25 Best Ground Cover Flowers for Backyard Bald Spots
We have low-growing ground cover flowers for every landscape style.
Have you noticed a bald spot in your yard? Or maybe you're just in the mood to shake things up.
Either way, if you’re in the market for new landscaping ideas this season, allow us to suggest an overlooked form of flora: ground cover flowering plants!
Ground cover flowers consist of low-growing greenery that sprawl or crawl across the ground—and provide a beautiful mixture of blossoms to dress up otherwise empty places in your garden.
Typically only a few inches in height, they often form a dense cover, and help protect the soil below. Many you can even walk on, which means you won’t have to worry about occasionally dragging your hose across the blooms, or be constantly wary of wanderers stepping off the footpaths.
Low-growing perennial flowers are also great for adding color, preventing pesky weeds (check out some DIY home remedies), and avoiding erosion.
Added bonus: Options exist for both full sun and shade perennials, so you’re sure to find something that works for your space. Just don't forget to consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map before making your final selects.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a novice, you can start planning the base of your landscape.
Our picks for the best ground cover plants include a variety of colors of textures, making them proven winners for small backyards and English gardens alike. (We’ve also included a few fast-growing options for good measure.) So how low can you grow? Find out by incorporating one of these wonderful ground cover plants into your outdoor space.
Flowering Thyme
"For a perennial garden, flowering thyme is such a nice addition because it's both ornamental and edible," says Tara Nolan, author of Gardening Your Front Yard.
"Plus, even in the winter—assuming it's not covered in snow—you can grab a few sprigs of thyme to enjoy in your kitchen." Perhaps in a fancy lemonade!
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 5-9
Alyssum
White alyssum is a great way to fill in the areas of your garden that aren't already populated by plants and flowers.
It's heat and drought tolerant, making it an obvious choice for different climates.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 7-11
Sedum 'Dragon's Blood'
This hardy plant's flowers are a lovely red color—hence the name "Dragon's Blood."
"It really does provide year-round interest," says Nolan. "Even when there's some snow, you might be able to see the little rosettes. It's just a really pretty option in any season."
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-9
Delosperma ("Ice Plant")
This low-growing plant features succulent, spreading leaves, and striking flowers that open in the sunshine and close when it's shadier.
"'Firespinner' is one of the lovelier varieties," says Nolan. "It's this really beautiful blend of orange, fuschia, and white colors."
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 5-9
Black Mondo Grass
Black foliage might not be your first choice, but when you see how beautiful this grass is, you might change your mind.
"If you plant a lime green foliage around it, that not only makes the black grass pop; the green foliage also looks even brighter," says Nolan. "It's also an evergreen perennial, which means it'll have visual interest in the winter as well."
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 6-10
Hens and Chicks
The Latin name, sempervivum means "live forever," which should give you a sense of how these tough, drought-resistant plants hold up.
Their common name refers to the way the hen-like plant grows tiny rosettes around its main plant—like a hen caring for baby chicks.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 5-10
Liriope
Commonly known as lilyturf, all four species of these grass-like blooms are perennials.
The towering purple buds make an appearance starting in the late summer and into the fall.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 6-10
Lily of the Valley
Consider this one of the easier perennial ground covers, namely because it can bloom in partial shade with moist soil.
Bonus: it's also one of the sweetest-smelling.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 2-9
Spotted Dead-Nettle
Known as Lamium maculatum, this pretty lilac-hued perennial plant is deer- and rabbit-resistant and boasts a lengthy bloom time: from the middle of spring to early summer.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-10
Barren Strawberry
These pretty plants (Waldsteinia fragarioides) look similar strawberries but only produce inedible dry fruit with small dainty yellow flowers.
The ground cover flowering plant thrive in well-drained soil in medium to full sun conditions.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 4-7
Creeping Phlox
These blooming beauties come in a variety of colors—white, purples, blues, and pinks—and won't grow taller than six inches.
It thrives under humid conditions in well-drained soil with medium to full sun.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-9
Lamb’s Ear
A cousin to mint that's also called woolly hedgenettle, you’ll enjoy this plant’s lush, silvery leaves year-round.
The purple flowers that bloom in the spring also add another beautiful touch to the hardy ground cover plant.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 4-9
Violet 'Freckles'
This variety of Viola sororia is moderately fast-growing and sports unique freckled purple flowers in mid-spring. When combined with shade-loving mosses, it creates a gorgeous woodland effect.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 4-11
Corsican Mint
Tiny pale-mauve blossoms appear in summer on the mint-scented herb Mentha requienii.
It's an ideal choice for shady areas and can also handle some afternoon sun and is easily divided.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 6-10
Miniature Brass Buttons
The moisture-loving Leptinella gruveri can withstand some morning light.
It's an aggressive grower with tiny, pale fernlike leaves and small green-gold flowers that emerge in the middle of spring.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 5-9
Dianthus 'Sternkissen'
A variety of the moderately spreading Dianthus gratianopolitanus, featuring blue-green foliage and clove-scented pink flowers.
It requires relatively little water and grows well under full sun at least six hours per day.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-9
Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia nummularia is a sprawling ground plant that's a member of the primrose family Primulaceae.
This evergreen perennial is also referred to as moneywort because of its leaves "coin-like" appearance and spreads rapidly in consistently moist soil with full soil.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 3-9
Creeping Mazus
The abundant purple flowers of Mazus reptans, also known as creeping blue, bloom in mid-spring and remain through early summer. This drought-tolerant plant can also be grown in full sun.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 4-10
Blue Star Creeper
Easy-to-grow blue star creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis) produces pale-blue flowers that last from spring through early fall.
It spreads quickly in filtered light, consistently moist soil, and can also take full sun.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 5-10
Sedum 'Baby Tears'
The teardrop-shaped, variegated leaves on this drought-tolerant succulent (Sedum album) turned red in autumn.
The spikes of white flowers that burst forth each summer are a bonus.
Good For: Plant Hardiness Zones 4-9
Janece Maze is Associate Editor at Country Living, where she covers DIY projects, gardening, and travel. When she’s not in the kitchen creating a new recipe with farm fresh ingredients, you can find her on the road heading to a music festival or browsing a local consignment shop.
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