Gardening Flowers Perennials 25 Low-Maintenance Groundcover Plants That Look Great With Little Work By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck served as garden editor at BHG and her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on August 23, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Doug Hetherington For bare spots under large trees, sunny slopes, and other challenging spots, a groundcover offers an easy solution for adding color. Plus, these plants act like a living mulch, protecting soil from erosion and drought. The following low-growing perennial groundcovers work well in a variety of situations, without requiring a lot of care. 01 of 25 Thyme Peter Krumhardt Enjoy the fresh smell of thyme underfoot in your garden. This evergreen groundcover offers fragrant foliage and pink or white flowers in spring or summer. Name: Thymus serpyllum Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 10 inches tall Zones: 4-9 Buy It: Thyme Plant ($13, The Home Depot) 02 of 25 Sweet Woodruff Mike Jensen Sweet woodruff is an easy-to-grow option when you need a groundcover for shade. It will even add a pleasant fragrance to your yard, from the leaves (which smell like fresh hay when mown or crushed) and the small white flowers that appear in spring. This spreading perennial isn't prone to invasiveness. Still, it can get a little exuberant when grown in optimal conditions with lots of moisture. Name: Galium odoratum Growing Conditions: Part to full shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 12 inches tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Sweet Woodruff Seeds ($8, Etsy) 03 of 25 Brass Buttons King Au An evergreen groundcover in warmer areas, brass buttons offers fern-like, fine-textured foliage and button-shaped, yellowish flowers. 'Platt's Black' variety has very dark leaves that look especially striking surrounding lighter plants or landscaping features like boulders. Plus, it can tolerate a little foot traffic, so it's a good choice between stepping stones as long as it receives steady moisture. Name: Leptinella squalida 'Platt's Black' Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: 6 inches tall Zones: 4-7 Buy It: Brass Buttons ($16, Walmart) 04 of 25 Lamium Rich Pomerantz Also known as deadnettle, lamium is a reliable, easy-care groundcover for shade. Most types bloom through the summer, producing clusters of pink, purple, or white flowers. Even when not in bloom, lamium has eye-catching, silver-marked green foliage that brightens up shady corners. This low-maintenance perennial makes a beautiful alternative to a struggling lawn. Name: Lamium maculatum Growing Conditions: Full shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: 8 inches tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Purple Chablis Dead Nettle ($28, The Home Depot) 05 of 25 Golden Moneywort Erica George Dines Also called creeping Jenny, golden moneywort is a fast-growing groundcover that forms mats of tiny chartreuse leaves along thin, sprawling stems. The coloring will look brightest in full sun, but it grows well in part shade, too. Just beware, this perennial can quickly get out of hand so it's best grown where it can be controlled, such as in a bed bordered on all sides by concrete or other hardscaping. And it's considered invasive in some regions of the country, so check if it's a problem before planting. Name: Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist soil Size: 3 inches tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Goldilocks Creeping Jenny 06 of 25 Epimedium Bob Stefko ry shade can be a tricky landscaping problem. Thankfully, epimedium thrives in these conditions. There are many excellent varieties, but a few beautiful ones include 'Pierre's Purple,' 'Sulphureum,' and 'Lilafee.' Name: Epimedium grandiflorum Growing Conditions: Part to full shade and well-drained soil Size: 8 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Perennial Farm Marketplace Epimedium 07 of 25 Lily-of-the-Valley Ginny Weiler In addition to its fragrant spring blooms, lily-of-the-valley is one of the easiest groundcovers to grow. It's perfect in a shady spot under a big tree in your backyard because it tolerates dry conditions well. Keep an eye on it, though: It can be a vigorous spreader. Name: Convallaria majalis Growing Conditions: Shade and well-drained soil Size: 8 inches tall Zones: 3-8 Buy It: Van Zyverden Lily of the Valley ($3, Walmart) 08 of 25 Bunchberry Mike Eagleton A native groundcover that does well in shade, bunchberry features cute little white flowers in spring, followed by bright red fruits in fall. The leaves also develop festive shades of bronzy-purple in autumn. Name: Cornus canadensis Growing Conditions: Full shade and well-drained soil Size: To 6 inches tall Zones: 2-7 Buy It: Bunchberry 09 of 25 Wild Ginger Julie Mikos Wild ginger is prized for its glossy, heart-shaped leaves and vigorous growth. While not invasive, it wastes no time forming a sizable colony in your landscape. Name: Asarum europaeum Growing Conditions: Part to full shade and well-drained soil Size: To 4 inches tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Bare-Root Wild Ginger Plants ($8, Etsy) 10 of 25 Lady's Mantle Matthew Benson This low-maintenance perennial is a cottage garden favorite that offers a unique treat: Fine hairs on the scalloped leaves sparkle with water droplets in the early morning light. Lady's mantle blooms in late spring to early summer, producing clusters of tiny chartreuse blooms. This classy groundcover can seed itself around, so make sure to deadhead the blooms if you want to keep your planting more contained. Name: Alchemilla mollis Growing Conditions: Sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 18 inches tall Zones: 4-7 Buy It: Lady's Mantle Perennial Plants ($14, Etsy) 11 of 25 Sedum Jerry Pavia Low-growing sedums may not produce the big bang of color like their taller cousins, but it's hard to go wrong with this ultra-low-maintenance, drought-tolerant groundcover for sunny spots. Two of the hardiest creeping varieties are gold moss stonecrop (Sedum acre) and Sedum kamtschaticum (shown here). Name: Sedum sp. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 3 inches tall Zones: 4-9 Buy It: Gold Moss Sedum 12 of 25 Hens-and-Chicks Peter Krumhardt A perfect companion for sedums, hens-and-chicks is an excellent succulent for the rock garden, stone wall, or crevice in the sidewalk. Hens-and-chicks is one of the most low-maintenance groundcovers. Just plant and enjoy. Name: Sempervivum varieties Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 4 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Outdoor Live Plant Hens N Chicks Jar ($16, Walmart) 13 of 25 Soapwort Povy Kendal Atchison Soapwort is a low-maintenance perennial that deserves to be grown in more gardens. It makes a pretty, mat-forming groundcover. It produces so many starry pink flowers in summer that the green foliage is almost completely covered. 'Max Frei' is a variety with an extra long bloom time, running into fall. Name: Saponaria x lempergii 'Max Frei' Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 1 foot tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Soapwort Perennial ($3, Etsy) 14 of 25 Showy Evening Primrose Ed Gohlich Native to the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico, showy evening primrose makes an excellent heat-, drought- and humidity-tolerant groundcover. It will reward you in midsummer with cuplike pink flowers that open in the evening or on cloudy days. While it's easy to grow, it can spread aggressively in ideal conditions, so make sure it has room to ramble. Name: Oenothera speciosa Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 2 feet tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Showy Evening Primrose (from $3, Etsy) 15 of 25 Armeria Marty Baldwin A charming plant not seen enough in gardens, armeria offers low, grassy foliage and clusters of bright pink or white flowers in late spring and early summer. For extra interest, look for 'Rubrifolia', which offers burgundy-tinged foliage. Name: Armeria maritima Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 8 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Armeria Maritima Alba ($4, Etsy) 16 of 25 Creeping Phlox Doug Hetherington A slow-growing, sprawling perennial, creeping phlox forms dense mats of narrow green leaves. This easy-care groundcover puts on an eye-catching show in spring when it becomes covered in pink, white, purple, red, and bicolor flowers. Perfect for edging sidewalks and walkways, creeping phlox won't become a rowdy neighbor to the tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs that look charming planted with it. Name: Phlox subulata Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 8 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Outdoor Live Plant Phlox Subulata ($8, Walmart) 17 of 25 Barren Strawberry Nancy Rotenberg Native to eastern North America, barren strawberries form dense, spreading clumps of strawberry-like foliage. In spring, they produce small yellow flowers, followed by inedible fruit. Name: Waldsteinia fragarioides Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: 1 foot tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Waldsteinia Fragarioides ($13, Bluestone Perennials) 18 of 25 Prostrate Veronica Marty Baldwin This perennial is the groundcover version of the taller, well-known veronica. Its pretty blue spring flowers create a dazzling contrast to the golden foliage of cultivars such as 'Trehane' and 'Goldwell.' Name: Veronica prostrata Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 1 foot tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Veronica 'Tidal Pool' ($14, Jackson & Perkins) 19 of 25 Bloody Cranesbill Jeff McNamara Colorfully named bloody cranesbill gets its name from the bright red color the foliage takes on in fall. Many varieties are available in flower colors of blue and purple that bloom in May and June, then sporadically through the rest of the growing season. This low-maintenance groundcover plant spreads slowly but will eventually form broad swaths if you let it. Name: Geranium sanguineum Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in well-drained soil Size: 1 foot tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Bloody Cranesbill Hardy Perennial Plant 20 of 25 Japanese Forestgrass Bob Stefko Ornamental grasses are a beautiful way to add texture to the landscape. Low-growing forms make excellent groundcovers, and Japanese forest grass is one of the best. It comes in glowing shades of gold and chartreuse and forms flowing mounds that hug the ground. Name: Hakonechloa macra Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil Size: To 2 feet tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Golden Yellow Foliage Gold Japanese Forest Grass ($19, The Home Depot) 21 of 25 Leadwort Scott Little Leadwort is an excellent low-maintenance groundcover for putting on a late-season show. Leadwort begins blooming in late summer with beautiful, electric-blue flowers and continues until the first frost. Then, the leaves turn a gorgeous shade of burgundy red in fall. Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: To 12 inches tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Leadwort 22 of 25 Mondo Grass Ed Gohlich A favorite of Southern gardeners, mondo grass is a tough, drought-tolerant groundcover plant that doesn't mind heat and humidity. Plus, this low-growing perennial can tolerate a little foot traffic. It forms clumps of strappy, grass-like green foliage; dark-leaf varieties add a moody hue to the garden and create pleasing contrasts with plants with paler foliage. Despite its appearance and name, mondo grass is more closely related to lilies. Name: Ophiopogon japonicus Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 24 inches tall, depending on variety Zones: 6-10 Buy It: Mondo Grass ($12, The Home Depot) 23 of 25 Snow-in-Summer Peter Krumhardt Billowing mounds of crystalline white flowers float over snow-in-summer's silvery evergreen foliage, beginning in spring. This drought-tolerant groundcover plant makes a stunning accent to a stone wall, patio, or rock garden. Snow-in-summer can handle a range of soil types as well. Name: Cerastium tomentosum Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: 3 inches tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Show in Summer Seeds ($2, Etsy) 24 of 25 Lamb's Ear William N. Hopkins Kids especially love the fuzzy leaves of this classic perennial. Soft and silvery, lamb's ear forms low-growing mounds. Equally fuzzy spikes of purple to pink flowers appear in spring and summer. If you don't want this plant to self-seed, make sure to deadhead the flowers. Good cultivars to look for include 'Cotton Ball,' 'Big Ears,' and 'Primrose Heron.' Name: Stachys byzantina Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 18 inches tall Zones: 4-7 Buy It: Lamb's Ear Seeds ($4, Etsy) 25 of 25 Crested Iris Walter Chandoha Sometimes known as woodland iris, crested iris is a native of eastern North America and can be found in various forms and patterns in blue and white. Once established, they are carefree, cheery groundcovers for a shady woodland garden. Name: Iris cristata Growing Conditions: Part to full shade in moist, well-drained soil Size: 9 inches tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Dwarf Crested Iris Plants ($18, Etsy) Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit