13 Drought & Weed-Resistant Succulent Ground Covers That Give Your Yard A Pop Of Color

Designing a beautiful landscape can be exciting. That is, until you realize the maintenance most plants require. Although tending to a garden can work wonders for your mood, you might want to spend more time enjoying your plants than pulling out weeds or hovering over them with a hose. Succulent ground covers are the perfect low-maintenance option that fits into nearly any area of your yard, whether you want to deal with fewer weeds, have an eco-friendly grass alternative, add drama to a rock garden, or brighten trickier areas of your landscape. Plus, because succulents store water in their leaves and roots, they're typically more drought-tolerant than many other plants, helping you conserve water. 

Their weed-suppressing and drought-tolerant properties are just the beginning; there are several other benefits to succulent ground covers. They have unique foliage in shades you typically don't see, from red to blue to lavender. Many types have nectar-rich blooms that not only attract bees and butterflies but can also provide habitat for beneficial insects. You can grow them almost anywhere — there are cold-hardy varieties, several that thrive in poor soils, and most grow well in erosion-prone areas. Their thick, waxy, or spiny leaves typically aren't a favorite of rabbits and deer, making them great for keeping out nibblers. By spending less on water, fertilizer, and weed killers, they're typically more cost-effective over time. From stonecrops to ice plants to sedums, below are a few notable drought and weed-resistant succulent ground covers to add to your yard.

Why add one pop of color to your yard when you can add three with just one plant? 'Tricolor' stonecrop (Sedum spurium 'Tricolor') is a stunning cultivar of Caucasian stonecrop that features variegated green, white, and pink leaves. Although the foliage is its standout feature, this ground cover also produces attractive clusters of tiny, star-shaped pink blooms that attract butterflies in late spring or summer. This multi-colored beauty is an easygoing grower in zones 3 to 9, and it withstands drought conditions and poor soils. Give it full sun, and it'll gladly sprawl across your yard, keeping weeds in check along the way.

Hardy ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) is a showy succulent ground cover with an exceptionally long blooming season, offering a blanket of vibrant purplish-pink flowers from summer to frost. Native to South Africa, this plant easily withstands drought, heat, and salt, making it a great option for a weed-suppressing ground cover in coastal gardens. That said, it's hardy in zones 6 to 10, and may struggle to return the following season when grown in cooler climates. Choose a sunny area with dry, sandy soil, and space your hardy ice plants 16 to 24 inches apart where you want them to spread.

Blue chalksticks (Curio repens) is a drought-resistant grass alternative that will fill your yard with a plant color rarely seen in gardens. This icy blue, mat-forming succulent has fleshy, finger-like leaves and puts out small white flowers in summer through fall. This low-maintenance plant is hardy in zones 9 through 12 and can go long periods without a drink of water — although it needs regular watering during stretches of extreme heat. You can help keep weeds at bay by growing blue chalksticks in full to partial sun and well-drained soil.

If you're after an evergreen ground cover that brings stunning color year-round, look no further than sedum 'Lime Zinger'. This drought- and salt-tolerant succulent thrives in zones 4 to 9 and slowly spreads, forming a dense mat of lime-green and red-lined foliage that does a fantastic job of suppressing weeds. Its clusters of pink blooms attract butterflies from summer until early fall. It naturally grows in stony areas, so it feels right at home when grown in rock gardens. Plant this eye-catching ground cover in an area with full sun in well-drained soil.

Sometimes referred to as "mother of pearl," ghost plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense) is one of the most versatile succulents you can grow in your garden. Although commonly grown in containers, it also works beautifully as a weed-suppressing ground cover, especially in rocky areas, where its stems can drape elegantly over stones. It grows best in well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade, with sunlight levels influencing its foliage color, ranging from pale bluish gray in part shade to yellowish pink in direct sun. Native to Mexico, this plant is hardy in zones 9 to 11.

Nicknamed hens and chicks due to its unique spreading habit, common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) is a cold-hardy succulent that happily grows in zones 3 to 8. It spreads by producing offsets, or "chicks," which form into plants independent of the mother plant, the "hen". The original rosette dies shortly after blooming, but the new growth quickly fills in the gaps to continue suppressing any weeds. Full sun and excellent drainage are a must, though houseleek plants can thrive in poor, sandy, or rocky soils. It's drought-tolerant and unappealing to deer and rabbits thanks to its tough, spiky foliage.

If you want to swing to the other side of the color wheel, trade green grass for the bold red tones of Sempervivum 'Red Lion'. This hens and chicks cultivar forms low-growing rosettes that multiply each season, helping to crowd out weeds year after year. While most succulents struggle in cooler climates, these tough plants are incredibly cold-hardy and can happily live in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 10. Although drought-tolerant, they benefit from weekly watering and a little afternoon shade in hotter regions. With full sun and well-drained soil, they'll thrive in most temperate yards.

Sedum 'Dazzleberry' lives up to its name with bold color and unbeatable ground coverage. This mat-forming stonecrop creates a thick carpet of fleshy blue-green foliage, making it tough for pesky weeds to squeeze through. In summer, it erupts in color with raspberry-colored flower clusters that bring more pollinators into your garden. Hardy in zones 4 to 9, it grows well in many regions outside of the hot south. Like other sedums, it only asks for well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight — and it won't mind if you occasionally forget to water.

With its profusion of striking orange and magenta blooms, you should only use ice plant 'Fire Spinner' as a ground cover if you really want your yard to pop. Aside from the breathtaking flowers, its fleshy, evergreen foliage forms a tight mat that helps block weeds and looks great even when not in bloom. Hardy in zones 5 to 9, it thrives in full sun and well-drained, neutral-to-acidic soil. Once established, it can handle drought, heat, and even hungry deer.

This cultivar may be called white stonecrop 'Coral Carpet', but its foliage brightens your yard by shifting color throughout the seasons. It starts with warm coral tones, turns a bright green in summer, and deepens to red as winter approaches. In early summer, clusters of tiny white or pink star-shaped flowers appear, acting like magnets that attract butterflies to your garden. In addition to suppressing weeds, there's not much this tough sedum can't handle. Once established, it's heat and drought tolerant, and deer and rabbit resistant. It's hardy in zones 3 to 9.

Wild stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) is a groundcover that loves shade, making it perfect for yards that don't get much sun. This low-growing native only reaches 3 to 6 inches tall, forming green, dense mats topped with delicate white star-shaped flowers with nectar that butterflies love. You'll rarely have to water this drought-tolerant succulent, though it handles moist soil better than most. It also grows well in rocky or poor soils as long as it's well-drained. While it's hardy in zones 3 to 9, it may grow less vigorously in colder climates.

With its blue-green needle-like foliage, blue spruce sedum (Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce') brings year-round texture and color to sunny yards anywhere in zones 4 to 9. Similar to other creeping stonecrops, it forms a dense mat that outcompetes any weeds that attempt to grow in its path. In summer, it brightens your yard with delicate, bright yellow blooms that pollinators love. Plant this drought-tolerant succulent in well-drained soil in an area that receives full sun. It's also a great option for erosion-prone slopes where grass struggles to grow.

Houseleek 'Gold Mine' (Sempervivum 'Gold Mine') is a vibrant, mat-forming hens and chicks cultivar that features lime-green leaves in spring, turning golden with brilliant red centers in cooler months. In summer, showy pink flowers rise from the center of the rosettes, encouraging bees and butterflies to visit your yard. Like other sempervivums, it spreads by producing chicks and smothering weeds as it fills in the empty areas. This drought-tolerant succulent thrives on neglect, provided it has well-drained soil. You can grow this cultivar in zones 3 to 8 with full to partial sun.