A beautiful yard doesn’t have to mean maintaining a traditional grass lawn. Grass can demand regular mowing, watering, feeding, and seasonal care, while many ground-cover plants can fill open spaces with much less work. They can also bring flowers, interesting foliage, and habitat for pollinators into areas that might otherwise be plain.
Ground covers are especially useful around stepping stones, beneath trees, along slopes, between larger plants, and in spots where grass has trouble growing. The right plant can spread across bare soil, help hold the soil in place, and make weeds less noticeable.
Before planting, check how quickly a ground cover spreads and whether it is considered invasive in your area. Growing conditions matter, too. A plant that thrives in a sunny, dry bed may struggle in deep shade or soggy soil.
Wild Thyme
Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a low-growing plant that can form a dense carpet across sunny areas. Its tiny green leaves stay close to the ground, while small purple flowers appear during the growing season.
It prefers sunny spots with well-drained soil and handles dry conditions once established. The foliage also releases a pleasant herbal scent when stepped on, making it a nice choice around paths and stepping stones.
Bees and other pollinators are drawn to its flowers, giving this little plant another reason to earn a spot in the garden.
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Bellflower
Bellflowers come in many forms, and some low-growing varieties work well as ground covers. Their small flowers can appear in shades of blue, purple, pink, or white, depending on the variety.
They can spread across rocky areas, borders, and other spaces where you want more color close to the ground. Many varieties do well in full sun or partial shade and can handle different soil conditions.
Before planting one, check the particular species or cultivar. Some bellflowers spread much more aggressively than others.
Pennywort
Pennywort has rounded, fleshy leaves that create a soft carpet of green. It prefers moist soil, so it can be a good fit near ponds, rain gardens, water features, or damp areas where other ground covers may struggle.
Its spreading growth can help cover exposed soil and reduce erosion. The glossy leaves also bring a little brightness to shady parts of the garden.
Since pennywort can spread quickly under favorable conditions, give it room and check local recommendations before planting it.
Felt Hornwort
Felt hornwort has soft, silvery-green foliage that gives the garden a different look from the usual green ground covers. It is well suited to dry, sandy, or rocky spots and can work nicely in low-water gardens.
Once established, it can handle periods of dry weather and requires little watering. Its muted foliage also pairs well with plants that have brighter flowers or deeper green leaves.
This is a good option for gardeners who want ground cover without creating a constantly wet planting bed.
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Common Soapwort
Common soapwort produces clusters of pink or white flowers above green foliage. It has a long history of use in traditional soapmaking because its roots and leaves contain saponins.
In the garden, it can spread into a thick planting that covers exposed soil and helps keep weeds from taking over. It prefers sunny locations and well-drained soil and can tolerate some dry conditions after it gets established.
Keep an eye on its growth, since common soapwort can spread readily in the right conditions.
Phlox
Creeping phlox is one of the better-known flowering ground covers, especially for rock gardens, slopes, borders, and spaces around walkways.
In spring, the plants can become covered with pink, purple, white, or red flowers. The low foliage spreads outward and helps cover bare patches of soil.
Creeping phlox prefers plenty of sunlight and soil that drains well. Its flowers also attract bees and butterflies, adding some activity to the garden during its bloom period.
Woolly Hedge Nettle
Woolly hedge nettle stands out because of its fuzzy foliage. The soft, silvery-green leaves give it a different texture from many common ground-cover plants, while small purple flowers add seasonal color.
It can handle poor soil and does well in sunny to partly shaded locations. Once established, it needs relatively little attention.
Its foliage can also be less appealing to deer than many other garden plants, which may make it useful in yards where browsing animals are a regular problem.
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Stonecrop
Stonecrop, also called sedum, is a favorite for dry gardens because of its fleshy leaves and ability to store water. Low-growing varieties can spread across rock gardens, gravel beds, slopes, and other sunny locations.
Depending on the variety, the foliage may be green, gold, red, or a mix of colors. Small star-shaped flowers appear during the growing season and can draw pollinators.
Stonecrop doesn’t need rich soil to perform well. In fact, soil that stays too wet can cause problems, so good drainage is one of the main things to provide.
Evening Primrose
Evening primrose brings pale yellow flowers to areas that can be difficult to plant. Many varieties open their flowers later in the day, giving the garden a different look toward evening.
It can handle poor soil and sunny locations and works well on slopes where its spreading growth can help cover exposed ground. Some varieties can spread quite readily, so check the growth habits of the particular plant before adding it.
The flowers can attract moths and other nighttime visitors, making it an interesting choice for a garden that comes alive after sunset.
Lampranthus
Lampranthus is a colorful succulent ground cover that works particularly well in warm, dry climates. Its fleshy leaves store water, helping the plant handle periods without rain.
Depending on the variety, its daisy-like flowers can appear in shades of orange, pink, red, purple, or other bright colors. The flowers stand out against the blue-green foliage and can create a bold carpet across sunny areas.
Give lampranthus plenty of sunlight and soil that drains quickly. It is especially well suited to rock gardens, coastal gardens, and other low-water planting areas.
Armeria
Armeria, commonly called sea thrift, produces round clusters of pink, white, or purple flowers on thin stems above compact green foliage.
It is a good match for sunny, dry locations with sandy or rocky soil. Many varieties keep their foliage through much of the year, so the plants can still provide structure after the flowers fade.
Sea thrift stays relatively compact, making it useful along borders, pathways, rock gardens, and other small spaces where a spreading plant could become a problem.
Dwarf Periwinkle
Dwarf periwinkle is a low-growing plant with glossy green leaves and small blue or violet flowers. It is especially useful in shaded areas beneath trees or along paths that receive little direct sunlight.
The foliage can form a dense mat that covers bare soil and helps reduce the space available for weeds. It also holds onto its leaves in many climates, giving the planting some greenery outside the main growing season.
Check the exact variety before planting, since some types of periwinkle can spread aggressively and are considered invasive in certain regions.
Woodruff
Woodruff is a classic choice for shady gardens. Its small green leaves grow in whorls along slender stems, creating a soft carpet beneath trees and shrubs.
In spring, tiny white flowers appear above the foliage. The plant also has a sweet scent, particularly when the foliage is dried or crushed.
Woodruff prefers moist, well-drained soil and filtered or partial shade. It can spread across open ground, making it useful for filling shady spaces where grass tends to thin out.
Speedwell
Low-growing speedwell varieties can create a colorful carpet of foliage and small flowers. Depending on the variety, the blooms may be blue, pink, or white and can appear through spring and summer.
Trailing stems allow the plant to spread across borders, slopes, rock gardens, and open patches of soil. It can grow in full sun or partial shade and handles a range of soil types as long as drainage is reasonable.
Bees and butterflies may also visit the flowers, giving the planting some extra life during bloom time.
Shrubby Milkwort
Shrubby milkwort is a compact evergreen plant that can provide greenery through much of the year. Its small flowers may appear in pink, purple, or white, depending on the variety.
It prefers full sun and well-drained soil and can handle dry conditions once established. Its compact growth makes it useful for rock gardens, small planting beds, and containers where a sprawling ground cover would take over too much space.
For gardeners looking for something different from the usual creeping plants, shrubby milkwort offers flowers, foliage, and a tidy growth habit in one small package.
