If you’re looking to add beauty and coverage to your garden, perennial ground cover plants are a fantastic choice.
You don’t have to replant these hardy plants every year, making them a convenient and low-maintenance option.
Why struggle with annuals when you can have reliable perennials that come back year after year?
These plants not only save you time but also bring continuous charm to your landscape.
1. Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny is a fast-growing ground cover known for its bright green, coin-shaped leaves. You’ll love how it forms a dense mat that chokes out weeds. It works great in shady spots and can also handle full sun.
Whether you plant it by a pathway or around a garden bed, Creeping Jenny adds a cheerful touch.
2. Sweet Woodruff
You’ll love Sweet Woodruff. This low-growing plant thrives in shady spots. It blooms with tiny white flowers in spring.
Sweet Woodruff spreads quickly, forming a dense carpet. It also has a pleasant aroma when crushed. Plant it in well-drained soil.
Its delicate appearance hides its toughness. Perfect for adding beauty to any garden.
3. Heartleaf Bergenia
Heartleaf Bergenia, also known as Pigsqueak, is a resilient ground cover. Its large, glossy leaves stay green throughout the year, adding vibrant texture to your garden.
In spring, you’ll enjoy clusters of pink flowers that attract pollinators. This plant thrives in shaded areas, making it perfect for filling in under trees or along borders.
4. Creeping Phlox
Creeping Phlox is a perfect choice for adding vibrant color to your garden. This beautiful ground cover plant produces a carpet of lush flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white.
You’ll love how it can effortlessly fill spaces between rocks or along garden borders. It’s both hardy and low-maintenance, making it great for busy gardeners.
Growing in full sun, Creeping Phlox spreads quickly and blooms in the spring. Plant it for a stunning splash of color year after year.
5. Lamb’s Ear
Lamb’s Ear is a charming ground cover with soft, fuzzy leaves that resemble a lamb’s ear, making it a favorite among gardeners.
Its silver-grey foliage provides a beautiful contrast in the garden, and it tends to form dense mats, choking out weeds efficiently.
Lamb’s Ear thrives in full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, ensuring you have an easy-to-maintain, lovely ground cover year after year.
6. Candytuft
Candytuft offers charming clusters of white flowers that brighten up your garden. You will love how it spreads easily, creating a beautiful carpet of blooms each spring.
Its evergreen foliage ensures your garden remains attractive throughout the year. Candytuft thrives in well-drained soil and full sun, making it a low-maintenance choice for any garden.
7. Vinca Minor
Vinca Minor, also known as periwinkle, is a fantastic choice for ground cover.
It thrives in shady areas and adds a pop of color with its beautiful blue or purple flowers.
You’ll appreciate its low maintenance and ability to suppress weeds, making your gardening life much easier.
8. Virginia Creeper
Virginia Creeper is a vigorous and versatile ground cover. It thrives in various soil types and light conditions, making it a great addition to many gardens.
Its beautiful, five-pointed leaves turn a stunning red in fall, adding seasonal interest. You’ll appreciate how it fills in spaces quickly, providing lush greenery throughout the year.
This plant is also quite low-maintenance and can even climb if given the opportunity.
9. Woodland Stonecrop
Woodland Stonecrop is a charming, low-growing succulent perfect for shady spots. Its small, star-shaped flowers bloom in spring and add a touch of brightness to your garden.
You will love its evergreen foliage that provides year-round interest. This plant thrives with minimal care, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance ground cover.
10. Golden Creeping Jenny
Golden Creeping Jenny, or Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea,’ is a fantastic ground cover choice.
Its vibrant yellow-green leaves create a bright, cheerful carpet in your garden.
You’ll love how it spreads quickly and thrives in both sunny and partially shaded areas.
This hardy perennial is low-maintenance and does well in moist soils.
11. Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley is a charming ground cover with delicate, bell-shaped flowers. These fragrant blooms usually appear in late spring.
This plant thrives in partially shaded areas and prefers well-drained soil.
Its lush green leaves create a beautiful carpet-like effect, making your garden feel like a fairy tale.
12. Bishop’s Weed
Bishop’s Weed, also known as Goutweed, is a reliable perennial ground cover.
It features small, variegated leaves that create a dense mat.
Not only is it resilient, but it’s also ideal for covering large areas quickly.
Remember, it can spread aggressively, so consider planting it in a controlled space.
13. Wild Ginger
Wild Ginger is a fantastic ground cover that thrives in shady areas of your garden. Its heart-shaped leaves create a dense carpet, making it perfect for adding greenery under trees and shrubs.
You’ll love its small, hidden flowers that bloom close to the ground. This plant is easy to care for and will return year after year with minimal maintenance.
14. Hellebore
Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, bring early spring color to your garden. You’ll appreciate their resilience and ability to thrive in shady spots.
These low-maintenance plants are deer-resistant, making them perfect for gardens where wildlife is common. With a variety of colors available, they’re a delightful addition to any landscape.
15. Epimedium
Epimedium, also known as “Barrenwort,” is a fantastic ground cover for shade gardens.
You’ll appreciate its heart-shaped leaves that change colors seasonally. Its delicate flowers bloom in spring, adding a whimsical touch.
This plant is low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for busy gardeners.
Use Epimedium to fill gaps under trees or in shaded areas of your garden.
Common Challenges and Solutions
Maintaining perennial ground cover plants involves dealing with common issues like weeds, pests, and unchecked growth. Understanding these challenges and implementing effective strategies ensures your plants thrive year after year.
Dealing with Weeds
Weeds compete with your ground cover plants for nutrients, water, and light. Regular mulching helps suppress weed growth. Spread a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch, such as shredded bark or wood chips, around your plants.
Another effective strategy is manual weeding. Hand-pulling weeds works well, especially after rain when the soil is moist. Use weed barriers or landscape fabric under the mulch to add an extra layer of protection.
Pest Control
Pests such as aphids, slugs, and snails can damage ground cover plants. Introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs that prey on aphids. Regularly inspect your plants and remove pests by hand if the infestation is small.
For larger infestations, you can use natural pest control methods like neem oil. Avoid chemical pesticides as they can harm beneficial insects and disrupt the garden’s ecosystem. Encourage natural predators by planting various flowers and maintaining healthy soil.
Managing Growth
Perennial ground covers can spread aggressively, sometimes overtaking other plants. Trim the edges of your ground cover plants to contain their growth. This promotes a neat appearance and prevents them from encroaching on other areas.
Installing physical barriers, such as edging or mowing strips, can help you define the boundaries. Some ground covers like ivy should be pruned regularly to prevent them from climbing and damaging structures.
