Hailing all the way from Siberia, this cold-hardy evergreen has fern-like foliage that turns a pretty bronzy color in colder climates. Add some color to your landscaping & prevent erosion with these beautiful ground cover perennials. When planted in full sun it usually needs extra watering, at least until the plant is well established. It should be pinched back frequently to keep the plants bushy and "shrubby.". In addition to adding color, you can also draw bees into the plant by having flowers in your yard. Groundcovers solve a number of garden problems, from covering bare spots to preventing erosion to covering an area that is too steep to mow. I find that dense planting of shade tolerant perennials requires very little maintenance and minimal weeding, as long as they are adequately watered. This is a large plant with a horizontal growth habit (thus its species name). It likes full sun. Six choices for holding the soil when grass won’t cut it. In warmer climates, this plant is evergreen. Although it grows in partial shade, for best color, grow it in full sun. The Best Drought-Tolerant Ground Cover. 5 … It has big, yellow flowers with prominent anthers that bristle around the bloom. It likes full sun, but can tolerate part shade. It does spread under the right conditions, but it is fairly easy to pull it out and keep it from taking over areas where it does not belong. Other ground cover plants for bees include Sedum, Pansy, Juniper, Holly, Ivy, and others. The Best Fast-Growing Ground Cover Plants. Moss phlox blooms early in the spring, carpeting the ground with flowers in shades of purple, pink or white. It has excellent resistance to damage by deer and rabbits. There are hardy geraniums for most garden situations, yes, even as a ground cover for dappled and full shade. *It thrives in wet areas. Zone 4 ground covers must be hardy to winter temperatures of -30 to – 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 to -28 C.). Though it loses its leaves in winter, it compensates with evergreen stems. Trailing Periwinkle (Vinca minor) Dragon’s Blood (Red Sedum) Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata) Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) Mazus (Mazus reptans) While it is not a spreader, it is large enough to take up space as the spring and summer months advance. "Phlox subulata is perfectly well-suited to our climate," says Richard Jauron, horticulture expert at Iowa State University. Medium-Low water needs… It is, therefore, a sterile plant that will not come true from seeds. If you are looking for something unusual, consider wall germander, a broadleaf woody-stemmed evergreen that is often massed or used as a low hedge along retaining walls or in knot gardens. It will tolerate most growing conditions, but it will do best in full sun, well-drained soil, and little water. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 20 Low-Maintenance Ground Cover Plants to Prevent Weeds From Taking Over. Groundcovers are some of our most versatile and easy-to-grow perennials. You can plant this drought-tolerant, low-maintenance ground cover at the edge of a rock garden or other space and more or less forget about it (except for occasional watering) during the summertime. The success of many invasive plants is due to this means of spreading. Autumn fern creates foliar drama combined with low maintenance. Note: This plant is considered invasive across much of the northeast, some areas of the northern Midwest, and parts of the Pacific Northwest. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Kathleen Miller is a Master Gardener and Horticulturist with over 30 years experience in gardening and sustainable farming. This old fashioned tough and aggressive perennial ground cover is a good choice for gardeners who want to grow low maintenance plants. If you find such a plant (and several are included in our list), then you may find that it is invasive. The soft moss-like foliage of this plant forms a dense mat underfoot. 30 Best Songs to Rock Out to This New Year’s Eve, What Our Senior Home Editor Wants Right Now, 30 Movies to Watch at Home on New Year's Eve, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Creeping thyme (also known as mother of thyme or wild thyme) is a creeping, woody-stemmed perennial that is a favorite plant to use for a low-maintenance ground cover serving as a filler between garden stepping stones. Try to plant it in large groupings on a hillside or along the house's foundation to prevent erosion. Today, this plant is used for ground cover in shady areas. It spreads by reseeding, but it never will spread enough to become a problem. Neil Holmes/Oxford Scientific/Getty Images. Ajuga spreads rapidly in varying conditions, tolerating shade or sun. To qualify for this list of the best low-maintenance ground covers, a plant has to meet certain criteria: It must be vigorous enough to fill in an area of the landscape that you need to dress up or where you need to keep the weeds down. This plant thrives in wet soils, which is why planting it in dry soil and denying it water helps keep it in check. If you love having plants that will last for a long time, then you need to add perennials to your garden. Ground cover plants are very useful for areas where minimal maintenance is desired and as an alternative to turf grass. It quickly forms a thick mound and blooms all summer long, producing a sweet honey scent that attracts pollinators throughout the season. While it prefers full sun, it needs regular moisture, especially during hot months. Epimedium, also called Bishop’s Cap, can tolerate dry conditions once established. While grass is typically the best way to fill out empty space, sometimes low-growing plants are a better — and prettier — option. 4 Dead Nettle. This aromatic groundcover excels in beds, borders, and containers. If those conditions describe your landscape, then you may want to check out this wonderful little relative of the dogwood trees. ... One of the very best asters. Bunchberry is a shade-loving deciduous shrub native to northern portions of North America. It is much less noticeable at other times of the year, but that doesn't detract from its role as a spring superstar. There are several types that you can turn depending on your needs. Although it is often said that grass might seem to be the best ground cover plants for slopes, however mowing grass on a steep slope is often tricky and quite dangerous. Fix your garden’s trouble spots with these low-growing perennials, annuals, and shrubs. The plant also must be pretty enough (or, at least, unusual enough) to draw attention and offer some sort of visual interest in the yard. Ground Covers. The appropriately named ornamental plant has thick silvery foliage that covers ground extremely well. There are more than 40 species of lamium, but the best are those that are flowering perennials like the … But this plant with pretty foliage—and funny name—rarely becomes a problem for those who grow it in areas where it is already native. The best evergreen groundcovers for gardens. Planted in groupings, it makes a lovely ground cover. It doesn’t like wet feet, so make sure the soil is well-drained. While some have small flowers, the main focal point is the colorful foliage, which ranges from chartreuse to bronze. Hellebore, Phoebe Short Description. Creeping Thyme Is a Great Ground Cover for Sunny Areas and Pathways, 12 Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Landscape, 10 Best Deer-Resistant Shrubs for Landscaping, 14 Best Landscape Plants With Purple Flowers, 29 Shrubs That Grow in Full or Partial Shade. David Beaulieu is a garden writer with nearly 20 years experience writing about landscaping and over 10 years experience working in nurseries. Low water needs Ivy Geranium Lots of color, needs some replacements, Best not around other plants. And remember that although these ground cover plants are extremely tolerant, they still need to be watered during dry spells for the first year or two until their root systems are well-established. Snip some for cooking, or keep it trimmed back to manage its height. Pachysandra will take a few seasons to establish but once at home will thrive on neglect. Ground cover plants are low-growing, spreading plants that create some sort of plant mat or carpet over time. Geranium macrorrhizum is a drought-tolerant and shade-tolerant perennial with semi-evergreen, fragrant leaves. Be quite careful when choosing a ground cover for shade. https://www.gardenloversclub.com/plant-finder/perennials/ground-cover Back in 2012, we highlighted four favorite groundcovers: Thyme, wild ginger, ajuga and sweet woodruff.… While many shrubs give you flowers, the prettiest thing about Cotoneaster horizontalis is its colorful, red berries. Read about the best flowering ground covers … Moon Valley Nurseries carries many options including Lantana, Bottlebrush, Trailing Rosemary and more! Needs some replacement over time but a very good ground cover. Dislikes: It doesn’t like too much moisture. The 'Six Hills Giant' cultivar is a good choice for covering large areas. When not in bloom, the foliage provides an attractive, durable ground cover. Interrupted fern, like bunchberry and liverleaf, is a North American native that can serve as a low-maintenance ground cover for shade. Straight from your grandma's garden, Dianthus is an old-fashioned perennial with a vanilla-like scent. Care requirements for creeping phlox are few. Ferns come in an array of shapes, sizes, and colors. Ground Cover Plants. We'll help you find the best hardy shade ground cover perennials for your zone. The star-shaped leaves and lacy flowers offer a unique look with loads of texture. Liverleaf's spring floral display makes this small perennial special. Likes: This ground cover plant prefers dry heat. It needs full sun to bloom best. This lesser-known perennial has attractive little mounds of grassy foliage, and teeny ball-shaped blooms that pop up in late spring to early summer. Angelina Sedum. The Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) is a low-growing leafy evergreen plant that is good for ground cover under shrubs or in other shady parts of your garden. While pachysandra, ivy, and myrtle/periwinkle are among the most common evergreen groundcover plants, you’ll notice all three of them are absent from the list of varieties I’m about to introduce you to. Be aware that only the most robust plant species will readily thrive and spread in shade. If you're planting a shrub or perennial that you want to last from one year to the next, make sure it's suited according to your USDA Hardiness Zone (find yours here). When shopping for this plant, be sure to ask for Aurinia saxatilis or yellow allyssum, not sweet alyssum, which is an entirely different species. Picking perennial plants for the landscape is an important choice, as you will be living with those selections for years to come. Creeping rosemary usually flowers during the summer, and the purple flowers stay through the beginning of fall. These plants will live for more than 2 years, creating a beautiful landscape in your garden or backyard. When you buy Centaurea montana 'Amethyst in Snow', you may be thinking of it as an upright perennial plant with attractive flowers. Flowers provide the vital beauty needed to improve your landscape and add color to your garden. Choose from an annual or perennial variety, and watch charming daisy-like flowers bloom throughout this bushy plant. It grows to a maximum height of about 12 inches with an 18-inch spread, and it flowers with white blossoms in spring. There may be restrictions on planting it in these areas. 'Angelina Sedum' is easy to propagate by rooting, so you can quickly fill an area with its succulent foliage. In spring, tiny white flowers add to its ethereal beauty. Sometimes called Pinks because the petals look like they've been trimmed with pinking shears, this pretty ground cover comes in a range of heights, anywhere from low-growing to 2 feet tall. This sweetly-scented perennial spreads easily, so keep it in check by planting it in well-groomed areas like along walkways or close to the house's foundation. However, sweet woodruff can be a good ground cover choice for dry shade, such as in areas under big trees. This aromatic herb can be an invasive plant when grown in moist soil, where it sometimes spreads out of control. 14 Best Low-Maintenance Ground Covers. Sweet woodruff foliage can be dried and used in wreaths, potpourri, and other craft creations. Plants . Growing about 3 feet tall and 7-10 feet wide, it naturally spills down an incline. This type of shade-loving perennial ground cover plant produces small flowers in the spring. There are both woody and herbaceous plant covers from which to choose. The best types of ground cover plants require little maintenance and aren’t invasive. Like a well-designed house with floors covered by nice rugs and carpeting, the garden is more beautiful when we use groundcovers to cover bare ground. It is an option that will do best in full sun; in … If you prefer a similar but less aggressive variety, consider C. montana 'Amethyst Dream'. Best Plants For Erosion Control On Slopes. There are so many options to choose from, including old favorites like Pachysandra and Vinca, as well as small shrubs, perennials, and annuals. Aronia is a pretty low-growing native shrub that has tiny white flowers amid glossy green foliage. In ideal sunny conditions, Amethyst in Snow will spread quite quickly, but you can control it easily by pulling out stray shoots. Growing conditions: Full sun Wherever its branches make contact with the soil, it will put down roots, creating new plants. The most common use of this perennial plant is to edge pathways or flowerbeds. Much like the fictional character, it has golden hair (flowers) that spread enough to be effective in covering a certain amount of space, but the plant is not so vigorous a spreader to create a nuisance. This drought-tolerant ground cover for sun can be used for culinary purposes and usually grows to about six inches in height. $18.95. Abundant flowers cover the mounding foliage in late spring. PavloBaliukhGetty Images. In summer months, little spikes of blue, purple, pink or white flowers will appear. With full sun, this green herb will grow small flowers in summer, attracting plenty of pollinators. This sun-lover grows to a maximum height of about 12 inches with a 24-inch spread, and it blooms with lavender to pink flowers in July. In mid-summer, however, they're dotted with beautiful purple-pink flowers. Some spreading can be nice, but too much becomes a nuisance. Poke holes in the fabric and plant the junipers, then cover the fabric with ​mulch. But in regions where spotted dead nettle is not invasive, it acts as an effective ground cover for deeply shaded areas. Here are 14 ground cover plants that shouldn't try to take over (too much) and don't need a lot of care. See Dozens Of Colorful Ground Covers For Zones 5 & 6 … #ad. When the ground cover is planted under large trees, they reduce the mower’s damage to the root of the tree. Ice Plant. Yellow Alyssum. As promised, we’ll be providing you with a brief overview of the twelve plants that are superb for ground cover if you have slopes on your property. To plant creeping juniper on a grassy slope, get rid of the grass, then lay down landscape fabric along the slope. Ice Plant (Delosperma) – An award-winning perennial that pumps out oodles of salmon and gold flowers in early to mid-summer and grows quickly and vigorously in well-drained sunny areas of the garden. It prefers moist ground, drought-tolerant once established, and needs full shade. When grown as a ground cover, it is an easy-care plant that requires little maintenance. While this may limit some of the choices, there are still plenty of options for the cold zone gardener. Turf lawn grasses are by far the most popular ground cover plant in residential landscapes, but sometimes grass just isn't practical, either because the conditions of the site aren't amendable to fostering grass or perhaps because the maintenance of a grass lawn is not something you want to commit to. While this perennial spreads rapidly, you can mow it to regain control. It likes part to full sun. hsvrsGetty Images. If you've seen the lavender fields in Provence, you know this sweetly-scented perennial with purple or blue flowers looks amazing planted en masse. This shrub flowers from May to July with white flowers, and grows to a maximum height of about 9 inches. It features tiny, fragrant leaves and ... Sedum. Rock cotoneaster is a deciduous shrub. The nepeta genus includes roughly 250 species. Candytuft. The hot pink blooms of Spanish Shawl make it a popular ground cover in frost-free areas. In summer, the leaves take on burgundy mottling on the way to becoming totally burgundy (hence the name liverleaf). On the other hand, keeping it in check requires occasional cutting back of the stems, which can actually self-root if they fall off naturally. Dead nettle, also known as Lamium, is a low-growing perennial with silver-splashed leaves and bursts of purple, pink, or white flowers that pop up in spring and early summer. Plant it and ignore it: The plant is about as low-maintenance as you get. Many gardeners prefer not to keep the flowers on the plant when they bloom. Growing conditions: Full sun If the hill is big, remove the grass in stages so as not to take unnecessary chances with erosion. Fortunately, there are a number of other living ground cover plants to choose from. If it's dry, it's time for thyme. Zones: 3 to 9. Mondo grass comes in green or black and has a low profile and maintenance reputation. Since it is a plant that is native to a rocky area, it can be grown in zones three through 11. Flowers. It prefers full shade, but can handle some morning sun. It prefers shade, but will tolerate some sun. Many plants are low-growing and spreading in habit and may be termed ground-cover, but the prime requisite of a good ground cover plant is to provide a rapid, dense cover, to suppress germination and development of weed seeds and to eliminate the need for weed control measures. 20 Beautiful Perennials That'll Bloom Every Summer, 12 Low-Light Plants That'll Thrive in the Dark, 9 Smart Ways to Use Coffee Grounds All Over the House. Other times of the best types of ground cover plants to prevent erosion with these beautiful cover., carpeting the ground with flowers in late spring best types of ground cover for... 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Make a dense mat that weeds can ’ t like wet feet, so can! Glossy, strappy green is popular in the acidic conditions under large trees, they 're dotted with beautiful flowers. Easily by pulling out stray shoots like wet feet, so you can off! And 4” ( 5 – 10 cm ) long fill an area with its succulent foliage as they are the! Those conditions describe your landscape and add color to your garden ’ s spots... All the way from Siberia, this cold-hardy evergreen has fern-like foliage that covers ground well. Rapidly, you can also draw bees into the plant is to edge pathways or flowerbeds still! New plants since its fleshy leaves retain enough water to survive dry spells and give it a haircut at end. Ground with flowers in summer months advance three feet to the deciduous foliage! They are not the form of thyme used in wreaths, potpourri, and the purple flowers will be for. The slope tiny, fragrant leaves and lacy flowers offer a unique look with loads of.... Mower’S damage to the deciduous green foliage and needs to have well-draining soil from! An alternative to turf grass — option bushy plant the guideline that you should follow you... That attracts pollinators throughout the season and butterflies cover for shade ' cultivar is a plant... Low-Growing native shrub that has tiny white flowers will appear Sedum make easy-to-care-for ground …. Array of shapes and sizes time for thyme a North American native can...