Spring is the perfect time to refresh your garden with vibrant, low-maintenance ground cover plants. They fill gaps between larger plants, suppress weeds, and create a lush, thriving carpet. Whether you need a shade-tolerant or sun-loving variety, the right ground cover can transform your garden. Here are the best options to consider this spring!
1. Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny is a low-growing perennial with vibrant green foliage in the spring that turns golden yellow during the summer. It’s perfect for sunny areas but can also tolerate partial shade. This ground cover spreads quickly, forming a dense mat that prevents weed growth. Its small yellow flowers in the spring are an added bonus. Plant it along the edges of garden beds or in hanging baskets for a cascading effect.
2. English Ivy
English Ivy is a classic choice for ground cover. It is known for its ability to cover large areas quickly. It thrives in both sun and shade, making it incredibly versatile. With glossy, dark green leaves and small clusters of white flowers in the fall, it’s a low-maintenance option that can withstand various soil types. However, it’s important to keep it contained, as it can be invasive in some regions.
3. Ajuga (Bugleweed)
Ajuga is a hardy perennial that provides beautiful blue, purple, or white flowers in spring. Its foliage ranges from deep green to purples and bronze tones, making it a great choice for adding color to shaded areas of your garden. It’s ideal for growing between stepping stones or as a border plant, as it forms dense mats that choke out weeds.
4. Lamb's Ear
Lamb’s Ear is an attractive ground cover with soft, silvery leaves that give it a distinctive, fuzzy appearance. It's drought-tolerant and grows well in full sun or partial shade. In late spring, the plant produces tall spikes of purple or pink flowers, adding a touch of color to your garden. Lamb’s Ear is perfect for adding texture and interest, and its resilience makes it ideal for low-maintenance gardens.
5. Sweet Woodruff
Sweet Woodruff is a fragrant, evergreen perennial that thrives in shady areas. Its delicate white flowers in spring create a beautiful contrast against the dark green foliage. The plant’s sweet-smelling aroma makes it a lovely addition under trees or along shaded pathways. It's also an excellent choice for adding a ground cover that will stay green year-round.
6. Ground Morning Glory
Ground Morning Glory is a fast-growing ground cover that produces bright blue, trumpet-shaped flowers in the spring and summer. It thrives in full sun and poor soil, making it perfect for areas that may be too dry or barren for other plants. This vine-like ground cover is ideal for filling in gaps between larger plants and adding a pop of color to your garden.
7. Thymus (Creeping Thyme)
Creeping Thyme is a hardy ground cover that smells wonderful and produces tiny purple, pink, or white flowers in late spring. It’s perfect for sun-drenched areas and is highly drought-tolerant. Creeping Thyme works well between stepping stones or in a rock garden, as it can withstand light foot traffic. Plus, it attracts pollinators like bees, which can help support your garden ecosystem.
8. Purple Wintercreeper
Purple Wintercreeper is a beautiful, evergreen ground cover that thrives in full sun to partial shade. Its purple-red foliage in spring and summer gradually turns a rich green in winter, offering year-round interest. This low-maintenance plant is perfect for covering slopes, adding color to drab spots, or even as a focal point along a garden path. It’s also deer-resistant, making it a great option for areas with wildlife.
9. Sedum (Stonecrop)
Sedum, or Stonecrop, is a hardy, drought-tolerant succulent that thrives in full sun and poor, dry soils. Its fleshy, green leaves turn red or bronze in the fall, and the plant produces clusters of pink, yellow, or red flowers in the late summer or fall. Sedum is perfect for rock gardens or dry, barren areas of your spring garden that need a low-maintenance option.
10. Vinca Minor (Periwinkle)
Vinca Minor is a popular ground cover known for its dark green leaves and beautiful blue or purple flowers that bloom in spring. It thrives in both sun and shade, making it perfect for various garden locations. Vinca Minor is a fast-growing plant that can cover large areas, and its dense mat effectively suppresses weeds. It's especially good for covering shaded slopes or areas under trees.
11. Hosta
Hostas are a fantastic choice for shaded areas, offering large, attractive foliage in various shades of green, blue, and gold. While they don't produce significant flowers, their lush, vibrant leaves add texture and depth to your garden. Hostas work well as a ground cover under trees, along walkways, or around other plants requiring shade.
12. Peanut Grass
Peanut Ground Cover is a unique and attractive option for gardeners looking for a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant ground cover. This plant has lush green foliage and small yellow flowers resembling peanut plants. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it an excellent choice for sunny spots in your garden. The Peanut Ground Cover forms a dense mat that helps suppress weeds.
13. Snow-in-Summer
Snow-in-Summer is a hardy, fast-growing ground cover with silvery foliage and small white flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it an excellent choice for sunny, dry spots in your garden. This low-maintenance plant creates a beautiful contrast with darker-colored plants and adds a touch of elegance to any landscape.
14. Groundcovers of Dichondra
Dichondra, often known as "Silver Falls," is a lovely ground cover with silvery-green, heart-shaped leaves that form a dense mat. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and can tolerate various soil conditions. Dichondra is ideal for hanging baskets or as a trailing ground cover, adding both beauty and texture to your spring garden.
15. Blue Star Creeper
Blue Star Creeper is an excellent choice for areas that receive both sun and partial shade. Its tiny, star-shaped blue flowers bloom in the spring, adding vibrant color to your garden. This ground cover is perfect for planting between stepping stones or as a lawn substitute, as it can handle light foot traffic while forming a dense mat.
16. Barren Strawberry
Barren Strawberry is a low-growing ground cover that produces small, white flowers in spring, followed by tiny, red berries. While the berries are not typically edible, the plant adds color and texture to your garden. It thrives in both sun and partial shade and is an excellent choice for planting in between other perennials or along the edges of garden beds.
17. Mondo Grass
Mondo Grass is a unique, attractive ground cover growing in dense tufts. It’s ideal for shaded areas, and its dark green foliage adds texture and depth to the garden. In the spring, it produces small, subtle, elegant purple flowers. Mondo Grass is easy to care for and works well in both formal and informal gardens.
18. Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Coral Bells is a popular perennial ground cover that offers a wide range of colors in its foliage, including shades of red, purple, and green. In spring, it produces delicate flower spikes that add height and interest to the landscape. Coral Bells thrive in partial to full shade, making them perfect for woodland gardens or shaded garden beds.
19. Creeping Phlox
Creeping Phlox is a colorful, vibrant ground cover plant that thrives in full sun. In the spring, it produces a blanket of bright flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white. Its fast-growing nature makes it perfect for quickly filling in gaps in your garden, and its dense mat helps suppress weeds. Creeping Phlox works well along the edges of garden beds, between rocks, or as a ground cover in areas that need a pop of color.
20. Japanese Spurge
Japanese Spurge is an evergreen ground cover that thrives in shaded or partially shaded areas. Its dark green leaves provide year-round coverage; it produces small white flowers in spring. This low-growing plant is perfect for filling in spaces under trees or shrubs and requires minimal care once established.
21. Wild Ginger
Wild Ginger is a low-growing perennial that thrives in shady areas, offering heart-shaped leaves and small, fragrant flowers in spring. It's perfect for creating a lush woodland look in your garden. Wild Ginger spreads slowly and is an excellent option for adding texture and greenery to shaded garden beds.
22. Ferns
Ferns are versatile ground covers that thrive in moist, shaded areas. Their delicate, feathery fronds create a soft, lush mat that looks natural to your garden. Many fern species are available, with various leaf shapes and sizes. Ferns are perfect for creating a tranquil woodland feel and can help create a peaceful, shady corner in your spring garden.
Ground Cover Plants for a Beautiful Spring Garden
Incorporating ground cover plants into your garden is a wonderful way to add texture, color, and interest while also making maintenance easier. Whether you're looking for plants that thrive in the shade or those that love the sun, there’s something for every garden. These plants will help transform your spring garden into a vibrant, low-maintenance haven!