11 Ground Covers That Can Happily Grow And Thrive In Container Gardens And Pots

While creeping and spreading plants make beautiful ground covers for flower beds, natural areas, or foundation plantings, they also bring lots of charm when used to fill container gardens and pots. Whether used in an artfully arranged grouping of terra cotta pots on the back patio, or in minimalist containers placed symmetrically on either side of a front door, container-compatible ground covers such as creeping rosemary, moss phlox, and sedge can really set the scene.

When choosing a ground cover to fill a planter, you'll want to make sure it will grow happily in a pot over time, in addition to knowing what to expect from the plant in terms of looks and size. And to ensure your plant is long-lasting and can grow healthily, gardeners should also check the suitability of the plant's USDA hardiness zone. You'll also want to know the plant's requirements for sunlight, but one of the great things about container growing is portability — if your plant isn't thriving in a particular spot, you can always move it.

American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) is a multipurpose plant loved for its evergreen leaves, pink flowers, and eye-catching red berries. These spreading plants reach 8 inches tall with a 12-inch spread, and are covered with leathery, green leaves that take on a purple coloration in fall. American wintergreen is one of the ground covers that thrives in the shade, whether it's deep shade or partial shade. These wildlife-friendly plants are particularly well-suited to winter-themed pots and container gardens, and can be grown in zones 3 to 7.

While many different types of mint are happy to grow in containers, Corsican mint (Mentha requienii) is particularly well-suited to this job. This fragrant, low-growing herb reaches just 3 inches tall, and its small-leafed stems creep across the soil in a pot, spreading up to 12 inches wide. A cute ground cover option with tiny lilac blooms, Corsican mint can fill up a decorative planter when grown as a perennial in zones 6 to 9 and will thrive in a container garden, either in full sun or part shade.

For those hoping for multipurpose plants, creeping rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Prostrata group) is a fragrant, heat-tolerant trailing herb that brings beauty to the container garden as well as providing a flavorful seasoning. With needle-like leaves, this trailing plant reaches 12 inches tall and has a spread of 3 feet. These plants produce small, white, blue, or purple blooms that attract pollinators. Grow creeping rosemary as a potted ground cover in zones 8 to 10, and keep this aromatic plant happy in full sun.

Creeping stonecrop (Phedimus spurius) is a mat-forming ground cover that bears semi-evergreen, succulent foliage that is bluish green. Its fleshy, scalloped leaves grow in pairs and really catch the eye in autumn when they take on a reddish color. In spring and summer, colorful star-shaped flowers arrive on plants that can reach 6 inches tall and have a spread of 3 feet, making creeping stonecrop an excellent option for pots and container gardens. Creeping stonecrop thrives in part shade and is a perennial in zones 3 to 9.

Gardeners who consider wildlife when choosing a ground cover will be happy to learn that hummingbirds and butterflies will flock to your yard for moss phlox (Phlox subulata). With small, linear green leaves and showy flowers, this low-growing perennial makes an excellent choice for a container garden. As it grows, moss phlox creeps across the soil, forming dense mats and spilling out of pots. It reaches 6 inches tall and can spread to 3 feet wide, growing best in full sun or dappled sunlight, in zones 3 to 9.

Hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum), also known as house leeks, are succulent plants that produce lovely, compact rosettes as they happily spread to fill a container garden. These rosettes can be different shades of green depending on the variety and can show tints of lavender and purple. Hens and chicks are low-growing, reaching 3 inches tall but developing a spread of 2 feet. This succulent ground cover requires full sun and can be grown in pots in zones 3 to 8.

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a ground cover shrub that attracts pollinators while being deer-resistant. It produces small, oval-shaped green leaves, bell-shaped flowers, and small red berries. Reaching one foot tall and thriving in full sun to part shade, this evergreen plant can spread to 6 feet wide, making it a great choice for large planters. Container gardeners in zones 3 to 7 can grow bearberry in pots, where they will enjoy the beautiful fall foliage and papery bark of this US native plant.

One of the best ground covers to use to fill in patchy areas in your lawn, sedges (Carex spp.) can also be grown in pots and planters for a wispy, minimalist effect. Sedges are grass-like plants — some of them evergreen — that will thrive in container gardens, with types adapted to full sun, part shade, and shade. With many different species and cultivars, size and growing zones vary, and leaf colors are available in solid and variegated shades of green, copper, brown, burgundy, and red.

Thyme (Thymus spp.) is more than just a delicious culinary herb — with wiry stems covered with small leaves, there are different types of thyme that have a mounding, trailing, or creeping growth habit, making them ideal ground covers in pots and container gardens. Reaching different sizes depending on the type, these aromatic, evergreen plants will provide interest all year long. Thyme bears small pink flowers, requires full sun, and will thrive in zones 5 to 8 in well-draining soils and planters.

With palm-shaped, bluish-green leaves and bright yellow, cup-shaped flowers, wood poppy (Chelidonium diphyllum) is a woodland plant that can also thrive in pots and planters. Also known as celandine poppy, wood poppies grow to 12 inches wide and 14 inches tall; these ground covers can be grown in container gardens in zones 4 to 9. Use this eye-catching plant in shade or part shade, in areas that tend to stay moist, to keep it looking its best during the growing season.

Woodland stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) is a US-native, succulent plant that works well as a ground cover or in a container garden. With dense spreading foliage made up of fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves, and white, star-shaped flowers, woodland stonecrop grows to be 3 to 6 inches tall and can spread 12 inches wide, spilling over pot rims. Grow this succulent ground cover, also known as mountain stonecrop or three-leaved stonecrop, in full sun to part shade, in zones 4 to 8.