perfect for planting under trees, along shaded pathways, or in woodland gardens. Sweet Woodruff spreads easily in moist, rich soils but isn’t overly aggressive. Once established, it forms a dense, weed-smothering mat that adds charm and texture to shady garden spots.
7. Vinca Minor (Periwinkle)
Vinca Minor, also called common periwinkle, is a classic evergreen ground cover that offers glossy green leaves and violet-blue, lavender, or white flowers in spring and occasionally again in fall. Hardy and drought-resistant once established, Vinca Minor quickly covers large areas, making it perfect for controlling erosion on slopes or covering bare patches beneath trees and shrubs. It grows well in partial shade but can handle full sun in cooler climates. Its year-round foliage and low care requirements make it a reliable landscaping favorite.
8. Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
Creeping Thyme is a versatile, aromatic ground cover that’s both beautiful and practical. This herb forms a dense mat of tiny green leaves and produces clusters of pink or purple flowers in early summer, attracting bees and butterflies. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, making it perfect for rock gardens, sunny borders, or between stepping stones where it releases a pleasant scent when walked on. Drought-tolerant and low-growing, Creeping Thyme requires minimal maintenance while adding fragrance and color to your landscape.
9. Lamium (Lamium maculatum)
Lamium, or dead nettle, is a fast-spreading, shade-tolerant ground cover appreciated for its variegated foliage and clusters of pink, purple, or white flowers. Its heart-shaped leaves often feature silver markings, adding brightness to dimly lit garden corners. Lamium thrives in moist, well-drained soils and quickly forms a dense, weed-suppressing carpet under trees or along shaded borders. This hardy plant is deer-resistant and needs little care beyond occasional trimming. Its long-lasting foliage color and charming flowers make it a standout choice for low-maintenance gardens.
Final Thoughts:
Ground cover plants not only beautify your garden but also reduce the time and effort needed for upkeep. From the sunny, drought-tolerant Sedums to the shade-loving Sweet Woodruff, there’s a perfect ground cover for every spot in your landscape. Incorporate these easy-care options to enjoy a lush, green garden that practically takes care of itself.