14 Gorgeous Ground Covers That'll Thrive In Sun Or Shade

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A beautiful garden is more than just showstoppers and flashy blooms, but rather a living tapestry of color, texture, and scent that delights the senses. Ground cover plants are humble growers that may not attract much attention, but just as every superstar needs backup singers, they provide texture, color, and contrast in between. Groundcovers such as stonecrop, bunchberry, and basket-of-gold are delightfully versatile and can be planted in the shade at the base of trees, or splashed across sunny spots, filling in empty spaces.

Ground covers also perform some of the most important jobs in maintaining a healthy ecosystem in your yard. Planting them can block the growth of weeds and cut down the amount of time you have to spend pulling out unwanted greenies sprouting in your garden. They also improve the quality of the soil by keeping it moist and cool. Without these plants, soil tends to dry out and become hard. Ground covers are great for preventing soil erosion as their root systems hold soil well. 

When it comes to garden aesthetics, ground covers are great at softening hardscaping such as paths, rockeries, patios, or decks. Planting fragrant ground covers takes the sharpness out of stone or brick edges, allowing the features to blend in and creating a soothing sense of cohesion in your yard. Their heights vary from tall to ground-hugging to fit your needs. Ground covers are useful for bridging the seasons and filling your garden with interest as seasonal flowers fade and bloom. 

Yellow has been described as the garden color that's tricky to use but beautiful when done correctly, and seeing the cascading glory of a basket-of-gold (Aurinia saxatilis), we have to agree. Plant this ground cover in your zone 3 to 7 garden for 4 to 6 weeks of non-stop flowering in spring. Bold yellow flowers contrast perfectly with gray-green leaves that put on a show of their own once flowering season is over. Plant it in well-drained soil for a butterfly magnet that copes with drought, won't die in rocky or dry soil, and doesn't require much attention.

The stonecrop  'Angelina' (Sedum rupestre) is a mat-forming ground cover that you can plant and forget about. With spikey foliage that is lime green in shade and turns a rich golden-yellow in full sun, this is the perfect candidate for rock gardens and needs minimal watering. Take advantage of its beautiful spilling habit by planting it in a Dahlia Driftwood Stump Log Concrete Planter and letting it spread from there into a glorious ground cover that turns coppery-orange in the winter. Suitable for those in zones 5 to 9, it flowers in midsummer, forming small, yellow, star-flower clusters.

Catmint 'Walker's Low' (Nepeta racemosa) is an impressive blooming groundcover that produces masses of lavender-blue flower-filled spikes from foliage that is typically gray-green. One of the taller groundcovers, catmint grows 2 to 3 feet tall and is a super low-maintenance addition to many types of gardens in zones 4 to 8. To keep the flowers coming, simply remove the flower spikes once the flowers are spent. Bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies love catmint, while it doesn't appeal much to deer or rabbits. Catmint is drought-tolerant and is happy to grow in dry or rocky soil.

The Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) grows to form a gorgeous carpet of bright to dark green leaves, oval-shaped and marked with deep, shapely veins. Their color changes to a deep red or purple in the fall. Near the end of spring, you'll be rewarded with a splash of tiny yellow flowers, set off against four white bracts that look like flower petals. Small red berries replace the flowers, which can be used in puddings and sauces, or left as a feast for birds. This ground cover is perfect for moist, acidic gardens in zones 2 to 7. 

While the creeping phlox 'Snowflake' (Phlox subulata) prefers full sun, it tolerates dappled shade. One of the lower growing ground covers reaching 4 to 6 inches tall, it forms a mat of dark green needle-like foliage that resembles moss. Greenery is covered in profuse white flowers from mid-spring onwards. When the conditions are just right, creeping phlox plants multiply and spread vigorously. This hardy grower doesn't need much care and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. It's a great addition to coastal gardens due to its high salt tolerance. Creeping phlox is best for zone 2 to 9 gardens. 

Aptly named for its lush foliage and cheerful yellow blooms, the green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) forms a low-growing spread of beauty in zone 5 to 9 gardens. A generous bloomer, it will grace your yard with clusters of tiny yellow blooms for months, starting late spring, through fall. Easy to grow, green and gold plants put up with the extremes of heat and cold, drought and floods. To grow in a sunny patch, it needs consistently moist soil. It thrives in shady, well-drained areas and comes into its own trailing along the edge of a path.

While the rock cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) can be grown as a shrub, it also makes a delightful groundcover suitable for zone 5 to 7 gardens. With its bright, glossy leaves that slip into shades of reddish-orange in the fall, it is the queen of cascading! If your informal garden needs greenery to spill over a rockery or down a slope, pick this one. A crop of tiny, salmon-pink and white flowers shows up in late spring that give way to scarlet berries for the birds to feast on. While it's a slow-grower, it's drought tolerant when established and attractive across the seasons. 

The foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia) is a graceful ground cover for gardens in zones 3 to 8. With heart-shaped leaves that turn red-bronze in the winter, it produces delicate flower stalks that support pink buds. As the buds open, pink gives way to a delicate explosion of white petals. While foam flowers thrive in shade, they grow in partial sun and prefer cool, moist, but well-drained soil. As a native plant to eastern North America, they are ideal for cottage gardens with an informal aesthetic. Foam flowers grow in colonies and form a luxurious spread of living beauty. 

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) forms a low-lying mat of heart-shaped leaves and flowers which are hidden by the leaves. Native the North American woodlands, it's velvety leaves spread slowly via buried rhizomes. While it's a slow-grower, it will suppress the growth of weeds as it goes, making it a super addition to gardens in zones 3 to 7. Wild ginger is not demanding and will thrive if you keep the soil moist and remove old leaves in spring. Should the growth become too dense, divide them every few years. While they'll disappear for winter, they emerge again in spring.

If you're looking for an evergreen, this vine sprawls comfortably as a ground cover. Blue is a beautiful color to have in the garden, especially when you do it right, and the Cape leadwort (Plumbago auriculata) does it right. It's easy to grow, just protect from strong winds. Once established, you'll be treated to a profusion of delicate, sky-blue blooms through spring, summer, and the colder months in frost-free areas. Suited to zones 8 to 11, the Cape leadwort is ideal for city gardens, Mediterranean gardens, and has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. 

The cranesbill 'Sweet Heidy' (Geranium), is an easy grower, happy to be planted in full sun, partial shade, or complete shade. As long as the soil is well-drained, this ground cover isn't fussy at all. Spreading easily, the cranesbill provides a rich splash of color that lasts in cottage gardens or gravel gardens in zones 4 to 8. Butterflies are drawn to a cranesbill's exotic blooms, adding charm wherever they're planted. Simple to look after, they don't require much care, though you can remove flowered stems or damaged leaves to boost growth and flower production.

One of the few succulents to make it onto our groundcover list, the beautiful graptopetalum (Graptopetalum 'Superbum') grows vigorously under the right conditions. Over time, it forms a colony of neat rosettes with sharp-pointed, fleshy leaves that vary from pale green to gray or lavender-pink depending on the amount of sun they're exposed to. Delicate sprays of tiny yellow flowers appear in spring. They love heat, and full sun brings out their best colors. Perfect for zone 9 to 11 gardens, pair them with Nupick White River Rocks for Outdoor Landscaping for a spectacular effect.

If you're looking for a speedy-growing cover that can double as a lawn substitute, the creeping mazus (Mazus reptans) is your go-to ground cover plant. It forms a low-growing, 1 to 2 inches, carpet that remains perky throughout spring and summer. Considered to be a semi-evergreen plant, it maintains interest through fall and mild winters. Hundreds of tiny purple blooms emerge in late spring, dotting the lush greenery with a sprinkling of soft color. Gardens in zones 5 to 8 can enjoy this sweet ground cover. It looks especially lovely when grown between stepping stones or throughout rock gardens. 

The striking leaves of the Liriope muscari 'Gold Band', commonly known as a variegated lily turf, add a pop of green and gold interest as a ground cover. While the exotic leaves may fool you, this is a laid-back plant that tolerates heat, humidity, and drought when it's settled in. The Lily Turf grows happily in clay, sand, or loamy soil. Reaching a modest height of 12 to 18 inches, it provides a fluffy backdrop for larger plants. Suited to zones 5 to 10, it is considered invasive in some areas, so check with your nursery.