Creating a beautiful lawn is a satisfying accomplishment. But that vibrant green carpet looks even better when the right plants border it. Strategic placement of complementary plants around your lawn enhances its appearance while solving common yard problems like erosion, weeds, and maintenance headaches.
The perfect lawn companions do more than just look pretty. They create natural boundaries, add texture and color throughout the seasons, and can even reduce your overall lawn maintenance.
From low-growing ground covers to dramatic ornamental grasses, these 17 plants will transform your lawn edges from ordinary to extraordinary.
Creeping Thyme
Creeping thyme creates a stunning transition between your lawn and garden beds. This low-growing perennial spreads into a dense mat of tiny leaves topped with delicate purple, pink, or white flowers that bees adore.
The aromatic foliage releases a pleasant scent when stepped on, making it perfect for areas adjacent to walkways. In zones 4 to 9, creeping thyme stays green most of the year and requires minimal maintenance once established.
It tolerates moderate foot traffic and drought conditions, making it an excellent choice for difficult spots where grass struggles to grow. Plant it in well-draining soil and full sun positions around your lawn's perimeter for best results.
Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses create dramatic vertical interest alongside your lawn without competing for resources. Varieties like feather reed grass, fountain grass, and blue fescue offer distinctive textures, heights, and colors that provide four-season appeal.
The gentle movement of these grasses in the breeze adds a dynamic element to your landscape. Most ornamental grasses prefer full sun but tolerate partial shade, making them versatile lawn border plants. Once established, they require minimal care and resist most pests and diseases.
Plant them in clusters for maximum impact or use as specimen plants at key points around your lawn. Many varieties also provide winter interest with their seed heads and dried foliage.
Hostas
Hostas excel as lawn companions in shady areas where other plants struggle. Their broad, distinctive foliage creates a lush border that contrasts beautifully with turf grass.
Available in countless varieties with leaves ranging from tiny to enormous and colors spanning blue-green to chartreuse to variegated patterns, hostas offer endless design possibilities.
These shade-loving perennials thrive in zones 3 to 9 and require minimal maintenance beyond occasional watering during dry spells. Their neat, mounding habit creates clear boundaries between lawn and garden areas.
Group several varieties with different leaf colors and sizes for maximum impact to create a textured tapestry along woodland edges or north-facing lawn borders.
Daylilies
Daylilies earn their place alongside lawns with their adaptability and extended blooming period. These tough perennials produce graceful, strappy foliage and stunning blooms in nearly every color except true blue.
Their arching growth habit creates a soft transition from flat lawn surfaces to taller garden elements. In zones 3 to 9, daylilies tolerate a wide range of soil conditions and require minimal care.
Though each flower lasts just one day, a mature plant produces dozens of buds that open for weeks. Plant them in groups of three or more along sunny lawn edges for dramatic summer color. The dense root system also helps prevent soil erosion on slopes or banks.
Sedum
Sedum varieties are perfect for hot, dry edges where lawn grass struggles. These succulent perennials form tight clusters of fleshy leaves in shades ranging from blue-green to burgundy, creating distinct boundaries between lawn and garden beds.
Taller varieties like 'Autumn Joy' produce spectacular late-season flower clusters that attract butterflies. Drought-tolerant and practically maintenance-free, sedums thrive in poor soil where many plants fail.
Low-growing varieties like 'Dragon's Blood' and 'Angelina' spread to form colorful mats that suppress weeds and prevent erosion. Plant them along sun-baked lawn edges or in rocky areas where mowing proves challenging.
Lavender
Lavender creates a fragrant, colorful transition between lawn areas and garden beds. Its silver-gray foliage provides year-round structure while the purple flower spikes add dramatic color in summer months.
The strong scent repels many common garden pests while attracting beneficial pollinators. In zones 5 to 9, lavender requires full sun and excellent drainage to thrive.
English lavenders like 'Hidcote' and 'Munstead' work best in cooler regions, while French and Spanish varieties excel in hotter climates. Plant them along sunny, well-drained lawn borders where their compact, mounded form creates a defined edge that's easy to mow around.
Coreopsis
Coreopsis brings weeks of cheerful color to lawn edges with minimal effort. These daisy-like perennials produce yellow, orange, or bicolor blooms that dance above finely-textured foliage.
Their informal growth habit softens the transition between structured lawn areas and more naturalistic plantings. Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, coreopsis thrives in average soil with full sun exposure. Most varieties bloom from early summer until frost if deadheaded regularly.
Plant them in drifts along sunny lawn borders. Their self-seeding nature creates expanding colonies that require little maintenance. The thread-leaf varieties work particularly well alongside ornamental grasses.
Black-Eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan creates a cheerful, meadow-like transition between formal lawn areas and more naturalistic plantings. These native perennials produce golden-yellow daisies with distinctive dark centers, attracting butterflies and pollinators.
Their upright growth habit adds vertical interest to lawn edges without overwhelming nearby turf. In zones 3 to 9, black-eyed Susans thrive in average soil with full sun to partial shade.
Once established, they require almost no supplemental watering and spread gradually through self-seeding. Plant them in informal drifts along lawn borders for a wildflower garden effect that looks especially appealing alongside native grasses and other prairie plants.
Nepeta (Catmint)
Nepeta creates a soft, billowing border between lawn areas and garden beds. Its aromatic gray-green foliage forms neat mounds that burst into clouds of lavender-blue flowers from late spring through summer.
The extended bloom period provides weeks of color with virtually no maintenance required. Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, catmint thrives in average soil with full sun exposure.
Most varieties grow 1 to 3 feet tall and wide, creating a substantial presence without overwhelming nearby plants. Plant them along sunny lawn edges where their gentle spread won't interfere with mowing. Trim plants back by one-third after the first flush of flowers fades to encourage a second bloom period.
Echinacea (Coneflower)
Echinacea adds architectural interest and wildlife value to lawn edges. These native perennials feature distinctive cone-shaped centers surrounded by colorful petals in shades ranging from traditional purple to white, yellow, orange, and red.
Their strong, upright stems create vertical accents contrasting beautifully with horizontal lawn surfaces. In zones 3 to 9, coneflowers thrive in average soil with full sun exposure. Once established, their deep root systems make them drought-tolerant.
Plant them in groups of five or more along sunny lawn borders. Their seed heads can remain standing through winter, providing food for birds and visual interest during the dormant season.
Salvia
Salvia varieties offer extended color and pollinator appeal alongside lawn areas. These versatile perennials produce spikes of tubular flowers in shades of blue, purple, red, and white that attract hummingbirds and butterflies throughout the growing season.
Their compact, upright growth habit creates clear boundaries between turf and garden areas. Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, most salvias thrive in average soil with full sun exposure.
Varieties like 'May Night' and 'East Friesland' form neat clumps that stay put, while others gradually expand their footprint. Plant them along sunny lawn edges where their extended bloom period provides months of color with minimal maintenance.
Liriope
Liriope creates elegant, evergreen transitions between lawn areas and garden beds. Often called lily turf, this grass-like perennial forms tidy clumps of strappy foliage topped with spikes of purple or white flowers in late summer.
The arching leaves cascade gracefully toward the lawn, softening rigid boundaries. Liriope thrives in partial shade in zones 5 to 10 but tolerates everything from full sun to deep shade. It grows slowly enough to stay contained without becoming invasive.
Plant it as a border along shady lawn edges or use it as a groundcover beneath trees where grass struggles. The variegated varieties add brightness to dark corners while standard green types create clean, understated boundaries.
Dianthus
Dianthus varieties create charming, low-growing borders that define lawn edges with colorful blooms and blue-green foliage. Often called pinks, these perennials produce fragrant flowers in shades ranging from white to deep red, often with intricate patterns or picotee edges.
Their compact growth habit creates distinct boundaries that require minimal edging. In zones 3 to 9, most dianthus prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Their drought tolerance makes them perfect for hot, dry edges where lawn grass struggles.
Plant them along sunny borders where their evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage provides year-round structure. The spicy clove scent of their flowers adds an extra sensory dimension to garden walks.
Russian Sage
Russian sage creates a dramatic, drought-tolerant border alongside lawn areas. This woody perennial forms substantial clumps of silvery stems covered with tiny lavender-blue flowers from midsummer until frost.
The airy, cloud-like appearance softens the transition between structured lawn surfaces and more naturalistic plantings. In zones 4 to 9, Russian sage thrives in poor, dry soil with full sun exposure. Once established, it requires virtually no supplemental water and resists most pests and diseases.
Plant it along hot, sunny lawn edges where its substantial size (3 to 4 feet tall and wide) creates a significant impact. Its deer resistance makes it particularly valuable in suburban settings.
Penstemon
Penstemon varieties add vertical accents and pollinator appeal to lawn borders. These North American natives produce spikes of tubular flowers in shades ranging from white to pink, red, purple, and blue, attracting hummingbirds and bees throughout summer.
Their upright growth habit creates clean divisions between turf and garden areas. Most penstemons are hardy in zones 3 to 8, depending on variety. They prefer well-drained soil with full sun exposure.
Their drought tolerance makes them perfect for hot, dry edges where lawn grass struggles. Plant them in groups of three or more along sunny borders, where their extended bloom period provides weeks of color with minimal maintenance.
Lamb's Ear
Lamb's ear creates a distinctive textural contrast alongside lawn areas. This perennial ground cover forms low mats of thick, fuzzy, silver-gray leaves that children love to touch.
The soft, velvety foliage looks particularly striking against the turf grass's delicate texture and green color. In zones 4 to 8, lamb's ear thrives in average soil with full sun to partial shade. It requires minimal maintenance beyond removing the somewhat unattractive flower stalks if desired.
Plant it along sunny lawn edges where its drought tolerance and spreading habit help suppress weeds and prevent erosion. The silvery foliage also reflects moonlight, adding evening interest to garden paths.
Yarrow
Yarrow creates feathery, drought-tolerant borders alongside lawn areas. This hardy perennial features finely-cut, aromatic foliage topped with flat clusters of tiny flowers in shades of yellow, pink, red, or white.
The sturdy stems stand upright without flopping, creating clean divisions between turf and garden beds. In zones 3 to 9, yarrow thrives in poor, dry soil with full sun exposure. Once established, it requires virtually no supplemental water and resists most pests and diseases.
Plant it along hot, sunny lawn edges where its drought tolerance helps create a transition zone between irrigated turf and unwatered areas. Modern cultivars like 'Moonshine' and the Seduction series offer improved color and more compact growth.
Transform Your Lawn Borders with These Perfect Plant Partners
The right plants along your lawn's edge create harmony between structured turf and more naturalistic garden areas. By selecting species that complement rather than compete with your grass, you'll reduce maintenance headaches while adding multiple seasons of color.nd texture.
Each option offers unique benefits, from drought tolerance to erosion control to pollinator appeal. Start with one or two varieties that match your site conditions and design preferences.
Once you see how these strategic plantings enhance your lawn's appearance while solving common landscape problems, you'll likely want to incorporate more of these helpful border plants.
Your lawn will look more intentional, your garden will be more cohesive, and the entire landscape will be more polished.