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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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I would love to have a yard full of lavender and rosemary instead of weeds. The smell would be divine!
Author
Yaasss, the smell is so divine!! I love running my hand across the lavender. 😉
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.
Author
You’re welcome, Jackie! Ground covers are perfect for the scenario you described.
Your photos are so gorgeous! It makes me want to run out to the nursery and buy some plants. Thanks for posting!
Author
You’re welcome and thank you, Christina! If you get any of these plants, they are easy to maintain.
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!
Author
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.
thanks this lilyturk sounds great
Author
Yes, it’s an easy and attractive ground cover!
Thanks! These would be both beautiful & fragrant.
Author
Yes, lavender and rosemary are such wonderful ground covers!
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!
Author
I’m so glad these easy plant ideas have you inspired! You’ll love the lavender!
Wonderful ideas, I have a lot of succulents, they spread out over the years, and take care of themselves.. really recommended.
Author
Yes! Succulents, like the hens & chicks are very low maintenance.
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.
Author
And it smells soooo good!!
great info. I especially love the lavender
Author
Plus the lavender smells so good!
Thanks for the advice on getting the plants with the sun in a correct manner. This was a great article.
Author
I’m happy these tips are helpful to you!