Low Maintenance Ground Cover Plants Full Sun & Shade

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Ground cover plants are low-growing plants that serve many different purposes in your front or back yard landscaping.

Need coverage for a dry area in your yard that gets full sun? Struggling to grow grass in the shade? Or does your landscape suffer from patchy bald spots and scraggly weeds?

One of the perennial ground covers below could be the perfect solution to your problem!

Each of these picks grows hardy and thick to choke out weeds as they spread. The best part is that these ground covers require little to no maintenance to thrive and grow!

 

Landscape Best Groundcovers

 

Best Ground Cover Plants Lavender

 

7 ground cover plant solutions you need in your yard today

Ground covers can help with limiting weed growth and can also add design, interest and texture to your yard. And unlike regular lawn grass, ground cover plants don’t require mowing!

They not only improve your yard’s appearance, but can also reduce the amount of time you spend plucking or spraying pesky weeds.

 

Best Ground Cover Plants Lilyturf
Lilyturf

 

1. Lilyturf 

Lilyturf is an aggressive weed-suppressing ground cover that spreads quickly to form a thick carpet of green foliage. Lilyturf requires almost no maintenance and thrives in sun or shady spaces.

 

 

Gardening Lavender Plant
Lavender

 

2. Lavender 

Lavender makes a fragrant ground cover for dry, hot areas. With two or three years of planting, lavender spreads to form a thick ground cover full of beautiful purple blooms!

 

 

Best Ground Cover Plants Hostas
Hostas

 

3. Hostas

Over the years, I’ve found hostas to be among the easiest plants to grow and maintain.

I’ve planted hostas in the ground, in rock gardens and even in pots. They are always such a breeze to take care of and will reward your efforts with the most beautiful foliage.

When planted in mass as a ground cover, they provide an attractive, robust covering, especially under trees where shade and roots make grass challenging.

 

 

Landscape, Ground Cover And Gardening For Beginners

 

Outdoor yard decorations

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Potted Hens And Chicks
Hens and chicks


 

4. Hens and chicks 

You can plant hens and chicks (love this plant’s whimsical name!) in sandy soil, potting soil or rock beds, and add perlite to help with drainage. Because they are succulents, they do great with very little soil, even in gravel and cracks in rock walls.

Avoid overwatering these babies— excessive water will kill them.

 

 

Best Ground Cover Plants Rosemary
Rosemary

 

5. Rosemary 

Commonly recognized as a culinary herb, creeping rosemary is perfect for rock gardens, cascading down walls, raised beds, and even container plants. I love to gift potted rosemary, especially during the holidays.

Rosemary makes an excellent ground cover, mainly if the ground is too dry, sandy or rocky for other ground covers. This fragrant foliage multiplies in dry soil and full sun.

 

 

Full Sun Or Shade Ground Cover Plants

 

 

Best Ground Cover Plants Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny

 

6. Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny is a ground cover that will tolerate sun and shade and loves moist soil. This plant’s long trailing stems and round chartreuse leaves cover large areas quickly, putting out roots all along its stems while choking out weeds.

CJ’s vines will grow riverside, land-side, and will even “creep” their way onto buildings and structures.

 

 

Best Ground Cover Plants Ivy
Ivy

 

7. Ivy

Ivy varieties are well known as climbers, due to their aerial rootlets, which allow them to climb to heights of 50 feet or more in sun or shade.

Ivy is also an excellent ground cover, spreading horizontally and reaching up to eight inches in span.

Ivy is a vigorous vine that grows dense and low, crowding out weeds. After just a few seasons, its foliage will create a solid blanket of green ground cover.

 

 

Like this post? Pin a picture to your Home & Garden Pinterest Board!

 

Best Ground Covers For Full Sun Or Shade Garden Areas

 

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22 Comments

  1. Sheila Ressel
    July 1, 2020 / 6:47 am

    I would love to have a yard full of lavender and rosemary instead of weeds. The smell would be divine!

    • July 1, 2020 / 12:32 pm

      Yaasss, the smell is so divine!! I love running my hand across the lavender. 😉

  2. jackie reid
    July 1, 2020 / 10:34 am

    such a great article. thanks for the all the tips and wonderful plant ideas. We just started redoing our yard this year, when we moved in it was an absoulte jungle.

    • July 1, 2020 / 12:31 pm

      You’re welcome, Jackie! Ground covers are perfect for the scenario you described.

  3. Christina Gould
    July 1, 2020 / 7:09 pm

    Your photos are so gorgeous! It makes me want to run out to the nursery and buy some plants. Thanks for posting!

    • July 1, 2020 / 10:46 pm

      You’re welcome and thank you, Christina! If you get any of these plants, they are easy to maintain.

  4. Donna
    July 3, 2020 / 7:04 am

    Thanks for sharing these! I’ve been having trouble with bare spots in a couple of areas in my yard. I think I’ll try Lilyturf!

    • July 3, 2020 / 11:23 am

      Yes, Lilyturf is so easy! You can totally forget to water this ground cover! It’s July now and mine is blooming pretty purple flowers.

  5. Wendy Hutton
    July 3, 2020 / 1:40 pm

    thanks this lilyturk sounds great

    • July 3, 2020 / 5:11 pm

      Yes, it’s an easy and attractive ground cover!

  6. Vicki Spokes
    July 4, 2020 / 3:52 pm

    Thanks! These would be both beautiful & fragrant.

    • July 4, 2020 / 4:48 pm

      Yes, lavender and rosemary are such wonderful ground covers!

  7. July 4, 2020 / 5:36 pm

    I am inspired. I’d love to start gardening and these plants sound like a good starting point for me! I especially love the idea of having lavender in my yard!

    • July 4, 2020 / 5:59 pm

      I’m so glad these easy plant ideas have you inspired! You’ll love the lavender!

  8. Calvin
    July 4, 2020 / 7:36 pm

    Wonderful ideas, I have a lot of succulents, they spread out over the years, and take care of themselves.. really recommended.

    • July 5, 2020 / 1:01 am

      Yes! Succulents, like the hens & chicks are very low maintenance.

  9. Teresa Mayberry
    July 5, 2020 / 11:27 pm

    It is amazing how big rosemary can grow. My grandma had a huge rosemary plant in her garden that was more than 6 feet in diameter.

  10. rita leonard
    July 14, 2020 / 10:06 am

    great info. I especially love the lavender

  11. July 14, 2020 / 11:25 pm

    Thanks for the advice on getting the plants with the sun in a correct manner. This was a great article.

    • July 15, 2020 / 2:36 am

      I’m happy these tips are helpful to you!

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