Many perennials can also be considered groundcovers. Certainly, low-growing spreading plants are groundcovers but so are clumping, non-spreading plants that look nice when grown in large groups. Check out our huge selection of the best groundcovers for shade or sun. Low maintenance and tough!
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Pratia angulata
Item #: 790
Zones: 6a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 1" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: New Zealand
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Primula vulgaris 'Belarina Amethyst Ice'
Item #: 11956
Zones: 5a to 7b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 7" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price perSold out -
Primula vulgaris 'Belarina Lively Lilac'
Item #: 15881
Zones: 5a to 7b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 7" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price perSold out -
Primula vulgaris 'Belarina Pink Ice' PP 16,598
Item #: 15880
Zones: 5a to 7b, at least
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 7" tall
Culture: Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $20.00Regular priceUnit price perSold out -
Pteris vittata 'Benzilan'
Item #: 4255
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $24.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Pulmonaria 'Dark Vader'
Item #: 4346
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare'
Item #: 10352
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash'
Item #: 2819
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Pulmonaria 'Silver Bouquet' PP 20,059
Item #: 8623
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Pulmonaria 'Trevi Fountain'
Item #: 4872
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium 'Campbell Carpet'
Item #: 12812
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Pyrrosia lingua 'Kei Kan'
Item #: 6896
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 7" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China, Japan, Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price perSold out -
Sold out
Pyrrosia petiolosa 'Taste of China'
Item #: 10011
Zones: 7b to 10b, possibly much colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: China, Korea, Mongolia, Russia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $30.00Regular priceUnit price perNext crop available: 06/14/2024Sold out -
Rehmannia piasezkii
Item #: 422
Zones: 7a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Rubus pentalobus 'Emerald Carpet'
Item #: 729
Zones: 6a to 9b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Taiwan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Rudbeckia deamii 'American Gold Rush' PP 28,498
Item #: 17526
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Sold out
Ruellia 'Black Beauty'
Item #: 3918
Zones: 7a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price perSold out -
Salvia azurea 'Little Boy Blue'
Item #: 10547
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia chamaedryoides
Item #: 688
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia darcyi 'Presidio'
Item #: 17484
Zones: 6a to 10b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 54" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $22.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'
Item #: 2016
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Brazil
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia guaranitica 'Rhythm and Blues' PP 29,585
Item #: 14827
Zones: 7a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Brazil
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia koyamae
Item #: 1269
Zones: 4b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Salvia x sylvestris 'Violet Riot' PP 26,273
Item #: 10370
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
Regular price $21.00Regular priceUnit price per
More Information About Groundcovers
What Is a Groundcover Plant?
There are a lot of plants can be considered perennial groundcovers. Certainly, low-growing spreading plants are groundcovers but so are clumping, non-spreading plants that look nice when grown in large groups. Flowering groundcovers cover large open areas of garden, help prevent erosion, suppress weeds, reduce soil water loss through evaporation, and with proper plant selection, they look great while doing it. Plus, they reduce your need for mulch, which is nice because who likes spreading mulch all over the place every year?
Garden Design With Ground Cover Perennials
- Flowering ground cover plants are an interesting alternative to conventional lawns if you do not walk on them too often.
- In woodland areas, where turf will not grow, you should use ground covers for shade.
- You can grow ground covers in between patio pavers and along paths and over the tops of stone walls to soften the edges of the stones.
- Hill sides that are hard to access and tough to maintain should be planted with ground cover perennials to minimize erosion and still look manicured. Especially drought tolerant groundcovers.
- In open spaces try growing taller flowering perennials that push up through your ground covers for a two-layered effect.
What Are the Best Ground Cover Perennials?
If all you can find at your local garden center are the ubiquitous vincas and ivies, check out our rare and unique perennials that make good tough ground cover plants. Below are some ground covers that we especially like.
Best Ground Covers for Shade:
- Carex - Evergreen ground cover for shade with grassy texture. several variegated forms to choose from.
- Hardy ferns - Shade ground cover with great texture for the shade garden.
- Woodland phlox - Beautiful blue flowers in spring. Spreads around by seed into a groundcover for shade.
- Ophiopogon (mondo grasses) - Dwarf varieties are great in-between pavers.
- Hosta - Always a classic ground cover for shade!
Best Ground Covers for Sun
- Dianthus (carnation) - Blue foliage (some varieties) and colorful, clove scented flowers.
- Sedum (stonecrop) - Drought tolerant succulent looks great draping over walls. We love sedum as a ground cover.
- Liriope (monkey grass) - Tough as nails and easy to maintain. Great, drought-tolerant ground cover for sun, part-sun, or shade.
- Verbena (vervain) - Fantastic hardy perennial and flowering ground cover that attracts butterflies.
- Delosperma (ice plant) - Colorful flowering ground cover succulent that is hard to beat as a full sun ground cover.
- Muhlenbergia (muhly grass) - Fine textured ornamental grass that is tough, dear resistant, and looks great growing in mass.
- Laurentia (blue star creeper) - Low growing, herbaceous ground cover with teeny tiny leaves topped with teeny tiny blue flowers...cute as a button.
Be sure to check out our many blog posts about groundcovers at the Juniper Level Botanic Garden blog.